Donovan McNabb stands at the line of
scrimmage, barking out calls, signalling his receivers and pointing
at defenders.
Peyton Manning isn't the only quarterback who audibles. While
Manning is a master at making last-second changes, McNabb is doing
his best to impersonate the two-time NFL MVP.
Since the Philadelphia Eagles began using the no-huddle offence,
McNabb has been given the freedom to check off plays and call his
own.
``I enjoy it,'' McNabb said. ``I think a lot of the things that
we've been able to do, we've had a lot of success with in the
no-huddle.
``If we're faced with a blitz, I can get us into a different
play. If a play is called and I see that we can run it, we'll be
able to execute. If I see a blitz that will get us into something
else where I can get the ball to the guys outside, then they'll be
able to make plays for us. So, I'm excited, the guys are excited
about what we've been able to do in the previous weeks and we're
going to continue to grow with it.''
Hoping to keep defences off balance and take advantage of
coverage mismatches, the Eagles incorporated the no-huddle approach
into their offence in the pre-season.
They've had decent success going without the huddle at times,
mainly because McNabb is orchestrating it well. In a 27-3 victory
over Washington last Sunday, the Eagles opened the game in a
no-huddle offence and stayed in it most of the day.
``He's very good,'' offensive co-ordinator Marty Mornhinweg said
of McNabb's ability to run the no-huddle. ``One of his many
strengths is some of the things he can do at the line of scrimmage.
I think he handles that well.''
The Eagles haven't used a no-huddle offence in every game this
season because it only works well against certain opponents.
Mornhinweg, who took over playcalling duties from coach Andy Reid
against the Redskins, said a decision is made early in the week on
how much the offence will use it.
``It is not that big of a deal when defences see it and they are
prepared for it,'' he said.
There are several differences between a no-huddle offence and
running a two-minute drill, which teams do out of necessity at the
end of the half and the fourth quarter. The game clock is most
important in a two-minute situation and downs matter less, so that's
why quarterbacks often spike the ball to save time.
In a no-huddle, the game clock isn't relevant and some
quarterbacks use most of the 40-second play clock to read defences
and adjust the calls. The goal is to make sure defences don't make
substitutions and guys can get caught out of position.
The centre also plays a major role in the no-huddle offence
because he has to relay the calls and the cadence to the linemen.
McNabb works with Jamaal Jackson throughout the week to ensure
they're on the same page.
``You want to get into a rhythm early,'' McNabb said. ``It's
important that we get into a rhythm and continue to stay in that
rhythm throughout the whole drive. If we can come out with points in
the first or second drive, we feed off that throughout the whole
game.''
