The first time the Wide-9 passed through Philadelphia under the arm of crusty old Jim Washburn back in 2011-12, it was panned by critics and viewed as a flawed idea that might be terrific for chasing down quarterbacks on third and long, but wasn’t very practical for stopping enemy ball carriers the rest of the time.
The numbers more or less bore that out during those two seasons. In 2011, the Eagles finished tied for the league lead in sacks, but were 16th against the run and gave up 54 runs of 10 yards or more.