Let's start with the basics. If you're an average football fan, you've probably heard the term "sliding protection" or "chipping" pass rushers. Here's a quick definition and why they work.

"Sliding protection" happens on almost every single pass play, because the offense will typically "slide" toward the strength of a defensive line. Just watch the center, and he'll tell you the direction of the slide, whether it's going left or right. There are three-man slides, four-man slides, and full-line slides (where five or six blockers all step one way or another). The important thing to remember is that, on a slide protection, each blocker only has to worry about blocking his outside gap. If you're the left tackle, and you're sliding to the left, you only have to worry about the outside gap on your left side because the left guard protects your right side. Having to worry about one gap makes life a little bit easier for a lineman and, in some cases, can create what we may see as a "double team."

"Chippers" are quick blocks by running backs and tight ends, which impact pass rushers before releasing into the route. Chipping can be a bit of a double-edged sword at times. While you can deliver big hits to unsuspecting defenders and completely dismantle them at times, you can also bump them into a wide-open rush lane if you're not careful. That's why some coaches teach their chippers that it's not the contact that's most important, but just doing enough to make them think contact is coming so that they have to slow up their rush gets the job done. The Eagles were very effective at chipping on Sunday, and they were used primarily on third-and-long situations.