PHILADELPHIA (AP) -They'll send cornerbacks from one side and safeties up the middle, drop linemen into pass coverage and hope someone gets to the quarterback.
Defensive coordinators Jim Johnson and Steve Spagnuolo are known for their attacking styles and exotic schemes. Their goal is to create constant pressure, get sacks and cause turnovers.
Neither coach lets up.
When the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants meet in an NFC divisional playoff Sunday, Donovan McNabb and Eli Manning should see plenty of guys coming at them from different angles.
Johnson and Spagnuolo, his former understudy, love the blitz. They'll do it anytime, no matter the down or score.
"We expect him to bring the heat," McNabb said of Spagnuolo, who runs the Giants' D. "And we will be prepared and go out and try to make some big plays."
Spagnuolo learned under Johnson during his eight seasons as an assistant in Philadelphia. He took the same aggressive approach to New York last year, added a few of his own wrinkles and helped the Giants win a Super Bowl. In the process, Spags became a hot commodity for head coaching vacancies around the league.
Johnson joined the Eagles when coach Andy Reid arrived in 1999. His defenses have consistently ranked among the best in the NFL, a major reason why Philadelphia has reached the playoffs seven times in the last nine years.
The veteran Johnson is proud to see Spagnuolo and some of his other pupils having success. Defensive coordinators Ron Rivera of the San Diego Chargers and Leslie Frazier of the Minnesota Vikings each served under Johnson in Philadelphia.
"I'm just glad I'm in the playoffs," Johnson joked. "No, I'm happy for those guys. It's kind of fun. It's kind of neat to have all those guys in the playoffs. They're all doing well."
Johnson preaches patience on defense, a trait Spagnuolo certainly inherited from his mentor. He doesn't abandon his game plan if something isn't working early, and sticks with the philosophy that has brought him so much success. He also avoids being predictable. Opponents are always mindful of Philadelphia's blitz, but they have a tough time figuring out who's coming from where.
"You can watch as much tape as you want and study all of that, but they do a good job of a lot of one-time blitzes," Giants center Shaun O'Hara said. "You have to be ready for anything and I'm sure we'll see something that they haven't done in the past few games."
For all their blitzing and pressuring, neither defense got to the QB much in the previous two meetings. McNabb, who was sacked 12 times by the Giants in September 2007, didn't go down once against them this season. Manning only got sacked one time. The teams split the two games, each winning on the road.
