The much-anticipated start to the 2015 Philadelphia Eagles’ season kicks off with a road contest at the Atlanta Falcons.
Chip Kelly’s offseason moves received quite the attention, and he’ll be unveiling a handful of new players in Sam Bradford, DeMarco Murray, Nelson Agholor and Byron Maxwell.
It’s safe to say the success of the Eagles this year rests on the health of Bradford. After all, the whole world saw his capabilities in limited preseason action against the Green Bay Packers; while only attempting 10 passes, Bradford demonstrated exactly why Kelly feels he can lead this fast-paced offense. He’s ridiculously accurate and possesses a rocket of a throwing arm, and he’s supported by an underrated group of skill-position players.
If Bradford torches the Falcons in a regular-season game as he did to the Packers in August, the Eagles’ hype train will be in full force. Bradford isn’t the only Philadelphia player whose presence is vital to the team’s chances of coming away with a win. The following five matchups are worth monitoring and will play a large role in the game’s outcome.
WR Jordan Matthews vs. CBs Desmond Trufant/Phillip Adams/Robert Alford
As a rookie in 2014, Philadelphia Eagles second-round pick Jordan Matthews played a league-high 92 percent of his snaps from the slot (per PFF). With Pro Bowler Jeremy Maclin signing a free-agent deal with Kansas City in the offseason, it’s logical to believe Matthews will take over an outside receiver role on an offense with the potential to be among the NFL’s finest in 2015.
Matthews has elite size and physical tools to be a successful receiver (6’2 1/2″, 212, 4.45 40) and it will be interesting to see whether Kelly plays Matthews more on the outside or in the slot against Atlanta. Atlanta’s top cover corner, Desmond Trufant – a 2013 first-round pick on the verge of All-Pro stardom – will present an extremely difficult matchup for Matthews when they’re lined up opposite one another.
However, Kelly is a master at putting his receivers – and tight ends and running backs – in plus matchups, so expect Matthews to be lined up against Atlanta’s other corners, Phillip Adams and Robert Alford, as well.
Adams is a 27-year-old journeyman on his sixth NFL team in as many seasons, while Alford is purely a slot corner whom opposing wide receivers feasted on in 2014 (six touchdowns, 108.6 passer rating allowed per PFF).
There’s reason to believe Matthews will see a lot of one-on-one slot matchups against Alford, and this is a battle the Eagles should win.
ROLB Brandon Graham vs. LT Jake Matthews
Brandon Graham is a former first-round pick stepping into his first-ever role as a regular player. He thrived as a situational pass-rusher the last several seasons, and will get an opportunity to prove to the Eagles’ coaching staff that they were smart to lock him up to a four-year contract extension.
Graham will be opposed by left tackle Jake Matthews, the cousin of Graham’s former linebacker teammate, Casey. This Matthews was Atlanta’s 2014 first-round pick and he struggled through a rookie year to forget, enduring an ankle injury that never fully healed and a slew of penalties.
Matthews was actually PFF’s lowest-rated offensive tackle in 2014 out of over 80 qualifiers, but he’s rated positively through 58 preseason snaps in 2015. Matthews should have a bright NFL future, and the winner of this matchup will play a big role in whether their team wins the battle in the trenches.
LT Jason Peters vs. RDE Vic Beasley
A six-time Pro Bowler, Jason Peters is his team’s best offensive player and a mammoth of a man capable of both protecting against the pass and opening up holes in the running game.
Peters will deal with a rookie in Vic Beasley on Monday night, but this is an explosive player who went eighth overall in the 2015 NFL draft and has the potential to make a Von Miller-type impact as a first-year player.
Beasley is undersized at 6’3″, 246 pounds, so he’s going to have to beat Peters with a quick first step to the outside. With a 4.53 40-yard dash and a ridiculous 35 reps on the bench press, Beasley has the power-speed combination to be a nightmare for some offensive tackles.
Fortunately for the Eagles – and oft-injured quarterback Sam Bradford – Peters is one of the best in the business at protecting his quarterback’s blind side. The ’14 Falcons finished dead-last among NFC teams with just 22 sacks, and they’re clearly counting on their prized new draft pick to help turn that statistic around.
RBs DeMarco Murray/Ryan Mathews vs. MLB Paul Worrilow
Since becoming the Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach, Chip Kelly has placed a high priority on the ground game, as his teams have finished first and ninth in rushing yards. This offseason, he swapped out All-Pro runner LeSean McCoy and signed reigning NFL rushing champion DeMarco Murray to a five-year deal. Murray’s one-cut style of power running better fits with Kelly’s ground-and-pound offensive attack, and he should be a formidable asset, especially in cold weather games.
Kelly complemented Murray with free-agent signee Ryan Mathews, a former first-rounder who flashed when healthy in San Diego. Atlanta should have difficulty stopping this two-headed attack, especially with speedy veteran Darren Sproles still in the mix and capable of taking the ball to the house with every touch.
Last year’s Falcons team allowed more rushing touchdowns than any other NFL squad. Middle linebacker Paul Worrilow will try to lead Atlanta’s attempt to slow down this rushing attack, but it could be a tough night for Atlanta’s run defense.
CB Byron Maxwell vs. WR Julio Jones
Chip Kelly paid Byron Maxwell $63 million this offseason to be his Darrelle Revis – a corner who shadows the opposition’s best wide receiver and ideally takes him out of the game.
It’s a bold move for Kelly, considering Maxwell is just a one-year starter and was clearly the fourth-best member of Seattle’s legendary Legion of Boom secondary. Still, Kelly believes Maxwell has the ideal size, speed, length, and athleticism to be a shutdown corner, and he’s going to have a real test in Julio Jones.
Last year, Jones caught 104 passes for 1,593 yards, averaging nearly 100 yards per game. He’s a physical specimen capable of giving even the best corners fits; expect Matt Ryan to target Jones early and often.
Maxwell may be in for a rough evening in trying to cover Jones, a talented player who is Atlanta’s best hope in winning this game.
