Despite an underwhelming start to 2015, the Philadelphia Eagles can remarkably stay in the thick of the NFC East hunt with a win over the visiting New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
The Dallas Cowboys, last year’s division champion, have been plagued by injuries this season and get a tough matchup against the 3-0 New England Patriots, who are fresh off a bye week. Likewise, the Washington Redskins face an undefeated team, as they travel to the Georgia Dome to take on the 4-0 red-hot Atlanta Falcons.
Even if the New York Giants hold off the San Francisco 49ers, a Philly win keeps Chip Kelly’s team just a game back and in position to seize the NFC East lead the following week if they can beat the Giants on Monday Night Football.
But first, the Eagles have to win against the Saints, and that’s no guarantee. Drew Brees showed no ill effects last week against the Cowboys, as he returned earlier than expected from his shoulder injury, and the Eagles will have a hobbled Byron Maxwell (knee) in addition to their top two cover linebackers.
Coming away with a win starts with the offense, and if the following five steps go according to plan, the Eagles should be back in the hunt within their division.
1. No turnovers from Sam Bradford
Sam Bradford headed into halftime of last week’s game with whispers that he may be benched for Mark Sanchez, and Bradford responded with a strong showing in the second half.
He hit Riley Cooper and Miles Austn for deep touchdowns, and escaped pressure right up the middle to hit Brent Celek for a score. A three-touchdown performance from Bradford was long overdue, and most importantly, he didn’t throw an interception for the second consecutive contest.
Now he plays a Saints defense in Week 5 that is permitting a 9.77 yards-per-attempt average to opposing quarterbacks and still doesn’t have an interception. Bradford needs to build on the success he had in the third and fourth quarters last week, especially as Saints quarterback Drew Brees is one of the best in the business and could make life difficult for the Eagles’ defense.
2. Strong performances from fill-in inside linebacker starters, Jordan Hicks and DeMeco Ryans
The Philadelphia Eagles will be without both starting inside linebackers, Mychal Kendricks and Kiko Alonso. Fortunately, rookie third-rounder Jordan Hicks has thrived when called upon, and DeMeco Ryans is a veteran backup himself.
It’s likely Saints head coach looks to exploit potential mismatches in the middle of the field, particularly with pass-catching stud, C.J. Spiller, who burned the Dallas Cowboys on an 80-yard wheel route touchdown in overtime last week. That places pressure on Hicks – a better overall athlete than Ryans – as well as the underrated safety duo of Malcolm Jenkins and Walter Thurmond.
3. No missed kicks from Caleb Sturgis
A legitimate argument could be made that the Philadelphia Eagles would be 3-1 with ideal kickers this season. Perhaps Matt Ryan would have still led Atlanta on a game-winning drive in Week 1, but the bottom line is that the Eagles can’t expect to win close games when their kickers are unreliable.
New kicker Caleb Sturgis missed an extra point and field goal in his first game with the team, but Chip Kelly is sticking with him for Week 5.
It goes without saying that Sturgis can’t miss an easy kick (or two) again, or there’s a good chance the Eagles will be 1-4 and he’ll find himself a street free agent.
4. Win the trenches battle
Lane Johnson said it best when he called the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive line the “ones sinking the ship right now.”
Chip Kelly’s decision to release All-Pro guard Evan Mathis can’t be undone, and now the season-ending injury to Andrew Gardner forces career backup Matt Tobin into a starting spot at right guard. In addition, Johnson is trying to play through a knee injury, while fellow tackle Jason Peters – a six-time Pro Bowler and the team’s best lineman – has a quad injury that may render him less than 100 percent.
The depth is already thin on the line, with Gardner injured and Tobin now starting in his place. The Eagles can’t afford to have Peters or Johnson leave the game early.
5. Establish the run early
Aspirations heading into 2015 were that DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews would give the Philadelphia Eagles a top-five running game that would make life significantly easier for quarterback Sam Bradford.
In reality, the rushing offense ranks 29th in the NFL in yards (280) and 31st in yards per carry (3.1). Murray’s struggles have been well-documented, and even Mathews and Darren Sproles are averaging just 3.9 and 3.8 yards per rush, respectively. The key against New Orleans will be establishing the run early, especially against a Saints defense that ranks just 25th in rushing yards allowed.
The Eagles’ frequent three-and-outs have hurt the team in every facet, whether it’s a tired defense on the field for 41 minutes per game or Bradford having to force several throws in an attempt to lead a late-game comeback. Moving the chains early is key to Philly getting back on track as an offensive unit.
