Eagles at Saints

[CGI_Ram]

https://athlonsports.com/nfl/nfc-di...hiladelphia-eagles-vs-new-orleans-saints-2019

NFC Divisional Playoff: Philadelphia Eagles vs. New Orleans Saints

The Philadelphia Eagles' quest to repeat as Super Bowl champions brings them to New Orleans for a second time as the top-seeded Saints await in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs. The Eagles are coming off of a hard-fought, 16-15 win in Chicago while the Saints had the benefit of getting a week off.

Philadelphia needed a three-game winning streak and, ironically, some help from Chicago in Week 17 to surpass Minnesota for the final wild-card berth in the NFC. The Eagles then promptly thanked the Bears by beating the on their turf in gut-wrenching fashion no less.

New Orleans rested most of its starters in an ugly Week 17 home loss to Carolina, but that's because this team has a much bigger prize in its sights. The last and only time the Saints were the top seed in the playoffs was in 2009. That also was the season they went on to win the Super Bowl.

Philadelphia leads the all-time series between the two teams, with New Orleans holding a 10-8 advantage at home. This is the fourth postseason matchup with the Saints under Asshole Face winning each of the last two (2006, '13 seasons). Both of those games were at home, which was the site of the teams' most recent encounter.

In Week 11, the Saints blasted the Eagles 48-7 in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. At the time, the loss dropped Philadelphia to 4-6 and seemingly out of the postseason conversation, but a 5-1 finish followed by a gritty win during Wild Card Weekend has the defending Super Bowl champions still fighting. But will anything be different this time around against a New Orleans team that utterly dominated the Eagles in Round 1?

NFC Divisional Playoff: Philadelphia at New Orleans

Kickoff: Sunday, Jan. 13 at 4:40 p.m. ET
TV: Fox
Spread: Saints -8

Three Things to Watch

1. Can Nick Foles make enough of a difference?

Carson Wentz started the Week 11 meeting back on Nov. 18. It didn't go well for him, completing 19 of 33 passes for 156 yards and three interceptions. He also was sacked three times as Philadelphia was outgained 546 to 196 that afternoon.

With Wentz sidelined due to a back injury, Foles is back at the helm and trying to replicate his late-season heroics once again. He's 5-1 as the starter, including improving his playoff record to 4-1. He's completing 71 percent of his passes for an average of 280 yards per game with nine touchdowns and six interceptions. He has been sacked 10 times, but the Bears' vaunted defense got him down just once last week.

New Orleans' defense has been susceptible through the air. The Saints enter this game having allowed 269 passing yards per game, which is the fourth most in the league. They also have yielded 30 touchdown passes and have recorded 12 interceptions. The pass rush (49 sacks, tied for fifth) has helped out what has been at times a vulnerable secondary.

New Orleans made Wentz feel very unwelcome in the Superdome. Will it be any different with Foles under center? He has shown himself to be capable of making things happen from the pocket, but his offensive line will have to give him enough time to do so or we could see a repeat of Wentz' numbers.

2. Will the Saints’ rushing defense return to dominating form?

Entering Week 17, New Orleans was ranked No. 1 in the NFL in rushing defense at 78.1 yards per game allowed. Then Carolina put up 111, which is just one yard shy of the Saints' season high, and they had to settle for finishing a close second (80.2 ypg vs. 80.0 for Chicago) in that category.

Conversely, Philadelphia had minimal success running the ball against New Orleans in the first meeting. The Eagles finished with 58 rushing yards on 12 carries with their lone touchdown coming on the ground as well. Falling behind 17-0 did impact the game plan for Philadelphia but that wasn't the only factor behind the output either.

So the question becomes which run defense will we see from the Saints on Sunday? The one that struggled against the Panthers or the one that really clamped down on opponents throughout the regular season? New Orleans has only given up 100 or more rushing yards in a game four times this season. It lost two of those, although to be fair, many starters didn't play in the regular-season finale against Carolina.

It also should be pointed out that while the Eagles did pile up the rushing yards, their yards per carry average of 4.8 is very respectable. Most of that came from Josh Adams' 28-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Take out that play and that average is cut nearly in half (2.7).

Either way, a one-dimensional offense that relies on Foles to throw the ball all over the field to pull off the upset in one of the toughest home environments in the league will play right into the Saints' hands. Philadelphia has to find a way to get something out of its ground game or it will be another rough outing in the Superdome.

3. Can the Eagles’ defensive backs avoid being torched again?

Philadelphia focused on shutting down All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas in the first meeting. In response, Drew Brees spread the wealth around, completing passes to seven different players. Rookie Tre’Quan Smith put up his biggest numbers of the season — 10 receptions for 157 yards and a touchdown with Brees throwing scoring strikes to three other guys. Even with all of the extra attention, Thomas caught all four of his targets for 92 yards and a touchdown.

Injuries have hit the Eagles' secondary hard throughout the regular season and the situation has not improved much. Cornerbacks Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby missed the first game and won't play in this one either. Reserve corner Sidney Jones is questionable to play on Sunday after missing the last four games, putting even more pressure on safeties Malcolm Jenkins and Corey Graham when it comes to coverage responsibilities. That could leave linebackers alone in space trying to stay with running back Alvin Kamara, the Saints' second-leading receiver.

And outside of Thomas and Kamara, Brees has even more weapons to throw to compared to the first game against Philadelphia. Tedd Ginn Jr. is back from a knee injury that had sidelined him since Week 4. In his first game back (Week 16), Brees targeted Ginn eight times, as he finished with five catches for 74 yards. He sat out the following week but he is expected to play. All told, 10 different Saints have recorded at least nine catches this season. All 10 are available for Sunday's game, ready to take advantage of a patchwork Eagles secondary.

Final Analysis

Philadelphia went on an incredible streak just to return to the playoffs. The Eagles won five of their six final games and should be feared considering their championship pedigree. They went into Chicago and escaped with a win, which is no easy task considering how good the Bears' defense was this season.

But as impressive a season Chicago had, New Orleans is the team that seemed headed for the Super Bowl after rattling off 10 straight wins during the regular season. The offense cooled down over the last six weeks of the regular season, but the defense continued to do its job. How will the Saints look coming off of a first-round bye?

Philadelphia has been a different team since Nick Foles replaced Carson Wentz (again) at quarterback. But New Orleans has been good, if not great, on both sides of the ball for just about the entirety of the regular season. This one may not be a rout like the first meeting, but the Saints simply have too much firepower on both sides of the ball for the Eagles to overcome.

Prediction: Saints 34, Eagles 17

 

[CGI_Ram]

https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/lawlor-how-the-eagles-can-beat-the-saints

Lawlor: How The Eagles Can Beat The Saints

Doug Pederson is in his third year as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. He's done some amazing things so far. Winning the Super Bowl and developing a pair of star quarterbacks makes for one heck of a résumé. There have been some tough games and big wins along the way. On Sunday, Pederson will have the toughest challenge of his young career.

The Eagles play the Saints, who had the best record in the NFL this year. The Saints are rested and healthy. They are at home, where their starters have lost just two games in the last two years.

History is also on the Saints' side. They have beaten the Eagles in the playoffs the last two times the teams have faced off. Those were the 2006 and 2013 seasons, so a lot has changed since then, but there is one constant. Drew Brees was the quarterback for both wins and he's still in place. Brees also guided the Saints to a 48-7 beatdown of the Eagles back in November.

Put simply, not many people will be picking the Eagles to win this game.

Eagles players are excited by the challenge. They want a chance to play the Saints again. That gives them a chance at redemption, and more importantly, to move closer to another Super Bowl.

This is January. Games aren't supposed to be easy. The deeper you get into the playoffs, the tougher the matchups should be. The Eagles had to face arguably the best coach and quarterback in league history last year in the Super Bowl. That didn't faze the Eagles. They went out and beat them.

The Eagles are a loose team right now. You see Pederson joking with the media. You see the players goofing around with each other. They are laughing and joking in the locker room and even on the field. That's a good sign.

The postseason can make some players and coaches nervous. If that happens, those teams don't play well, and they get beat. There is tremendous pressure at this time of the year. You need to be loose to deal with that.

The Eagles have been in playoff mode for more than a month now. They are used to the pressure. The Saints, meanwhile, weren't challenged by anyone in the division. They've been on Big Easy street for a while. We don't know how that team will respond on Sunday.

Any time you face the Saints, the conversation begins with how to defend Brees. The Eagles focused on coverage in the first meeting and that didn't work. Jim Schwartz has to decide if the problem was the scheme or the personnel. Remember that the secondary is playing better now than it was at that point.

Schwartz will mix things up from the first game, but that doesn't mean he'll suddenly become blitz-happy. The Eagles were among the teams that blitzed the least this year and Brees normally is very good against the blitz.

New Orleans ran for 173 yards in the first game, so obviously Schwartz has to plan for more than Brees. Maybe Schwartz will focus on the run game and stopping that. Put the game in Brees' hands but make him throw from unfavorable situations.

The Eagles' defensive line is playing better now than back in November and that will help. Tim Jernigan is back in the starting lineup and playing well. Haloti Ngata is also healthier, and it shows. Those two will help slow down the run.

The Saints' offensive line will have all of its starters back, but the players won't be 100 percent healthy. Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Michael Bennett, and Chris Long have to win their battles with those guys. If you can get pressure on Brees with just your front four, you can stop the Saints' offense. That changes everything.

The Eagles got little pressure on Brees in the first game. They must do that if they want to win on Sunday. You don't have to sack Brees, but you need pressure to affect him. If he's got a clean pocket, he will pick you apart.

Eagles linebackers need to do a great job against running backs Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram. Those guys are threats as runners and receivers. When they pile up big yards, the Saints' offense becomes a machine. Linebackers and even defensive backs must tackle them in space.

The Eagles offense' must help the defense by sustaining drives and scoring points. If the Eagles go three-and-out too often, that will put tremendous pressure on the defense. The one surefire way to stop Brees is to make him a spectator.

The Eagles' offensive line did not play well in the first meeting. Lane Johnson wasn't completely healthy. Jason Kelce got hurt early in the game and missed some time. Jason Peters was dealing with nagging injuries. Carson Wentz was sacked three times and pressured too often.

The line is healthy now and playing its best football of the year. Johnson looks like a dominant tackle once again. Peters is coming off a good game. The interior trio is clicking. The Eagles' offense has been much better in recent weeks and one of the key reasons is the play of the guys up front.

We also have to give some credit to Nick Foles. He's been on a tear since taking over at quarterback. Foles is getting the ball out quickly and for the most part making smart decisions. When he does hold the ball and try to be more aggressive, Foles is at his best. He will hold the ball until the last possible second. That gives his guys a chance to get open and then he makes good throws. He gives them a chance to make plays for him.

No one has benefited from this more than Alshon Jeffery. He was limited to four catches for 33 yards in the first game against New Orleans. He will top both of those numbers on Sunday. Foles will throw him the ball, even when he's covered.

I'm curious to see what happens with the run game. Josh Adams played well in the first Saints game. The coaches haven't used him as much recently because of the matchups. They could move back to Adams this week and see if he can get going again. His speed helps this offense.

The Eagles won a tough defensive battle last week. I expect more scoring on Sunday. Both defenses played well down the stretch, but I'd be shocked to see a game in the teens. This game will be indoors and both quarterbacks can light up defenses. I don't necessarily see a 41-33 shootout, but it won't be 16-15 either.

I really am excited to see how the Eagles respond to the challenge of playing the Saints. We wondered if the Eagles were a playoff team. They got hot late and snuck in. We wondered if the Eagles would be one-and-done. Nope. They went to Chicago and won.

The Eagles can beat the Saints. They don't need luck. They don't need any miracles. The Eagles need to win the line of scrimmage and make plays in key situations. That formula helped them beat the division-winning Rams, Texans, and Bears. That formula can help them beat the Saints.

I think the Eagles will win the line of scrimmage – and the game.

Tommy Lawlor, goeagles99 on the Eagles Message Boards, is an amateur football scout and devoted Eagles fan. You can also find his work atIgglesBlitz.com where he is the site's editor.

 

[CGI_Ram]

RamsOnDemand SportsBook Here;

https://ramsondemand.com/sportsbook/2018-week-19-philadelphia-eagles-new-orleans-saints.2585/

 

[El caliente]

This has the potential to be a very good game. I would be a liar if I said I wasn’t a bit nervous (these are still the world champion Eagles), but I take comfort in knowing that this game is at home, and Asshole Face is still one of the top coaches in the NFL, and Drew Brees is still a top qb.

Should be a good one.

 

[CGI_Ram]

This has the potential to be a very good game. I would be a liar if I said I wasn’t a bit nervous (these are still the world champion Eagles), but I take comfort in knowing that this game is at home, and Asshole Face is still one of the top coaches in the NFL, and Drew Brees is still a top qb.

Should be a good one.

The Eagles are clearly on a roll, but Foles is streaky as any QB we’ve seen. If he’s “on”, Eagles could hang around.

But speaking for myself, I feel waaay more confident in the Saints than the Eagles.

Unfortunately, @El caliente probably most everyone here is rooting against your Saints. Try not to take it personal we just want another home game.

 

[El caliente]

The Eagles are clearly on a roll, but Foles is streaky as any QB we’ve seen. If he’s “on”, Eagles could hang around.

But speaking for myself, I feel waaay more confident in the Saints than the Eagles.

Unfortunately, @El caliente probably most everyone here is rooting against your Saints. Try not to take it personal we just want another home game.

Trust me, no offense taken, I was rooting for the Cowboys yesterday. I don’t want any part of you guys right now.

 

[Ram65]

This was the last thread on the first page.

OK it could be a Saints blowout again. I'm interested to see who the Rams play and how they did. Eagles have a punchers chance if they can get to Drew Brees some early on.

 

[PressureD41]

Fuck it, I want to face my inner demons and head to NOLA... There I said it. Lets do this... Lets get the #1 seed and unleash hell on them

 

[Q729]

When did that GMFB guy start doing sideline reporting for Fox.
And I'll accept whatever revenge the football gods want us to have.
Clean pick.

 

[Dieter the Brock]

PICK
FUCK YOU BREES

 

[Ram65]

A little pressure and under thrown ball.

 

[Q729]

Wowowow.

 

[Ram65]

It's magic. 7-0 Eagles.

 

[GhostTide]

Eagles draw first blood!!

 

[Merlin]

Philly & Foles off to hot start oh boy.

 

[Dieter the Brock]

Nick Folds

 

[Merlin]

I wanted the Rams to be the team to expose New Orleans. Sigh.

 

[RamsOfCastamere]

BIG DICK NICK!

 

[WarnerToBruce]

I wanted the Rams to be the team to expose New Orleans. Sigh.

I want a home NFC Championship game. Go Iggles! (For One Week Only)

 

[badnews]

Not even kidding I think we could beat the Eagles just by dusting off last nights game plan...