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The Eagles pushed their competitive advantage card even further this week, but eventually acquiesced at least a little by Friday, labeling Jalen Hurts questionable.
No player with that injury designation this season has really beaten the odds of playing in the entire NFL this season, which is why veteran backup Gardner Minshew has said the Eagles won the NFC East and won the No. . . 1 seed in the conference.
Standing in their way is a team from New Orleans on life support, 6-9, but looking to win if the stars line up, and the 2023 first-round pick is Philadelphia. It’s one of two questionable deals Saints GM Mickey Loomis made with Howie. Roseman contributed to the Eagles’ 13-2 record.
I wouldn’t call this the Saints’ Super Bowl, but it’s Loomis’ signature game, as another Black Eye at the hands of Philadelphia could shake the Saints’ entire foundation.
countdown to kick off
5… Featured Players
Eagles QB Gardner Minshew – Minshew’s down in Dallas is nothing short of hitting Kez Watkins with two interceptions. Another solid performance of his against the No. 2 pass defense will bring Minshew closer to his goal of becoming his NFL starter in 2023.
Eagles TE Dallas Gedelt – Philadelphia had a lot of Gedart in their game plan in Dallas, planning for double-digit plays, according to Eagles team sources.
The Cowboys defense figured out Minshew was looking for TE and forced the QB elsewhere, resulting in a 100-yard game between AJ Brown and Devonta Smith. The fact that Minshew has proven that he can go outside the numbers could open things up for Goedert this week.
Saints QB Andy Dalton – Dalton is a solid but limited veteran quarterback. He doesn’t make mistakes if he’s kept clean, but he’s also not going to make a lot of great plays, and in baseball terminology, he’s considered a professional hitter. In his 12 starts in 2022, Dalton has passed for 2,495 yards where he passed 219 of 331 (66.2% of his career-best), 17 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. , his solid 95.7 passer recorded his rating.
Saints WR Chris Olave – The rookie is questionable with a hamstring injury and the Saints really need him to keep up with the explosive Eagles. and leading New Orleans in receiving yards. He also leads all NFL rookies with 24 third-down receptions.
Saints LB DeMario Davys – A Pro Bowl selection known as one of the hardest hitters in football, Davis posted 94 tackles to lead his team, with a club-high and career-high 6.5 sacks, an interception and a pass. Recorded four defenses and one fumble recovery. This is the last man who wants to test Jalen Hartz’s shoulder with a square hit.
4. Important Matchups
Eagles third-down defense vs. Andy Dalton and Co. – With an uncharacteristic situational implosion in Dallas, Jonathan Gannon’s defense looks to overcorrect against a mid-range Saints team, ranked 14th in the NFL, at 40.5% on third-down offense.
Eagles rushing attack vs. Saints run defense without Jalen Hurts – The Eagles were ineffective in running football in Dallas without a Hearts plus-one in the lineup, relying instead on the traditional inside zone. Myles Saunders is also dealing with a knee injury and could make things easier for the NOLA team in his 23rd place run.
Eagles pass rush vs. imposing Andy Dalton – The Eagles tied the franchise record for QB takedowns in a season (62) by one sack, while Brandon Graham was one sack behind Herson Reddick, Josh Sweat and Javon Hargrave for double-digit sacks. In the NFL, he has four players with 10 or more sacks. The low mobility Andy Dalton should give pass rushes a lot of chances.
ball security – The Eagles’ recent ball security issues are a concern with the playoffs approaching. In their last two games he has turned the ball more than seven times, and in his previous seven games he has turned the ball 14 times. They had a plus-15 turnover differential in their first eight games and had won turnover battles in all of those eight games. Since then, the Eagles have had a minus-six turnover differential in their last seven games, of which he has won only two turnover battles.
3…Things to know
– The Saints are just 3-11 in regular-season games in Philadelphia.
– The younger brother of New Orleans linebacker Kayden Ellis, Christian plays for linebackers and special teams for the Eagles. The two were also teammates at the University of Idaho.
-AJ Brown is 105 receiving yards off Mike Quick’s one-season franchise record of 1,409 yards.
2…X-Factor
For Saints: LB Kaden Ellis – Christian’s older brother, Kayden Ellis, was one of the NFL’s most underrated defensive players this season as an edge defender ranked fifth in the league by Pro Football Focus.
For the Eagles: RT Jack Driscoll – Philadelphia can’t expect Driscoll to be Lane Johnson, but if he can handle an edge without too much help, Shane Steichen will be able to highlight the New Orleans defense with his normal route concept, and the Eagles A pass game will be opened. If Driscoll needs help limiting Philadelphia’s offense.
1…Forecast
John McMullen (13-2, 5-10 vs spread) -If the preseason promised the Eagles where they are now: 13-2 Magic Number 1 win over the NFC East, earning the #1 seed in the conference going into Week 17 with two home games left. If there is, the average fan will. I signed off without reading the fine print of the disappointing loss in Dallas.
An oasis for the first-round postseason bye awaits if Philadelphia beats a bad dome team in their January trip.
A prominent theme in the Eagles’ two losses this season was four turnovers each. Even with that number cut in half, Philadelphia is planning a mini vacation before the divisional round.
Eagles 31, Saints 20
Ed Kraz (13-2, 8-7 vs spread) – Home Sweet Home… This is the difference between a team that hasn’t given up more than 20 points since November 7th. Amazing for a team in need of a lift after battling several significant injuries recently.
Eagles 24, Saints 17
— John McMullen writes about the Eagles for Eagles Today on SI.com and is an NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. Every morning from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m., you can hear John talk live on his YouTube stream on his “Birds 365” alongside legendary sports talk host Jodie Macdonald. . John is also the host of his own show, Football 24/7, and writes daily for ESPN South his jersey. You can contact him at [email protected] or Twitter @JFMcMullen.
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