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Sunday Night Preview

13 September 2019 Uncategorized

 

The Birds are 1-0 and soaring into a week 2 match up against the Falcons for a Sunday Night Football prime time showdown. DeSean not only sparked the Eagles offense, he electrified an entire fan base. Number 10 finished with 8 catches for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns. Sheesh, that is an incredible way to reintroduce yourself to Philly. The Eagles offense shook off the rust and took flight in the second half. Carson was back to his 2017 form as he finished his first game with 313 yards and 3 touchdowns (it should be 4 but the second to Alshon was considered a lateral). Regardless, the Carson Wentz 2019 Revenge Tour is off and running and Atlanta is the next victim.

Week 2 Preview:

The Atlanta Falcons opened their season away at Minnesota. Anticipation was at an all-time high and expectations were equally as high. Unfortunately, the Falcons failed to take flight. Minnesota dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and never let Atlanta get anything started. Kirk Cousins only needed to throw 10 times… Yes, 10 total passes to beat the Falcons in their home opener.

Vikings running back Dalvin Cook showcased his elite speed and vision all day and finished with 111 yards and 2 touchdowns. Atlanta’s offensive line was glaringly suspect in all aspects. Their second-string RB Ito Smith ended up as their leading rusher with a crisp 31 yards. Additionally, Matt Ryan was sacked 4 times for a total loss of 32 yards and he racked on 2 pressure led interceptions. Too make thing worse, Atlanta’s starting center, Chris Lindstrom has been ruled out for Sunday and for the rest of the year.

First things first, Atlanta is going to come out angry on Sunday. They don’t want to start 0-2, especially not at home. Too add more fuel to the fire, the Eagles have had their way with the Falcons the last 3 years. In the last 2 matchups, the Eagles ended their season in the 2018 divisional round of the playoffs and sent them home 0-1 after last year’s week 1 duel. I know it’s early in the year, but they’re are desperate for a win in Atlanta.

Key Matchups:

On the offensive side of the ball:

It all starts in the trenches. If the Eagles elite offensive line can have their way just like Minnesota did, look for Jordan Howard and Miles Sanders to have their breakout games in midnight green. The run game is crucial. It paces the game, takes pressure off of Carson, and opens up the entire playbook.

The Eagles are facing close an Atlanta defense that is practically starting the same 11 from the last matchup. The only noticeable change is corner Isiah Oliver. I expect Doug to go after Oliver early and often Sunday night. Star corner Desmond Trufant will fare well against our receivers; he’s that good when he’s healthy. Look for the Eagles to get things started on the ground, attack the seams, then expand the outside.

On the defensive side of the ball:

Again, it all starts in the trenches. The line is hungry to add some sacks to their stat lines after a frustrating outing week 1 against what was supposed to be a subpar Washington offensive line. Their pressure ratings were high, but the Eagles only knock Keenum down once. I would expect this to change. Matt Ryan does not move around as well as Keenum and two of our starters (Fletch and Barnett) were seeing the field for the first time all year last Sunday.

We all know who Matt Ryan will be looking to utilize on Sunday night. Arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL will be standing on the other side of the line of scrimmage and he has a lot to prove against the Eagles. Although Julio has had a nice fantasy football stat line every time, he has faced Philadelphia, for consecutive years, Jones has failed to score the game winning touchdown for his team. Julio was held to only 31 yards in week 1 and is looking for a revenge game this Sunday night. We can bash and trash our secondary all day, but this game comes down to the effectiveness of our defensive line. Ryan cannot have all day to throw. If we hit Ryan early and often, I expect the Falcons to get desperate and desperation leads to mistakes.

Overall, I believe that this Eagles team can take on any of the 31 other teams in this league when they play their game. Our roster is insanely talented, and we saw a glimpse of its potential the entire second half of Sunday’s game. DeSean completely changes the dynamic of our team. You cannot cover our receivers, tight ends, and running backs when number 10 is in the game. I expect the Eagles to defeat the Falcons on the road by a score of 31-20 and come back home 2-0 to face the Detroit Lions in week 3.

 

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