The Philadelphia Eagles vs. New Orleans Saints will be one of the more intriguing matchups of the third week of NFL action. The Eagles are coming off one of the more memorable collapses in recent memory. Meanwhile, the Saints look like the best team in football. Those two things are the main reasons the spread flipped from the Eagles being favorites to the Saints.
The spread is set correctly for how the Saints have been playing, especially after that week two game against the Cowboys. Derek Carr looks like the league MVP, and Alvin Kamara is the leader in the clubhouse for OPOY.
The matchup is a disaster for the Eagles after how brutal their Monday Night Football was. To let the Atlanta Falcons march down the field like they did was hard to watch. However, the Eagles can win this game if they make adjustments. There is a reason the spread is less than three points this late in the week. Let’s consider how the Eagles can pull off the newly-minted upset against the Saints.
The Defensive Front
The Eagles’ biggest X-factor is their front four. The defensive line has struggled in both of their games this season. Atlanta posed a tough challenge, and their offensive line completely nullified the Eagles’ pass rush and run defense. Jalen Carter and company have to step up this week with quite a tough challenge ahead of them. Alvin Kamara ran all over Dallas to the tune of four touchdowns. He is showing no signs of slowing down, either.
The Eagles must take that experience from the Falcons game when attempting to stop Bijan Robinson. Then, they must apply that to slowing Kamara because if you can not slow him down, Derek Carr will shred through any defense.
Through the first two weeks, the Saints are averaging the highest rate of play action in the league at 52.3 percent. It was a staggering turnaround for the team, which finished 32nd last season, and you can credit offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Kubiak will undoubtedly have several blank checks in his mailbox this offseason.
The Saints also have a top-five graded line for passing and run blocking at PFF. It will be a challenge. However, there is a reason these guys on the line went as high as they did in the draft. Or, in the case of Bryce Huff, how much money he received in free agency.
These reasons are not an attempt to spin last Monday night positively. There is a ton of talent on the defensive line, and the entire fanbase knows it. Their talent was on display against the Packers in week one. Those players up front need to generate a healthy amount of pressure, or Carr will produce as Kirk Cousins did in that two-minute drive. Week three will be better for the front four, but the optimism is not from that game against the Falcons.
Offensive Game Plan
The Eagles look to be without A.J. Brown for a second week. Brown injured his hamstring last Friday in practice and will likely be out until after their bye week, Week 5. In his absence, DeVonta Smith has stepped up as the number one option thus far and looked good against the Falcons. The Eagles need a number two option to step up while Brown is out.
Both Jahan Dotson and Dallas Goedert were quiet in their last game. Britain Covey contributed to a few plays where he was the primary target. A piece of the Eagles offense was missing with Brown out, and there is no replacement for him.
However, Dotson was acquired in trade precisely for this reason. And it was for a scenario exactly like this one. Dotson will not fill the entire void left by Brown, but he could help soften the blow to the offense. Don’t expect huge numbers from Dotson, as he will also likely see a healthy amount of Marshon Lattimore across from him, as Lattimore rarely travels to the slot. That would likely limit his role against the Saints, but he would still be playing a part in keeping Lattimore away from Smith.
Either way, it will be tough for head coach Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to devise a game plan without their alpha receiver.
Eagles vs. Saints Outlook
This matchup feels like the classic game where the Eagles win a close one. The team lost in heart-breaking fashion while they welcomed back legends on Monday night. Vibes are at an all-time low among the fanbase after the loss, and the upcoming schedule will inspire pessimism after what they just saw. Until they win a close game against the scorching-hot New Orleans Saints on Sunday, everyone will then buy back in on this talented Eagles team.
The Eagles could win this in a close game, 27-24. If this game happens to go the other way, it will either leave the fanbase in shambles or assure everyone that the Saints are Super Bowl contenders in 2024.
That is just how fast things move in the NFL. The Eagles vs. Saints will be a highly anticipated clash in which we will quickly learn about the status of both teams in the NFC hierarchy.
