September 20, 2024
Colleen Claggett/For PhillyVoice
The Eagles' defense is going to need to manage the run much better than it did against the Falcons in Week 2.
Monday night's mortifying loss to the Falcons exposed that the Eagles' defense can't stop the run or even get pressure on an even more immobile quarterback coming off an Achilles tear.
So of course up next for them is a run-heavy 2-0 New Orleans Saints team, fresh off of a 115-yard rushing performance from Alvin Kamara and a 44-19 drubbing of the Cowboys.
This might be a real matchup problem down at the Superdome.
Here are our thoughts and predictions going into it...
TV: FOX (Joe Davis, Greg Olsen, Pam Oliver)
RADIO: 94.1 WIP (Merrill Reese, Mike Quick)
| Sportsbook | Spread | Money Line | Total O/U |
| DraftKings | NO -2.5 | PHI +120 NO -142 | 49.5 |
| FanDuel | NO -2.5 | PHI +128 NO -152 | 49.5 |
| BetRivers | NO -3 | PHI +118 NO -143 | 49 |
| BetMGM | NO -3 | PHI +130 NO -155 | 49.5 |
| Bally's | NO -3 | PHI +118 NO -143 | 49 |
It was easy enough to dismiss the Saints' 47-10 shellacking of the Panthers Week 1, but they now have everyone's attention after dismantling the Cowboys Week 2, 44-19. New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has the Saints' offense off to an outstanding start, as he has kept opposing defenses guessing, and off-balance.
Klint Kubiak, Derek Carr, and the New Orleans Saints were playing the Shanahan hits in a huge game against the Cowboys:
— Shawn Syed (@SyedSchemes) September 15, 2024
*Effective zone run game
*Attacking the middle of the field
*Motion to manipulate the defense
*A deep shot TD off play action pic.twitter.com/zCkG14CDU2
Meanwhile, the Eagles' pass rush sucks. Bryce Huff looks disinterested, Josh Sweat looks more like the player he was during the back half of 2023 than the one he was in 2022 and the first half of 2023, Nolan Smith doesn't seem ready to make plays in an elevated role, and Jordan Davis has been a non-factor. If you're an opposing offensive coordinator, scheming protections is pretty straightforward — double Jalen Carter, and dare everyone else to win their one-on-ones.
The problem for the Eagles is that there really shouldn't be much realistic hope that their pass rush is going to substantially improve. Huff was invisible in training camp, so it's not as if his no-show for the first two games should come as a huge surprise, and let's not forget that the Eagles tried to trade Sweat this offseason but found no enthusiastic takers.
Give me the Saints. They're the hottest team out of the gate this season, and the Eagles' defense hasn't shown that they are ready to cool them off.
Going to play the role of contrarian here in contrast to the rest of our staff going Saints. The Eagles will be able to put up some points and will get some good luck in the turnover battle. The Saints will fall back to earth a bit. Hey, it could happen.
The vibes are in the absolute gutter. The Eagles can't stop the run just as Alvin Kamara is having a renaissance. Derek Carr looks poised to carve the Eagles' defense up with quick, sharp throws that the Birds' non-existent pass rush will be helpless to stop. Making matters worse, the team will yet again be without their best player in A.J. Brown.
Oh, yeah, the game is also in the house of horrors down in New Orleans where the Eagles never win.
Alvin Kamara is going to light this defense up, and after what I saw Monday night, I have an anxious feeling that the offense is going to completely stall out here.
None of this feels right on the Eagles' side of things.
Follow Nick on Twitter: @itssnick
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
