First Look at Saints vs. Eagles in Week 3: Will the Superdome See Another Epic Win?

The Saints are one of the hottest teams in the NFL after their 2-0 start. Can they keep it going against the Eagles at home?

Jan 1, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New Orleans Saints center Erik McCoy (78) waits to snap the football against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Saints are getting a lot of love this week, and rightfully so. However, that doesn't look to phase them much. The same people who were discounting and overlooking them are now singing praises. That's just how it works in the NFL.

New Orleans (2-0) returns back home in Week 3 to host the Philadelphia Eagles (1-1), who lost in the last minute on Monday Night Football to the Falcons. It's been over 10 years since the black and gold have started 3-0 (2013), and they have a golden opportunity to get there on Sunday. Here's our first look.

Saints Storylines to Follow In Week 3

Sep 8, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill (7) looks on against the Carolina Panthers during the pregame at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Taysom Hill's Chest Injury

It was quite a scare hearing that Hill had to go to a local hospital after leaving Sunday's game to get further imaging and X-rays. He'll be on the injury report with a chest injury and avoided a major injury. While Dennis Allen said that Hill feels good right now, they're going to see what he can and can't do this week and go from there. Not having him in the lineup would be a big loss.

Superdome Hysteria

Prices went up with a quickness following the 2-0 start for the Saints, and we would fully expect the Superdome to be pretty nuts on Sunday. The atmosphere in there could be something that we haven't seen in years, and everyone is here for it. Many are hopping on the New Orleans bandwagon after what they did to Dallas on Sunday, and it looks like they're quickly winning people back over. It's been a while since the home crowd was a huge factor (see last year's debacles), so this could be a huge advantage for the Saints going forward.

Eagles Running Game

The Eagles have to figure some things out defensively, as they are statistically at the bottom of the league in many categories. They enter with the league's 8th ranked rushing attack on offense at 165 yards/game in the early season, and Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts will come into focus for this one. When doing an early preview of this game, Dennis Allen pointed out how one year they got beat up in the running game in subsequent years (2020 and 2021), so there's a lot of respect for their ground attack.

This could be a game where we see Willie Gay Jr. used a bit more, as he can help a lot with the mobile quarterback. This is a good test for the New Orleans front line, and we'll get an even better gauge of where they are at in run defense. The Eagles are also not expected to have A.J. Brown (hamstring), which will put a little more focus on running the ball. Controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball will be key for the Saints.