Saints Eyeing Up the Enemy: Philadelphia Eagles

New Orleans travels north to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the Eagles in a titanic clash of NFC contenders in Week 14.

The New Orleans Saints will head back north in Week 14 of the 2020 NFL season, their third straight road game in as many weeks. This time, the Saints clash with the Philadelphia Eagles in a battle between two of the top contenders in the NFC. This contest will be the 33rd meeting between the Saints and Eagles all-time, including four playoff showdowns. Philadelphia holds a narrow 17-15 edge in the series, and the Saints hold a 3-1 advantage postseason matchups. The Eagles also have a 9-4 record against New Orleans when they play in Philadelphia, including a 39-17 victory in their last Philly meeting on 10/11/15. One of those New Orleans victories in “The City of Brotherly Love” was a 26-24 road playoff win on 1/4/14, the only away victory in Saints postseason history. 

The Eagles possess another dubious distinction in New Orleans history when the Saints defeated them 31-24 on 11/5/67 to notch their first-ever victory in franchise history. The Saints are 7-2 (2-1 on the road) against the Eagles since the 2006 arrival of QB Drew Brees and Head Coach Sean Payton, who served as the Eagles Quarterback Coach in 1997 and 1998. Three of those were postseason victories, including a 20-14 divisional-round win on 1/13/19 in New Orleans during the last meeting between the two teams.  

Nov 18, 2018; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) throws the football in the game against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The Eagles have won the last three NFC East championships and still have several players that won Super Bowl LII in 2018. Philadelphia coach Doug Pederson, who played for Sean Payton in 1999, is one of the finest coaches in the league and kept his squads on a postseason course despite several key injuries in each of the past three years. Several starters were lost in the offseason and could test the team's talent level and depth. However, the Eagles will immediately pressure their rookie class to contribute if they hope to be postseason participants again in the loaded NFC.  

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Nov 18, 2018; New Orleans, LA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (11) makes a throw against the New Orleans Saints in the second quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

2019 Record: 9-7 (1st; NFC East)

Head Coach: Doug Pederson (5th season; 38-26 record, 3 playoff appearances, 1 Super Bowl championship)

2019 Offensive Statistics

• 24.1 points/game (12th in the NFL)
• Total Yards = 14th
• Passing Yards = 11th
• Rushing Yards = 11th

2019 Defensive Statistics

• 22.1 point/game (15th)
• Total Yards = 10th
• Passing Yards = 19th
• Rushing Yards = 3rd

Offseason Losses: Jordan Howard (RB) Jay Ajayi (RB), Darren Sproles (RB), Nelson Agholor (WR), Brandon Brooks (G-injured), Halapoulivaati Vaitai (T), Timmy Jernigan (DT), Vinny Curry (DE), Nigel Bradham (LB), Ronald Darby (CB), Malcolm Jenkins (S)

Offseason Additions: Javon Hargrave (DT), Darius Slay (CB), Nickell Robey-Coleman (CB), Will Parks (S), Jalen Reagor (WR-Rookie), Jalen Hurts (QB-Rookie), Davion Taylor (LB-Rookie), K'Vonn Wallace (S-Rookie)

Jan 13, 2019; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints strong safety Vonn Bell (24) breaks up a pass against Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz (86) during the fourth quarter of a NFC Divisional playoff football game at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia QB Carson Wentz, the 2nd overall pick of the 2016 draft, has received some criticism for his play in big games. However, the 27-Yr old Wentz had a productive season, throwing for a career-high 4,039 yards with 27 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He has a powerful arm with decent mobility and put ro rest some questions about his durability in 2019. Wentz has two terrific tight ends in Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert that are mismatches for defenses. A veteran deep threat with WR DeSean Jackson returning from injury, and a physical target through the intermediate zones in WR Alshon Jeffery.

Gamebreaker WR Jalen Reagor was added with the 21st pick in the NFL Draft's 1st round to give Wentz another threat and upgrade a receiving corps that underwhelmed last season.  The Eagles must protect their passer better after Wentz was sacked 37 times in 2019 and took many punishing hits, a much tougher task after losing Pro Bowl G Brandon Brooks to an offseason Achilles injury.  Underrated RB Miles Sanders proved capable of handling rushing duties as a rookie last season, but depth at this spot is a question for the team after losing Howard, Ajayi, and Sproles.

  

Philadelphia has had a Top-3 NFL Defense against the run in two of the past three seasons. Bradham, Jenkins, Jernigan's losses, and an unproven group of linebackers could make that a hard feat to duplicate. Philly has an outstanding tandem of edge rushers with DE Derek Barnett and DE Brandon Graham. 

They, along with Pro Bowl DT Fletcher Cox combined for 18.5 sacks last year and helped their defense to dominate opponents upfront. An Eagles secondary that has been besieged by injuries over the previous two years also lost two leaders in Jenkins and Darby over the offseason. Philadelphia responded by signing a quality starter in Roby-Coleman and giving up two mid-round draft choices in a trade for All-Pro CB Darius Slay, one of the NFL's best cover corners. CB Avonte Maddox, CB Rasul Douglas, CB Sidney Jones, S Jalen Mills, and S Rodney McLeod round out a secondary that should be greatly improved in 2020 if finally healthy.

Nov 18, 2018; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) runs the ball against Philadelphia Eagles strong safety Malcolm Jenkins (27) at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Scott Clause/The Advertiser via USA TODAY NETWORK

New Orleans QB Drew Brees has thrown for over 300 yards five times in nine meetings against the Eagles while with the Saints, including each of his last three outings while throwing 18 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. The Philadelphia linebackers must contain Saints RB Alvin Kamara, who was nearly unstoppable during two matchups in the 2018 season. New Orleans WR Michael Thomas, who will face Slay in a showdown of NFL greats, also ran roughshod through the Eagles secondary in those two games, catching 16 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns. The Saints star OT tandem of Ryan Ramczyk and Terron Armstead will face a stiff test against Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett to keep Brees upright but often flourish in such challenges.  

Saints Marshon Lattimore makes an interception during the NFC divisional playoff football game between the New Orleans Saints and the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019 in New Orleans. Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019

Wentz has faced the Saints just once, but was battered for 3 sacks and threw 3 interceptions in a 48-7 New Orleans rout during 2019 regular season. The Saints defense will again look to pressure Wentz and rattle him into mistakes and expect their formidable run defense to shut down the Philadelphia rushing attack as they've been able to do in recent meetings. The New Orleans linebackers and safeties, led by All-Pro Demario Davis, must contain Ertz and Goedert to force Wentz to wait longer for downfield routes to develop against Pro Bowl CB Marshon Lattimore and the Saints secondary. This early December showdown between two contenders seems sure to affect the NFC playoff picture, and for the Saints will wrap up a challenging three-game road stretch. For New Orleans to prove that they belong with the championship contenders, they will need an enormous effort in every phase of the game to emerge with a crucial win in one of the league's most hostile environments.