NFL
The Eagles Look to Defend Their Title Against The Falcons This Thursday To Kickoff The NFL Regular Season
After escaping the Colosseum with a win over the Rams in the 2017 playoffs, the Atlanta Falcons came into Philadelphia looking to avenge their Super Bowl loss to the Patriots the season prior. Philadelphia’s backup quarterback and banged-up roster seemed no match for the Falcons on paper. The Eagles had stumbled into the playoffs after a shaky end to the regular season.
The game did not go as planned for Atlanta, with Philly winning 15-10. Some Atlanta players felt robbed by the result. Eagles cornerback Jalen Mills’ tight defending of Julio Jones in the fourth quarter, in particular, left some Falcons feeling cheated. The Super Bowl LI loss seemed to cast a dark spell over the Falcons franchise.
Jumping forward to Week 1 of the 2018 season, the Falcons are now looking to change their fortunes and start the new season off with a win. The Falcons are hungrier than ever for the success that’s narrowly eluded them for several seasons now. This year’s regular season opener carries several storylines – beyond the Falcons’ fight for redemption – as the Eagles look to defend their heavy crown of Super Bowl champions.
Who Won’t Be Playing On Thursday
Injuries continue to haunt the Eagles as they will be missing several key players. Wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Mack Hollins will be out for this Thursday’s game. Carson Wentz and Jay Ajayi both appeared on the LP (limited participation in practice) list. It was announced last week that Nick Foles would be the starting QB for week one.
Overall the Falcons’ squad comes into Philadelphia healthy. Atlanta’s defense could be without cornerbacks Isaiah Oliver and Blidi Wreh-Wilson who had limited and no practice participation respectively this week. Returning to the practice field for the Falcons’ defense will be linebackers Deion Jones, and Foye Oluokun, as well as safety Ricardo Allen. The return of these players should bring a new wave of confidence to the Atlanta locker room.
Keys to the Game
Battle of the Line
This year, all five of the Eagle’s offensive linemen will be returning including Pro-Bowler, Jason Peters. Philadelphia has the top-ranked offensive line in the NFL for a reason and will likely win this battle. This is imperative for Foles who has proven to be lackluster under pressure. If Ajayi is unable to play, Philadelphia will be relying on RB2, Corey Clement; the Eagle’s O-line maintaining dominance will be important to the run game’s success.
Devonta Freeman, despite a series of injuries last year, has been one of the most consistently productive running backs in the NFL. Freeman will be behind a top five offensive line which includes Jake Matthews and Alex Mack. The Eagles will counter the Falcon’s run game with one of the top five rush defenses in the league last year. If the Falcons can develop a rhythm in their run game, the Eagles will be in trouble; when the run game is consistent, it opens up the pass, an area Philadelphia struggles at times to defend.
Aerial Attack
Matt Ryan is the superior quarterback in this matchup boasting a 91.4 QB rating last season while Foles posted only 79.5. Ryan will also be surrounded with a stronger receiving core this Thursday. Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu, and Calvin Ridley could burn a hot and cold Eagles secondary. Sanu has proved to be just as viable of a threat in games where defenses focused on Julio. Eagles’ defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz, will have a hard time containing any one receiver. If the Falcons can consistently move the chains, Philadelphia may not be able to swing the momentum back.
Nick Foles, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, will be without two of his favorite targets. This will leave TE Zach Ertz, and WR’s Nelson Agholor and Mike Wallace as his main options. While Agholor showed great improvement last year, if the WR is forced to play outside of the slot it is possible to see some of his 2016 blunders return. Wallace’s limited time with the Eagles playbook could cause some hiccups. However, Foles’ fearlessness to go deep downfield, a route Wallace loves, could be the connection Philly needs. A quick score late in the game could put the contest out of reach for Atlanta.
Protection and Possession
The Eagles are only favored by 2.5 points, and given that they are the home team, they really aren’t favored at all. Given the even matchup, turnovers could be the deciding factor. It will be imperative that each team protects the ball as both defensives have proved they can capitalize off of turnovers and put points on the board.
Time of possession will be another key factor in this game as it will likely be close. The Eagles favor a hurry-up RPO (run/pass option) style offense when Nick Foles is in the pocket. This will make it difficult for the Eagles to wind down the clock. On the other hand, if the Falcons can develop a run game early, something they have struggled to do against Philadelphia, Freeman will be able to help eat the clock for them.
Fantasy Implications
Players to look for on the Eagles will be TE Zach Ertz. Foles is comfortable throwing to Ertz, and Head Coach Doug Pederson often utilizes him in the red zone especially without LeGarrette Blount on their roster now. If you handcuffed Blount and Clement, this would be the game to start them both as they will be sharing snaps more often than normal this week.
Sanu posed a huge threat to the Eagles secondary last year as Malcolm Jenkins and company seemed to not have an answer for him. While he may not be Atlanta’s WR1, he should make your active fantasy roster for this weekend.
Hungry Birds Fly Faster
Philadelphia will start the evening with the Lombardi Trophy presentation ceremony. The Eagles will officially be underdogs no longer which may not play to their favor. Much of the spring and summer has been filled with book-signings, appearances on late night TV, and basking in their glory. The birds are wearing their post-Super Bowl swagger well but will that hurt them on the field? Their preseason performance seemed unfocused and at times sloppy. In contrast to an Atalanta Falcons team who does not want to be denied again, the hungrier flock may be the ones migrating from the south.
Photo credit to Highlight Store via Flickr
