The Philadelphia Eagles will try to pull off another playoff upset when they take on the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Philadelphia was able to sneak into the playoffs on the final day of the regular season, and then upset the Chicago Bears in the Wild Card Round. The Saints were able to get some much-needed rest in anticipation of this game.
New Orleans finished off the regular season with a 13-3 record and earned the top overall seed in the NFC. The Saints did lose a pair of home games during the regular season but are traditionally hard to beat at the Superdome. Philadelphia won five of their final six games to earn the sixth seed in the NFC. The Eagles come into this game as 8.0 point underdogs against the Saints.
Saints Have Balanced Offense
Saints quarterback Drew Brees gets a ton of praise in leading the offense, but there are a ton of playmakers on that side of the ball. Brees completed an NFL record 74 percent of his passes this season and has one of the top receivers in the league at his disposal. Wide receiver Michael Thomas caught 125 passes for over 1,400 yards during the regular season. To make the Saints even more difficult to defend, running backs Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram give the team a dominant running game. There is a reason the Saints averaged over 31 points per game.
New Orleans gave up 22.1 points per game on defense this season, and they could play better on that side of the ball. Fortunately, the Eagles offense won’t be a major threat to the Saints in this game. Defensive end Cameron Jordan recorded 12 of the team’s 49 sacks this season, and that unit will look to get pressure on Nick Foles. The Saints defense doesn’t have to be great with the explosiveness of their offense.
Foles Continues to Amaze
The Philadelphia Eagles might be faced with a quarterback controversy if Nick Foles keeps this up. Foles led the Eagles to the Super Bowl a season ago and has won four straight games this season. The Eagles offense managed just 16 points in the Wild Card Round, but they were facing a dominant Bears defense. Philadelphia was able to gain just 42 rushing yards in the Wild Card Round, and that number must improve in this game.
Philadelphia’s defense was a problem for much of the season, but they have started to play much better. The Eagles ended the regular season with a shutout and then held the Bears to just 15 points last weekend. Philadelphia has one of the most disruptive defensive lines in the NFL, and they must find a way to get pressure on Brees. All of the pressure will be on the Eagles defense in this game.
New Orleans Blows Out Eagles
Philadelphia was just an average team during the regular season, but it is always hard to eliminate a champion. The Eagles survived a scare against the Bears, and now have their sights set on a monster upset. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, they are taking on Drew Brees and the Saints at the Superdome. Brees is too good and has way too many weapons to lose this game. This game will be closer than the first meeting, but the Saints still win by double-figures. Bet the New Orleans Saints -8.0 over the Philadelphia Eagles.
