Game Preview – NO at PHI

One of my favorite movies is the 1990 comedy The Freshman. Matthew Broderick’s character gets into a really tough situation and that leads to a line that has always stuck with me.

“There’s a kind of freedom in being completely screwed… because you know things can’t get any worse.”

I thought of that when I watched Doug Pederson’s press conference on Friday. He seemed relaxed, at ease. Pederson joked with the media. This is a major shift. For most of the year, Pederson has been defensive and delusional, not an ideal combination. As the reality of the season has truly set in, it feels like Pederson has relaxed.

I’m curious to see if this will have an effect on the team. Don’t worry about the playoffs or next year. Just go out there and play football. The coach sets the tone for the team. If the coach is stressed and on edge, that can affect his players. If the coach is loose, that can also affect the players.

I hope the Eagles are loose. The Saints are arguably the best team in the NFL right now. You need to be right mentally and emotionally to beat that team when you have a mediocre roster. The Eagles need to play like they’ve got nothing to lose (other than the game). Be aggressive. Take chances. Have some fun.

The change at QB works well in this situation. Jalen Hurts will bring energy and emotion to the offense, and both are sorely needed.

https://twitter.com/MoveTheSticks/status/1338141406766960641

Hurts throws a good deep ball. I’m hoping he has a chance to hit Jalen Reagor and John Hightower down the field. Hurts had a pair of 30-yard completions last week. Now as the starter and with a full week of practice, I’m hoping for more vertical shots.

The Saints have the #1 defense in the league. They might overwhelm the Eagles OL and Hurts. This game could be a blowout. The flip side is that Hurts mobility gives the Eagles an X-factor. If he can make some plays and keep drives going, that could give the offense a major boost.

One of the big issues recently is that the supporting cast hasn’t made enough plays. Some of that is on them, but some of it is on Carson Wentz for not getting them the ball consistently. It might also help to get the run game going. Miles Sanders is the team’s best weapon. He needs more touches. The coaches need to do their part to help this offense right the ship.

I’m not expecting a big day from the Eagles offense, but I am curious to see how they play. At the very least, we’ll be watching new mistakes.

Can the Eagles defense shut down Taysom Hill and the Saints offense? They haven’t thrown for more than 217 yards with Hill as the QB. The Saints have been running the ball really well and stopping that will be quite the challenge. Running QBs have given the Eagles fits this year.

Stopping Alvin Kamara won’t exactly be easy. The Saints should throw him the ball on the outside. I don’t think the Eagles have a LB that matches up well in that situation.

The Saints have had at least one turnover in five straight games. The Eagles will need to come up with at least one to pull off this upset. This would be an ideal day for the DL to come up big and be disruptive.

A win would be fun. It is always good to beat the Saints.

A loss would move the Eagles closer to a Top 5 pick.

Let’s just hope Hurts and the Eagles entertain us. Give us some good moments and make Sunday at least a little bit of fun.

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