(Photo: Orange Fizz)
NFC Game Of The Week
Philadelphia Eagles at New Orleans Saints
Eagles: There was no excuse for losing that game on Monday night. They took the lead late in the game and forced the Atlanta Falcons to move down the length of the entire field. And they did just that. Here’s what I don’t understand. There was a minute and 46 seconds left on the clock and the Falcons had no timeouts left. You call a play for Saquon Barkley to run the ball and he came up short. Even if you come up short, you can run the Quarterback sneak. What I am implying is you can’t always take that chance on stopping the clock in that situation and I say this to say a few teams did this in week two. The Buccaneers gave the Lions an opportunity and so did the Cleveland Browns against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The only difference: Jacksonville and Detroit didn’t capitalize, the Falcons did. What’s more important? Scoring or taking the time off the clock? In the words of Herman Edwards, you play to win the game! Someone needs to remind Nick Sirianni of that. Monday night always proved another point of mine and that’s how much I don’t particularly care for prevent defense because it gives up too much space and the field is too open for my liking. Also, to play that formation of defense, you must be able to rush the passer and they didn’t which is another problem I have with the Eagles. Two years ago, this was a team en route to an NFC Championship that had zero weaknesses. They were balanced offensively, had one of the top three Offensive Lines in the league, and a defense that led the league in sacks with 70 that year. I wonder how much they’re kicking themselves right now after trading Haason Reddick to the New York Jets. After losing a heartbreaker, the Eagles will look to bounce back against one of the surprising 2-0 teams in the NFL.
Saints: After week one, I said it was a scrimmage because the Carolina Panthers aren’t that good and I don’t completely trust Derek Carr because he’s so up and down, plus, you never know what you’ll get from him. There’s one week when he looks good and appears to have it all together, then struggles the following week, Sunday in Arlington, Texas was the best I’ve seen this football team on both sides of the ball in a very long time. Anything they wanted to do, they did and marched down the field consistently (pun intended). Every time the Saints had possession of the football, they scored. Derek was efficient in his passing minus the interception he threw, but he completed 11 of his 16 pass attempts for 243 yards and two touchdown passes. The true star of the game was Alvin Kamara and he turned the clock back! Alvin accounted for four total touchdowns (three rushing and one receiving). The Saints have struggled since Drew Brees retired after the 2020 season and we’ve seen how a team looks after the Hall of Fame caliber Quarterback retires. Look at Denver and how they haven’t made the playoffs since Peyton Manning retired and even New England after Tom Brady left them for free agency in 2020. Nowadays, coaching is so important, and having an Offensive Coordinator who can work his magic with everyone’s skill set is also crucial. Dennis Allen decided to hire Klint Kubiak to call the offense and through two games, he has this unit clicking on all cylinders. One thing Klint likes doing is motioning guys which I always say is jump-starting the route before the ball is snapped and he’s doing that with everyone. If you’re open, you’re getting the football. The Saints will return home for a week three tilt with the Eagles on Sunday.
Eagles X-Factor: Jahan Dotson– I loved this move when they acquired him from the Washington Commanders. Before trading for him, all the Eagles offense had was A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Most successful offenses in the NFL today have at least three Wide Receivers. I kept up with Jahan during his days at Penn State as well. He can go over the top and work the slot. The Eagles signed him to play in the slot, but he also provides depth if DeVonta or A.J. miss anytime because he can slide in as their replacement which is exactly what’s happening now with A.J. expected to miss this game.
Saints X-Factor: Chris Olave– Ohio State could claim Wide Receiver U. At one time, that receiver room consisted of Jaxson Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, and Chris Olave. This was by far the best trio of receivers in college football and it wasn’t even close in my opinion. Rashid Shaheed stretches the defense, and Alvin Kamara takes care of everything underneath which allows Chris to do what he can. His hand-eye coordination has always been elite. Chris has great hands and has always been a strong route runner. To be a young receiver, the concentration he displays amazes me. The best coverage in the world can be on him and he finds a way to come down with the football.
Final Thoughts: I know it’s two games, but this is the best I’ve seen the Saints offense as a whole since those days with a future Hall of Famer (Drew). The Eagles on the other side haven’t looked the sharpest as they struggled in Brazil against the Green Bay Packers and dropped the ball on Monday night against the Falcons. This is the best I’ve seen Derek Carr look since 2016 when he was the frontrunner to win MVP before he was sidelined with a leg injury that year. Not only does Derek look confident, but he also looks calm. I noticed the Eagles’ passing attack struggled without A.J. Brown. His impact speaks volumes when he’s on the field because he does so many things to keep that offense afloat. Every Quarterback has their number one receiver and A.J. just so happens to be Jalen’s. I expect the Eagles to throw many different looks at Carr. Will they be able to rush the passer? That’s the million-dollar question there because they were able to only hit Kirk Cousins once and couldn’t get home unless they blitzed. All the Saints have to do is be themselves and all else will follow. The Eagles offense isn’t bad, but the defense has struggled as I mentioned which means it could be a very long day at the office. The Saints will march to a 3-0 record with a win on Sunday.
Prediction: Saints 31, Eagles 26
