The Eagles need a win — badly.
This offseason has been one of the worst in franchise history. They won four games in 2020. They fired their Super Bowl winning head coach. Their franchise quarterback forced his way out. The fanbase spent the entire offseason debating not if the team was dysfunctional, but how dysfunctional.
The only way to turn things around and get their fans to believe in them?
Win some games — which is exactly what they will do on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.
Here is why:
Advantages on the lines: A common theme this season should be the Eagle having the advantages in the trenches. That is especially true against Atlanta, who could have one of the worst set of lines in the league. Their offensive line is filled with inexperienced, unproven players — and that is especially true on the interior. Their defensive line has one player (Grady Jarrett) to worry about. Outside of that, they do not have an intimidating set of pass rushers.
On offense, the Eagles should be able to give Jalen Hurts plenty of time to work and Miles Sanders plenty of space to work with. On defense, the Eagles should be able to spend the day in the Falcons' backfield and in the face of Matt Ryan.
If the Eagles' lines play up to their potential, and they should considering they are mostly veterans, this could end up being an easy victory.
The unknown of Sirianni and Gannon: It will be interesting to watch how this game plays out considering both staffs are brand new. Both have new head coaches and both have new defensive coordinators.
One major difference? The Falcons' coaches have a track record while the Eagles coaches are almost completely unknown.
Sunday will be Nick Sirianni's first game as head coach, but more importantly, it will be his first time showing off an offense he both designed and gets to call. The Falcons can guess what Sirianni's offense might look like, but they don't have much to go off of. The Eagles, on the other hand, have two years of film on Arthur Smith's offense from his time as offensive coordinator in Tennessee. The personnel is different, but they should be able to get a good idea of Smith's tendencies — something the Falcons won't be able to do.
The same goes for the defensive coordinators. Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees has been a defensive coordinator in the league since 2012. Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has never coached a game as coordinator. The Eagles will have a good idea of what Pees likes to do — the Falcons will have no idea what to expect from Gannon. Also, based off of training camp practices, it looks like Gannon's defense will be mixing up plenty of different fronts, adding to possibility the Falcons are surprised by what they see.
If the Eagles are ever going to catch a team by surprise, this is the week to do it.
The running game: It might hurt for owner Jeffrey Lurie to watch, but the wise move for the Eagles on Sunday would be running the ball early and often. The Falcons were in the middle of the league last season against the run, finishing 15h overall in yards allowed per carry. Their 4.4 yards allowed, however, is not impressive. With a healthy offensive line, Jalen Hurts at quarterback and Miles Sanders in the backfield the Eagles should be able to establish the run against the Falcons — and use it all the way to a win.
The Falcons don't have weapons: A trip to Atlanta usually means a tough task for the defense, going up against a loaded Falcons offense in their own dome. That isn't really the case anymore.
Calvin Ridley is very good, but outside of that, the Falcons don't have much in terms of proven weapons. Kyle Pitts is playing in his first NFL game. Mike Davis, their starting running back, was on two different teams last year and four in the last five seasons. The receiver starting opposite Ridley? Russell Gage, a solid player, but not one that should beat the Eagles defense.
Add in a bad offensive line, and an old quarterback in Matt Ryan, and the Falcons offense is not a unit that should give the Eagles' defense problems.
Prediction: Eagles 38, Falcons 21
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
