In my position, one never looks ahead to the next game until the completion of the current one.
There is no staff of people looking ahead to the Saints’ next opponent for me. I can’t afford to have two opposing defense players with No. 44 floating around in my spacious head. So my first look at Philadelphia’s stats came late on Christmas day.
They played the late game on Christmas Eve in Dallas and for a rare moment, on that day, my family won out for my attention. Yes, I’m embarrassed, I need to be a better parent and husband, but it’s late in December and everything counts.
So, when I first looked at Philadelphia’s stats, I assumed there must be a mistake and they had not been updated. Don’t get me wrong, I knew they were good and had an NFL-best record of 13-2, but I didn’t expect quite this level of gaudiness in their numbers.
About halfway through looking at their offense’s NFL Rankings, I needed either a break or a stiff drink. I took a break.
This is not going to be a column with a litany of stats to make your head spin, though mine surely did. I will give you just a few and move on, but trust me, there is a lot more to digest
The Eagles are the NFL’s number one team with 31 rushing TDs (tied for No. 6th in NFL history). They have 57 overall touchdowns, also tops in the league. They average 29.7 points a game. The Saints have only scored 29 points or more twice this season, and they lost one of those games. The Eagles are plus-9 in the turnover margin, No. 2 in the league – more on that topic later. And finally (for this paragraph) the Eagles offense is 22-30 on 4th down, 73%, and 2nd in the NFL. It’s not like they have been playing from behind, they are just aggressive and successful. In comparison, the Saints are 3-of-9 on 4th down and they have been playing from behind, and not so successful. Believe me the more you dive, the deeper you go down an unpleasant hole of information.
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Even more briefly, the Philly defense is just as dominating, leading the league with 61 sacks. In fact, they have three players with double digit sacks. They have 16 interceptions, six of which belong to former Saint C.J. Gardner Johnson (though he’s not playing). Still, that total is good for no. 2 in the NFL. For perspective, the Saints have 4 total interceptions and 2 have come in December.
I know, my gosh dude, enough, we get it. They are good, very good, heck, why are we even playing the game? For many reasons, No. 1, it’s required, and No. 2, this football season is the most insane, nutty, hard to explain and predict as there has been in decades. As impressive as the above paragraphs further illuminate the Eagles dominance, I don’t care.
I don’t care that they also need to win to secure home field advantage for the NFC Playoffs and clinch the NFC East. I just don’t care. This season, anything’s possible.
And here’s the point: You can run on the Eagles. They give up 121 rushing yards a game, No. 18 in the NFL, and you can do it between the hash marks where the Saints have been at their best (at times). Yes, the Eagles have just two losses, but let’s see if Saints fans can relate.
The Eagles lost at home to Washington in Week 10 because they had four turnovers and lost the turnover margin by two. They most recently lost last week on the road in Dallas, 40-34, where they also turned the ball over four times and lost the turnover margin at minus 3. Two losses, and eight turnovers, sound familiar.
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That combination is how the Saints can win. Run the ball hard up the middle with a mix of Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill, and don’t stop until they stop you, period. Don’t overthink it. Force the Eagles to play from behind and into obvious passing situations. Then, when given the opportunity, hold on to the blasted football. Getting your hands on it is no longer sufficient, it needs to be a pick or a fumble.
Offense, this goes for you, too. Catch the ball. I mean, it’s 2023 and Week 17, there is nothing to save it for. Do those two things and all the gaudiness of the Eagles stats will mean nothing.
The Eagles might have to wait a week to clinch home field and the Saints will have done their part to stay alive. And if Carolina can pull off the Tampa sweep, it sets up the craziest Week 18 ever. Yes, the Saints will have to beat Carolina in the Caesars Superdome, and at the same time root for the Atlanta Falcons.
What? Yes, root for the Dirty Birds to beat Tampa. It will not be easy, and it goes against all that we stand for as a Who Dat Nation, but sometimes, football, and this is one of those years, makes for strange bedfellows.
We root for division rival Carolina this week and Atlanta the next. The Saints don’t have gaudy stats and we will take whatever we can get and fight on for the postseason until someone tells us it’s over, and that we have to wait until next year.
Wait, I mean this year. You know what I mean, Happy New Year!
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