NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Philadelphia Eagles will take on the New England Patriots in their 2023-24 NFL season opener. After making it to the Super Bowl in February, the Eagles are back on the hunt to claim what they let slip through their hands and the journey started in Foxborough against the genius Bill Belichick.
While no game is a guarantee, on paper, this appears to be a slight mismatch. The Patriots are still searching for an offensive identity while the Eagles have a MVP runner-up and one of the fiercest defenses in the NFL. Who will come out on top?
Here are 3 keys to victory for the Philadelphia Eagles against the New England Patriots.
The Philadelphia Eagles Must Attack Mac Jones
If there is one thing the Philadelphia Eagles do well on defense, that is get after the QB. Last season they fell 2 sacks short of the Chicago Bears for most sacks in a season and this year, they want to continue the trend. Last season, the QBs for the New England Patriots were sacked 41 times in 17 games but never went against a front quite like this.
Even with the departure of Javon Hargrave, the Eagles still have Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Jordan Davis, and a heavy rotation of players who get after the ball. Can the Offensive Line of the Pats hold off this front and give Jones enough time to hit his receivers? The game will be won or lost in the trenches.
Philadelphia Eagles Must Establish The Ground Game
This has been a key dating back to last season when the Philadelphia Eagles finished 5th in the NFL in Rushing Yards. They will need to do more of the same if they want to come out of this game with a victory. Last season, the Patriots ranked 6th in Rushing Yards Allowed. This Eagles could have a hard time running the ball here. But if they’re consistent and patient, they could a fre big gains.
Will The Philadelphia Eagles Beat The Patriots
Gone is leading rusher Miles Sanders but he was replaced with Rashaad Penny and DeAndre Swift. That duo, along with Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scoot is more than enough to keep the Patriots’ defense on its heels all game. Then you add in the running of Jalen Hurts and the Eagles will have plenty of opportunities to gain some traction on the ground.
Philadelphia Eagles Must Keep It Simple
The talk this offseason has been about the departing Eagles and what new players will have an impact on their season. But it may be the newly appointed defensive and offensive coordinators that will have the biggest impact on the team. Brian Johnson takes over on the offense end for Shane Steichen and Sean Desai takes over for Jonathan Gannon on the defensive side of the ball. Now is not the time to get experimental with the play calling.
During the offseason and camp, that was the time to draw up any gadget plays they wanted to run. Everything counts now. Keep it simple. Stick with the formula that led them to the Super Bowl last season. No matter what the Patriots throw at them, let the players respond. At times, coaches tend to try to one-up their counterparts on the other sideline. For the Eagles, it’s up to Nick Sirainni to keep his coaches in check. They have the talent, there is no need to go overboard with anything extra in Week 1.
