NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Philadelphia Eagles (4-0) will take on the Denver Broncos (2-2) this Sunday. The Eagles are coming off a close win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while the Broncos manhandled the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. This will be a game centered on the greatness of two play-callers on opposite sides of the ball. Sean Payton vs Vic Fangio. Who will have their unit ready to go?
The Eagles are undefeated but not without their flaws. The offense is not clicking, but the defense and special teams are locked in. The Broncos and their young QB are making waves, thanks in large part to their upgraded ground game. The Broncos’ defense is still stout. The game will come down to adjustments, and if the Broncos can take advantage of the Eagles not being able to pass or run the ball so far this season.
Here are 3 keys to victory for the Philadelphia Eagles against the Denver Broncos.
Stay Disciplined
The Broncos can now lean on the ground game much better this season than last. This has put the opposing defense in a bit of a tight spot. Against the awful Bengals defense, the Broncos had their way with their backs, but it was than just running the ball. RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins have the potential to catch a swing pass and take it to the house. This can be problematic for the Eagles.
Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday, they allowed Bucky Irving to cause issues. Irving had 5 receptions for 102 yards and 1 TD. There was a mismatch out of the backfield, and Baker Mayfield, being the veteran he is, took advantage of it. Sean Payton is a master of forcing mismatches, and best believe he watched the tape and saw a potential big play there.
Find The Ground Game
The Eagles have a former 2000-yard runner in the backfield, and in 4 games, he has yet to rush for over 100 yards. Something has to give. While the Broncos have a stout defense, the Eagles have one of, if not the best offensive lines in the NFL. It’s time they go back to opposing their will against a defense.
As I stated last week, it’s not all about Barkley and Jalen Hurts. The Eagles have yet to unleash the production of AJ Dillon and Tank Bigsby. Use them to your advantage. Running the ball is about wearing a defense down and setting up play action. The Philadelphia Eagles must get creative with their play calling and unlock the potential of this offense, and keep the Broncos defense on their heels all game, not just one half.
Don’t Force The Issue
With AJ Brown, who knows? Is he serious, or just having fun with the media? But as we saw in the second half against the Bucs, Jalen Hurts made an effort to force-feed the ball to Brown. Even with 9 targets, Brown still walked away with only 2 receptions for 7 yards. This can’t continue.
The Eagles have 2 talented receivers, and that’s not even including TE Dallas Goedert. The Eagles cannot afford to come up with a game plan that includes forcing the ball to Brown or even Smith just to make them happy. That will fall right into the hands of the Broncos’ defense. The Eagles must play their game, but also try to get them the ball when the opportunity presents itself. They just have to be smart about it.
