Falcons at Eagles -- Week 8
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia (turf, outdoors)
When: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Spread: Eagles by 2.5
Forecast: 60 percent chance of rain; temperature in high 60s; wind from NE at 22 mph.
Records: Falcons (Overall: 6-0; NFC South: 1-0); Eagles (Overall: 3-3; NFC East: 1-0)
Past results: Two most recent meetings -- Sept. 18, 2011: Falcons 35, Eagles 31; Oct. 17, 2010: Eagles 31, Falcons 17. Series record: Eagles lead 15-11-1.
What matters: The Eagles begin the second stage of their season on Sunday, and it’s critical they get off to a good start after they limped into their bye week after losing two straight games they could have won. However, despite all of their problems -- mostly turnovers and poor pass protection -- the Eagles are just one game behind the Giants in NFC East and they have as good a chance as anybody to win the division. But another loss, especially another ugly loss, could push them back into the pack for good and leave them scrambling for a wild-card spot at the end of the season. This might not be a make-or-break game for the Eagles, but it’s close.
Who matters: The Eagles made a major change during the bye week when they fired defensive coordinator Juan Castillo and replaced him with secondary coach Todd Bowles. Though the two are very different in demeanor -- Castillo was demonstrative and Bowles is outwardly calm -- nobody expects a drastic change in philosophy or scheme. However, Bowles’ game-day adjustments -- not one of Castillo’s strong suits -- could make a difference. It also seemed as if several players had lost confidence in Castillo’s ability to make the right call at the right time and they’ll be keeping a close eye on Bowles and the moves he makes.
Key matchups: King Dunlap is back as the starting LT and he’s got a tough assignment -- Falcons DE John Abraham, who had the 27th multi-sack game of his career in Atlanta’s last game vs. Oakland. Eagles QB Michael Vick was hounded by the Lions pass rush two weeks ago, and the O-line in general and Dunlap in particular have to keep the Falcons off of his back. Also, tight ends have killed the Eagles in the past and the Falcons have one of the best ever in Tony Gonzalez. He’ll be covered much of the time by rookie linebacker Mychal Kendricks and it will be interesting to see how the kid fares against the wily vet.
Injuries of note: G Danny Watkins missed practice time this week with a sprained ankle, but he’s expected to play on Sunday. The rest of the team is healthy.
Connections: Falcons CB Asante Samuel played for the Eagles the last four years and went to three Pro Bowls. He still seems to hold a grudge against the organization, although not the players. It’ll be fun to see his reaction if he comes up with a big interception against his old team.
Inside stuff: The Eagles loved the way Samuel came up with game-turning interceptions, but he also drove them crazy with his penchant for jumping pass routes to get those INTs. That left him vulnerable to hitch-and-go plays, and teams took advantage of his aggressiveness. The Eagles also know Samuel is eager to make a big play against his former team, so look for them to try and get him to bite on a short pattern and then burn him with a long pass.
Stat you should know: The Eagles have never lost a post-bye week game in Andy Reid’s 13 years as coach, although nobody seems to be able to explain that 13-0 mark. Having more preparation time would seem the logical answer, but Reid’s Eagles are just 7-7 in season openers when they have months to prepare, so that explanation doesn’t work. No matter, 13-0 is 13-0 and it’ll be an interesting note if the Eagles make it 14-0.
Looking ahead: The Eagles hit the road next week to play the New Orleans Saints, who have struggled this season, but are always dangerous in the noisy Superdome. After that comes the game that annually is the most anticipated on the regular-season calendar -- the Dallas Cowboys come to South Philly. That’s followed by another NFC East game, as the Eagles get their first look at Redskins QB Robert Griffin III.
Prediction: Eagles 24, Falcons 20
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Philadelphia Eagles from blogger Kevin Noonan, follow @CBSEagles.
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia (turf, outdoors)
When: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Spread: Eagles by 2.5
Forecast: 60 percent chance of rain; temperature in high 60s; wind from NE at 22 mph.
Records: Falcons (Overall: 6-0; NFC South: 1-0); Eagles (Overall: 3-3; NFC East: 1-0)
Past results: Two most recent meetings -- Sept. 18, 2011: Falcons 35, Eagles 31; Oct. 17, 2010: Eagles 31, Falcons 17. Series record: Eagles lead 15-11-1.
What matters: The Eagles begin the second stage of their season on Sunday, and it’s critical they get off to a good start after they limped into their bye week after losing two straight games they could have won. However, despite all of their problems -- mostly turnovers and poor pass protection -- the Eagles are just one game behind the Giants in NFC East and they have as good a chance as anybody to win the division. But another loss, especially another ugly loss, could push them back into the pack for good and leave them scrambling for a wild-card spot at the end of the season. This might not be a make-or-break game for the Eagles, but it’s close.
Who matters: The Eagles made a major change during the bye week when they fired defensive coordinator Juan Castillo and replaced him with secondary coach Todd Bowles. Though the two are very different in demeanor -- Castillo was demonstrative and Bowles is outwardly calm -- nobody expects a drastic change in philosophy or scheme. However, Bowles’ game-day adjustments -- not one of Castillo’s strong suits -- could make a difference. It also seemed as if several players had lost confidence in Castillo’s ability to make the right call at the right time and they’ll be keeping a close eye on Bowles and the moves he makes.
Key matchups: King Dunlap is back as the starting LT and he’s got a tough assignment -- Falcons DE John Abraham, who had the 27th multi-sack game of his career in Atlanta’s last game vs. Oakland. Eagles QB Michael Vick was hounded by the Lions pass rush two weeks ago, and the O-line in general and Dunlap in particular have to keep the Falcons off of his back. Also, tight ends have killed the Eagles in the past and the Falcons have one of the best ever in Tony Gonzalez. He’ll be covered much of the time by rookie linebacker Mychal Kendricks and it will be interesting to see how the kid fares against the wily vet.
Injuries of note: G Danny Watkins missed practice time this week with a sprained ankle, but he’s expected to play on Sunday. The rest of the team is healthy.
Connections: Falcons CB Asante Samuel played for the Eagles the last four years and went to three Pro Bowls. He still seems to hold a grudge against the organization, although not the players. It’ll be fun to see his reaction if he comes up with a big interception against his old team.
Inside stuff: The Eagles loved the way Samuel came up with game-turning interceptions, but he also drove them crazy with his penchant for jumping pass routes to get those INTs. That left him vulnerable to hitch-and-go plays, and teams took advantage of his aggressiveness. The Eagles also know Samuel is eager to make a big play against his former team, so look for them to try and get him to bite on a short pattern and then burn him with a long pass.
Stat you should know: The Eagles have never lost a post-bye week game in Andy Reid’s 13 years as coach, although nobody seems to be able to explain that 13-0 mark. Having more preparation time would seem the logical answer, but Reid’s Eagles are just 7-7 in season openers when they have months to prepare, so that explanation doesn’t work. No matter, 13-0 is 13-0 and it’ll be an interesting note if the Eagles make it 14-0.
Looking ahead: The Eagles hit the road next week to play the New Orleans Saints, who have struggled this season, but are always dangerous in the noisy Superdome. After that comes the game that annually is the most anticipated on the regular-season calendar -- the Dallas Cowboys come to South Philly. That’s followed by another NFC East game, as the Eagles get their first look at Redskins QB Robert Griffin III.
Prediction: Eagles 24, Falcons 20
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Philadelphia Eagles from blogger Kevin Noonan, follow @CBSEagles.
