Welp, the undefeated run is over. While it may seem like the sky is falling, I think it’s important to remember that this Eagles team is 8-1, and still sits atop the NFC. That being said, there’s a lot to go over this week, with the Birds set on to take a very interesting Colts team led by interim coach Jeff Saturday. This game may show just how this team can respond to adversity, and whether they have the resolve to make a push for a championship if injuries start to pile up.
Colts’ Strengths
Run defense
When it comes to modern NFL defenses, the Colts have somewhat broken the mold of what position groups they place heavy investment into. Instead of drafting high-end outside corners or blue chip outside pass rushers, much of Indy’s financial and draft resources have been invested in the interior defensive line and line baking corps. That may not have translated into playoff success just yet, but it definitely has translated in to a very strong unit when it comes to defending the run, as they rank number two in the league in opponent yards per rush at just 3.8. The discipline that these Colts players display in run defense will make getting the ground attack going a very hard feat on sunday, even with Shaq Leonard out for the year.
Run attack
While Jonathan Taylor’s relative lack of production this year has been a major reason for the Colts overall struggles, he seemed like himself again last Sunday against the Raiders, which does not bode well for future opponents. Running behind Quentin Nelson and company, Taylor is a massive big play threat who needs to be kept in check. Give him space, and it’s just about over for your defense, who’s going to be winded chasing him all day.
Eagles’ Strengths
Jalen Hurts
The Eagles offense struggled last week, but that does not at all fall on the shoulders of Jalen Hurts, who has been nothing short of amazing this season. Accurate, smart with the football, and dynamic, I truly believe Hurts elevates this offense, which is why he gets his own mention.
Offensive roster
The weapons are still great. AJ Brown and Devonta Smith are an amazing wide receiver duo, despite Brown’s struggles last week. The Offensive line is still elite. This roster is absolutely absurd, and I think that the hiccups last week are easy fixes for such a talented group.
Defensive talent
The issues this defense had containing the Commanders last week are very notable, and will be discussed later. However, it would be extremely disingenuous to say that a team who leads the league in turnovers and is top five in sacks doesn’t have an extremely talented group of players. The defensive line has added firepower, even though they probably won’t see much time this week – and the pass rush has already proven to be potent. The secondary is still locked in, and their week to week consistency makes it hard to invalidate them for one week of middling performance.
Colts’ Weaknesses
Pass protection
While there has been lots of blame to pass around for the struggles of the Commanders offense, a high amount of it should go to the offensive line. The holes at right tackle and the underperformance of established veterans has sunk this line to one of the worst in the NFL when it comes to preventing sacks, which is doubly harmful when they’re protecting a statue like Matt Ryan. Teams don’t need to blitz to get pressure against this team, further limiting the passing attack. Speaking of the passing attack,
The passing attack
It freaking blows. Not only can the line not give the QB enough time, but both Ehlinger and Ryan have been downright bad in their time starting. It’s pretty clear Matty Ice has fully melted, as he simply does not have the arm or athleticism to sustain an offense where the weapons can’t seem to find separation quickly and the pocket collapses right as the ball is snapped. Making sure this offense can’t operate should be an easy feat for most competent defensive coordinators.
Inconsistency
Statistically, the Colts defense is pretty good! The problem is, with such a dysfunctional offense, these guys tire fast. It’s super hard to play four full quarters of football when your offense is on the field so little, making inconsistency inevitable. This defense is fully exploitable, especially late in games, and looking for the blown coverages or gassed players should be a priority for offenses.
Eagles Weaknesses
Run defense
Unfortunately, I was right last week when I named this a weakness for the Eagles. We CANNOT continue to allow long, plodding drives with zero resistance against the run. It cannot happen.
Score Prediction
Even with the loss last week, this team is really good. Hopefully, the signings of Suh and Tillery patch the main weakness on this team. Either way, I still have the birds on top of a completely lost colts squad.
Score: 38-17 Eagles
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Noah Berger is a featured writer at The Birds Blitz. For more from Noah, check out his archive and read through our Eagles articles for the latest news about the Birds.
