At last, the NFL season is upon us. You know what that means, more frustration, heartbreak, and unbearable pain if you are in the greater Philadelphia area. But not so fast. There is reason for optimism with a new coach, QB, and attitude mixed with a relatively easy opening opponent (knock on wood). The Eagles just have to do a few things very well to pull out a victory on the road in week one.
Sack the Damn Quarterback!
It is no secret that Philadelphia plays its best ball when the defense is on point. While the defense overall has improved, the bread and butter of this team is still the ferocious pass rush. Atlanta is known for their offensive weapons in Calvin Ridley and rookie phenom Kyle Pitts, but if Matt Ryan doesn’t have the time to get the ball to them, the eagles can dominate this offense. Falcons coach Arthur Smith is known to love to run the ball, but that was with human wrecking ball Derrick Henry. Atlanta RB Mike Davis is solid, but he’s no king Henry. Mike Davis will not carry this offense. If this team can’t get the ball to their playmakers and are forced to run, Philly WILL win. The Falcons o-line is still very young and does not have a good track record, so I believe this key is the most doable.
Quick Passes to DeVonta Smith
What’s the best way to build chemistry between a young QB and WR? Reps, reps, and more reps. This preseason was a free Devonta Smith masterclass in footwork. Smith got more open than a Waffle House at 3 am. Who is Atlanta’s CB1? AJ Terrell has good long speed but absolutely can get cooked off the line. Just look at the 2020 National Championship vs. Jamarr Chase. Hurts is a wild card, and the best way to get his confidence and momentum up is through early success. Look for slants, hitches, and screens to Devonta to get Hurts in rhythm, and eventually, the deep balls will come.
LB Coverage
Kyle Pitts is an animal. Eagles fans wanted him in the draft for a reason. He is basically a very tall receiver and a matchup nightmare. Rodney McLeod would be the perfect fit for this role, but his injury makes that call questionable. Alex Singleton has come a long way since entering the league and has had his moments, but has never been known as a coverage backer. Bringing in Eric Wilson helps with that, but for Philly to shut Pitts down, they must lock him down with linebackers. Matt Ryan might look for short passes to him because of Philly’s aforementioned pass rush, so Singleton and co must be ready.
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Jish Sokolsky is a featured writer at The Birds Blitz. For more from Jish, check out his archive and read through our Eagles articles for the latest news about the Birds.
Full image caption: “Matt Ryan” by Brook Ward is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
