Bird blockers have Von tough challenge to get to win No. 8
PHILADELPHIA » The magic number is 8.
The Eagles are one victory from an 8-1 start, their statistical springboard to greatness, when they oppose the Denver Broncos Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field (1 p.m., CBS, WIP 94.1-FM).
The Eagles won NFL championships in 1949 and 1960 and reached the Super Bowl in the 1980 and 2004 seasons when they started 8-1. In 1949 the Birds won their first NFL title with an 8-1-1 start.
The Eagles also put their six-game win streak on the line against the Broncos (3-4), who have lost three straight games and benched turnover-plagued starting quarterback Trevor Siemian in favor of Brock Osweiler.
The Broncos average just 18.1 points. With Siemian running the offense they’ve totaled 35 points in three road games, all losses, and have tallied 20 or more points just twice this season.
The Broncos outgained the opposition in three of their setbacks but averaged three giveaways in their four losses.
Denver is minus-11 in turnover Eagles plus-5.
The Broncos’ defense, however, is ranked No. 1 in the league.
“This is a great defense,” Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz said. “They do fly around and make plays. It’s one of the better defenses we’ll face all year. They’re talented. Von Miller, you’ve got to know where he’s at. You’ve got to always know where he’s at because he can change a game in a hurry.”
Miller has seven sacks this season, ninthbest in the league, despite battling a variety of defenses that double-team him. He has 24 sacks in 23 games against NFC opposition.
“We’re going to make the offensive line find Von,” Broncos coach Vance Joseph said. “That’s what we do every week. Von is a special athlete, he is built like an outside linebacker but he’s got defensive back type of quickness, and explosion and quick twitch. He can turn the corner and put every cleat in the ground. He’s a special talent. But he’s also a big-time studier.”
Wentz needs tackle Lane ratio, Johnson, the who The fascination with this game is whether newly acquired running back Jay Ajayi suits up and plays. Remember, Adrian Peterson played the week he joined the Cardinals earlier this season. For Carson Wentz, the challenge is taking on a playoff-caliber defense.
Make it
Eagles 24, Broncos 17.
struggled last week, to get a piece of Miller coming off the right side. Left tackle Hal Vaitai also will get looks against Miller, who the Broncos move around to find favorable matchups.
Johnson hasn’t seen anyone get off the ball faster than Miller, who capitalizes on the relative silence of the crowd to time the snap count during road games.
“There’s nobody that really comes close to him,” Johnson said. “I have my work cut out for me.”
Wentz hast thrown 19 touchdown passes, tied with the injured Deshaun Watson of Houston for the league lead.
Each week Wentz sends statisticians into the record books. He’s among just three NFL players since 1950 to throw for 2,000 or more yards and 19 or more touchdowns, and run for 200 or more yards through eight games. The others are Fran Tarkenton (1967) and Steve Young (1998), who are not nearly as big physically as the 6-5, 245-pound Wentz.
“You would like going against a guy that’s not going to move around a lot but you have to go out there and do your job,” Miller said. “I’m a pass rusher. No matter who I line up against I’m going to do my best to get him down. But you definitely want a guy who’s not going to move around. Carson Wentz is a tough deal but you have to get it done.”
In recent games, the Eagles have struggled early yet still have won convincingly. The loss of left tackle Jason Peters hasn’t helped. More recently tight end Zach Ertz, who leads the Eagles in receptions and tweaked a hamstring.
“The first couple games we came out, scored early, moved the ball,” Wentz said. “The last couple weeks we didn’t. The whole first quarter of the last two games were slow, were sluggish. You don’t want to overanalyze it. And the other thing is sometimes teams do different things. You’ve got to kind of figure out what they do, figure out what their game plan is and I think that’s something we’ve done a good job of the last couple weeks.”
Another week, another big game for the Eagles, who hope to take a seven-game win streak into their bye week.
“The great thing is every time you win a big game,” Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham said, “they keep getting bigger.” touchdowns, has