FALCONS (6-3) VS. EAGLES (4-4)
SUNDAY, 1 P.M. ET, LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD, PHILADELPHIA uTV: FOX, DIRECTV 709
Announcers: Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch, Pam Oliver
About the Falcons: With impressive wins against the Green Bay Packers at home and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road over a four-day period, Atlanta took a huge step forward going into the second half of the season under second-year coach Not only must the Falcons be considered the team to beat in the NFC South, the landscape also suggests they have to be mentioned prominently in the Super Bowl LI conversation. Led by MVP candidate QB and elite WR they can score at will at home or away, and their defense, with OLB
leading the way, finally is getting to opposing quarterbacks. But the defense also continues to struggle getting off the field on third downs, against the pass and inside the red zone, all of which are cause for concern for coordinator Richard Smith.
About the Eagles: After his team lost for the fourth time in its last five games (all losses on the road) following a 3-0 start, coach
finds a once-promising season slipping away. It doesn’t figure to get any easier, with one of the NFC’s top teams coming to town. The good news is that rookie QB
has had two of his best outings (vs. the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers) at home, where the Eagles are 3-0. The bad news is that Philly hasn’t hosted an opponent averaging 33.9 points a game. Pederson’s dinkand-dunk offense with Wentz on a short leash might be hard-pressed to keep pace, and the defense will have to tighten the screws after yielding 27, 29 and 28 points in those three losses to NFC East foes.
Jones (53 tackles, two interceptions, one touchdown) will have the unenviable assignment of monitoring a 5-6 dynamo with bug-on-the-pond moves.
Depending on the status of injured RB (hamstring, inactive against Tampa Bay), Freeman again could get
WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
the bulk of work. Like Sproles, Freeman is a threat to score from anywhere on the field as a runner or a receiver. Sacks by the Falcons in eight games, eclipsing last year’s league-low total of 19. Beasley leads the team with a career-high 71⁄ sacks. has three despite an injured quadriceps.
KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Don’t welcome Matt: On paper, the Eagles’ pass defense could pose problems for Ryan and his posse of playmakers. Philly is among the league leaders in passing yards yielded (218.4 a game) and sacks per pass attempt. Getting DT (groin) back after he sat out the Giants game would bolster the pass rush.
The Eagles’ recent woes can be linked to the declining performance of Wentz, who has thrown four of his five interceptions in the last three games, including two against the New York Giants that led to early touchdowns in a 28-23 loss. He was the league’s second-most accurate passer over the first five games. It might be time for Pederson to open up the playbook and ask Wentz to stretch the field in the vertical passing game.
The Falcons could be without CB who missed the second half of Thursday’s win at Tampa Bay because of an injured left shoulder. Atlanta struggles against the pass and will need all hands on deck to handle the Eagles’ playmakers.
Brian Allee-Walsh