That game was dominated by the Vikings but a lot has changed for both teams.
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On the NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” on Tuesday, Nate Burleson discussed the impact Falcons defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel has made on the Falcons’ defensive storm that “has been brewing all season”. The weather in Philadelphia this Saturday is predicted to be in the low 30s. Prior to that, they averaged 31.1 points and 390.4 yards of offense per game, good for the best and the third-best in the league.
Added Foles: “It’s really just me giving him opportunities to make plays, because he will make them”, Foles said.
Quarterback Matt Ryan has another shot at a happy homecoming. His outdoor stadium record is 34-29. Even though the Eagles secured the one seed and home-field advantage in the NFC, they are underdogs in this matchup. The Eagles, who are 5-2 ATS in their last seven home games, probably need to build a lead through running back Jay Ajayi and their ground game, rather than rely on backup quarterback Nick Foles. One was in the playoffs for the first time in 13 years with a first-year coach and second-year quarterback at the helm.
The Eagles entered this year’s postseason as the NFC’s No. 1 seed and there’s no question that Carson Wentz was an integral part of that success. Jacksonville is a team that can play with anyone. During the first 14 weeks, Philly was scoring 2.4 points per drive, with a red-zone efficiency of 67 percent. That’s what Eagles fans will be hoping helps their team win.
It’s nearly like the Eagles are Rocky, and Atlanta is Ivan Drago. He hasn’t carried the ball as much in Philadelphia, but he might have to be a workhorse this week. The Falcons make crucial mistakes constantly and can never seem to bounce back from them.
CBS Sports ranks the 16 possible remaining Super Bowl LII pairings and concludes that a Falcons-Patriots rematch would be the most compelling. Granted, Foles didn’t see much action in that game, but what we did see out of him was pretty nerve racking. Sometimes you get to the playoffs and as things ramp up, you tend to tighten down your coverage a little bit, maybe play a little bit more man coverage.
Foles posted a 79.5 passer rating during the season, throwing five touchdown passes and two interceptions.
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“With defenses like this, it’s always going through progressions”. But the reality is the Falcons wouldn’t be here if not for their top-10 defense. Philadelphia’s defense took a major blow when they lost linebacker Jordan Hicks and right guard, Jason Peters. “Sometimes the hardest things are just the simple things, like basically get out of your own head and go play the game you know how to play”.
