3 Keys to divisional round success for the Philadelphia Eagles
With the Eagles struggling in the final weeks of the season, there has been some cause for concern, however, the end of the world isn’t upon us just yet. They, now, prepare for their playoff debut on Saturday.
Playoff season is finally here, as Wildcard Weekend has quickly come and gone. It was an exciting weekend included with some upsets, wild finishes, and big plays. For Philadelphia Eagles fans, we had some time to relax due to the fact that the team had a much-needed bye week. After the games on the weekend, the Eagles also discovered who their opponent will be for their divisional round match-up on Saturday.
The Eagles will face the sixth-seeded Atlanta Falcons this Saturday, at 4:35 EST, at “The Linc”. The Falcons advanced from the Wildcard round after surprisingly defeating the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 26-13.
The Eagles will be home underdogs for their playoff debut.
Most outside analysts and fans from other teams are already counting the Eagles out. The Falcons are even listed as a favorite to come out victorious, according to Sportsbookreview.com. The Eagles are the very first top-seeded team to be considered underdogs in their first playoff game at home since the current format was introduced in 1975. Obviously, most of this criticism stems from the Eagles being without their MVP-candidate and starting quarterback, Carson Wentz.
The team isn’t taking this judgement lightly. Instead, they are using it as motivation and “bulletin board material.”
Here are some of the reactions from the players:
Lane Johnson says he was irked by late-season talk about the Eagles after Carson Wentz went down: “We were 12-2 and we were treated like we were the Browns.”
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 9, 2018
Jalen Mills on being underdogs
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) January 9, 2018
“Weve been disrespected all year. Regardless if number 11 is back there or Nick. Maybe earlier in the season we were pissed about it. Now its kind of in our DNA. We know how people view us. In the end, we always find a way to win”#Eagles pic.twitter.com/t98Msm37ly
Nigel Bradham says signs are posted all around Novacare that the Eagles are home underdogs this weekend. That they are absolutely using it as bulletin board material
— Rachel Micali (@RachelMicali) January 9, 2018
It’s nice to see the team using this as motivation, but the reality is, it will all be forgotten if they don’t play motivated Saturday. Don’t fret Eagles fans. A playoff victory can be easily obtained if they follow these three simple keys to success.