3 Keys to divisional round success for the Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles defense will need to contain Julio Jones and the rest of the crew if they wanna keep it competitive.

Even though the Falcons offense may not seem as explosive as it has been in previous seasons, Philly’s defense will still have their hands full. With the likes of Julio Jones, Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman, Mohamed Sanu, Taylor Gabriel, and Austin Hooper on the other side of the ball, the Eagles will need to be on their toes.

There are many interesting story-lines for the Eagles defense this week. Who’s gonna shadow Julio Jones? Will the Eagles top-ranked rushing defense shut down the Falcons duo at running back? How aggressive will defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz be? These are all great questions, and it will be intriguing to see how everything plays out.

The entire Eagles defensive line will play a critical role in taking control of the game. The Falcons like to utilize outside runs and pitches in their scheme, so all eyes will be on Pro Bowl snub Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry, Chris Long, and rookie Derek Barnett to try and contain it. Defensive tackles Fletcher Cox, and Timmy Jernigan will also play a key role in the run game in addition to bringing pressure to quarterback Matt Ryan.

If the Eagles ‘D’ can stay consistent and try not to let too many ‘chunk plays’ happen, they can provide Foles and the offense many opportunities to win this game.