Philadelphia Eagles: 3 Concerns surrounding their Week 14 matchup

1. What can the Philadelphia Eagles expect from a talented Saints defense?

As stated earlier, the Saints are currently the number one ranked defense in the league. With a Cameron Jordan-led defensive line and a Malcolm Jenkins-led secondary, this defense has been a bright spot for this team all season. Their pass rush has gotten home consistently, and they have been able to lock down opposing offenses as their opponents are only averaging 212 passing yards per game.

They’re also winning in the trenches as they have held the opposing teams to 76 rushing yards per game, so it is going to be an extremely tough first start for the rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Some things do need to be put into context regarding this Saints defense though. Despite that number-one ranking, the Who Dat Nation’s defense hasn’t faced a ton of great teams. New Orleans’ numbers have been aided by playing some substandard competition, especially lately. The Saints’ last three games have been against losing teams, including two versus a struggling divisional rival and one versus a team that had a wide receiver playing quarterback.

What can a Philadelphia Eagles fan expect to see from the Saints defense you ask? New Orleans has talented players across the board on their roster, but as stated before, the defense is the team’s catalyst. Fans should expect to see them in man coverage packages or zone hybrid packages, and they’ll be ready to feast if Philly’s young quarterback makes a mistake.

Birds fans can also expect a blitz-free strategy as they’ll, more than likely, have someone sitting close to the line to spy on Hurts (possibly Malcolm Jenkins). That’s to ensure that the rookie doesn’t take off for big gains. Now that we have that covered, let’s talk about the Eagles’ offense.