Philadelphia Eagles top questions ahead of their home opener
3. What will Philadephia Eagles have to do to win this matchup?
Okay, Philly fans, this is the big question. What will the Birds have to do to secure a victory at their first home game of the season? First, as well as the offensive line held up in protection, this will be a true test of strength. The 49ers defense may be heavily lacking in the secondary, especially with their star cornerback Jason Verrett being out for the season, but their front seven is not.
On the offensive side of the ball, you have star tight end George Kittle and wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, but their running back Raheem Mostert will be out for the remainder of the season. As stated earlier, coach Shanahan will use misdirection to keep defenses honest and possibly employ their new quarterback, Trey Lance.
So once again, the question remains, what will the Eagles have to do to win? No one knows what coach Sirianni and Gannon will have in store, but from their Week 1 performance, we can give some of the meat and potatoes of what fans should expect.
On offense, expect the Eagles also to use misdirection in a multitude of formations. They’re going to more than likely use the defensive front aggressiveness of the 49ers against them, allowing quarterback Jalen Hurts to get outside of the pocket by design and have different reads available to him.
Also, fans can expect to see screen and swing passes as well as designed quarterback keepers. Having the defense on their heels will also allow for the Eagles run game to get amped up.
As far as the Eagles defense goes, the biggest opportunity is to stick to their assignment. The 49ers will also use the Iggles defensive front’s aggressiveness to open holes for their receivers and run the game, so sticking to their gap assignments and playing to the ball will slow down the misdirection.
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If that works, the 49ers will be forced to move to the air where the Eagles secondary will be once again in a hybrid zone coverage, with cornerback Darius Slay covering Kittle or Samuel. This game is going to come down to the trenches.
It will truly be whichever offensive line can hold the longest will more than likely be the victor of this matchup. Both teams will be facing a heavy pass rush, so it will be up to the offensive lines to protect their quarterback, which it would be safe to say, the Eagles have the better o-line.