Eagles versus Saints: Bold predictions for Week 17 on New Year’s Day

Christmas is about surprises. Some we love, like that brand-new Xbox. Others, those dress socks for instance, force us to pretend we’re a lot more excited than we actually are. The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t give themselves and their fans the gift that they wanted in December’s final game, but New Year’s Day is about new beginnings.

The first battle of the 2023 calendar year features Philly’s first home stand in almost a month. It seems like it’s been forever since we discussed the Birds’ performance versus the Tennessee Titans on December 4th. Following a less-than-stellar showing in Arlington eight days ago, we expect to see the laser-focused team that we know and love.

You’re well aware of the stakes. A victory guarantees the Birds the NFC East’s crown and home-field advantage throughout the NFC Playoffs. The Birds are favored. They’re the better team. In short, we expect Philly to begin 2023 on a high note.

Here are a handful of bold predictions for Week 17’s game featuring the Eagles and Saints.

We’ve been thinking about this one since December 24th. You’ll forgive us if our bold predictions drift into the area of being too bold, won’t you?

Jack Driscoll gives up nary a sack.

Jack Driscoll may not be in the same class as Lane Johnson, but few men walking are. We trust Jack though, and we trust this coaching staff, especially Jeff Stoutland.

A week’s worth of film study at the head of Stoutland University’s curriculum for Week 17 will have Driscoll game ready. He’ll see a lot of Cameron Jordan, and we believe he ends this one without giving up a sack.

Gardner Minshew or Jalen Hurts or whoever throws for just under 300 yards and accounts for three TDs.

We’ve argued about whether Jalen Hurts should play or shouldn’t, and even though he hasn’t officially been ruled out, most believe Gardner Minshew will start.

He’ll play well as he did last week. This time the Eagles will eliminate the mistakes. Expect a great showing by the guy in the Number 10 jersey.

The Eagles rack six more sacks.

There it is in black and white. The Eagles need two sacks to claim a franchise record. We say they rack six or more for the fifth week in a row, blowing said sack record out of the water.

The Eagles’ defense forces two turnovers.

The Eagles haven’t looked like themselves on defense. This feels like the game in which they’ll turn things around.

Our expectation? We say the Birds limit New Orleans’ offense to less than 300 yards, and they force a couple of turnovers to help spearhead their dominant showing.

Philadelphia tallies 500 yards of offense and wins by two touchdowns.

Yep, we’ve moved all of our chips to the center of the table. We’ve predicted a final score of 31-16 all week. We stand by that. Philly wins this one going away.