Eagles vs. Saints: 10 Keys to the Game for a Philadelphia Victory

Don't be fooled by their 2-5 record. With one of the NFL's best quarterbacks and best offenses, the Saints are dangerous. The Eagles will have to play their absolute best football if they want to leave New Orleans with a win.

This is a game that the Eagles should win in theory, but they also should have beaten the Detroit Lions. The Lions, however, burned the Eagles on crucial big passing plays to snag a victory away from Philly.

And now the Eagles are facing the top ranked passing attack in the NFL. They can still win, but will have to put together an impressive game plan to get their fourth win and get back to .500.

Here are 10 keys to the game against New Orleans and how Philly can emerge victorious.

1. Find a Way to Pressure Drew Brees

Drew Brees is an elite quarterback. The Eagles cannot sit back in a zone or man coverage and hope that he throws a bad pass. Few quarterbacks pick apart defenses like Brees does.

The only way to contain Brees is to get pressure in his face.

Perhaps this means that the D-Line needs to step up. If Jim Washburn can devise schemes to get Brees uncomfortable in the pocket, then he will throw the ball before he is ready. 

But if the D-Line continues to struggle, then the Eagles must make up for it by sending the blitz.

Blitzing is always risky, as a cerebral quarterback like Brees could recognize it and know instinctively where the open man is. But it is essential if the D-Line cannot generate enough pressure on him. Otherwise, he'll pick apart the defense all day.

2. Do Not Turn the Ball Over

The Eagles absolutely cannot turn the ball over two or three times and expect to win. The Saints are too good offensively.

A turnover would give Drew Brees a shorter field to work with in most scenarios. This Eagles defense will already be hard-pressed to stop him, but they cannot give him more possessions with turnovers.

Vick must hold onto the football at all costs if he wants the Eagles to win.

3. Run LeSean McCoy

The Eagles may be facing one of the worst defenses in the NFL, but Steve Spagnuolo is still a very experienced defensive coordinator. His defense may not be playing well, but he has familiarity with the Eagles' tendencies from his years with the Giants.

It is essential to throw him off with running plays using McCoy. The Saints tackle poorly and no one makes people miss like McCoy does.

And once the Saints begin to overcompensate for McCoy's potency, that is when the Eagles should call a play action pass and get the ball deep to their speedy wideouts.

4. Use Screen Passes

Steve Spagnuolo has a tendency to blitz. He is a true protege of Jim Johnson and traditionally runs an aggressive defense.

The Eagles have to compensate for that with screen passes. That way, the defenders will pay for their aggressiveness by leaving speedsters Jackson and Maclin open for runs after the catch.

And if the Saints miss a few tackles, the Eagles have the speed to take it to the house on a single short pass.

5. Get DeSean Jackson Involved

There are few teams as susceptible to big plays this season like the New Orleans Saints. The Saints will certainly try to compensate for this by doubling the Eagles' most explosive player, DeSean Jackson.

But it is up to Marty Mornhinweg and Andy Reid to devise ways to get the ball to him nonetheless.

Against a team like the Saints, you must score quickly and early. The game will likely be a shootout and it is essential that the Eagles try to find mismatches on offense.

Few players in the NFL can cover Jackson one on one. Against such a bad passing defense, the Eagles can definitely get the ball to Jackson even if he is double covered.

6. Put Nnamdi Asomugha on Marques Colston

Asomugha has been a huge disappointment this season, getting burned consistently for huge gains. But he is still the best press corner that the Eagles have and therefore should be placed on the Saints' best receiver, Marques Colston.

This could actually turn out to be a great matchup, as Colston has great hands but does not possess blinding speed. This will make it easier for Asomugha to keep up with him.

While Asomugha has clearly not lived up to expectations, it is still essential that he be used in this game against the best hands on the other team.

7. Double Team Jimmy Graham

While he is no longer putting up numbers as jaw-dropping as last season, Graham is still one of the best tight ends in the game. The Eagles traditionally have a hard time covering tight ends, and special attention should be given to Graham for this reason.

Rodgers-Cromartie is fast enough to cover Devery Henderson. Brandon Boykin, therefore, should be matched up on Graham with help from Mychal Kendricks.

If the Eagles can contain Graham, they can hope to contain Brees' numbers. The rest of the Saints' passing offense is not nearly as talented as other opponents the Eagles have faced so far.

8. Win the Special Teams Battle

When you're facing an elite quarterback, you need all the help you can get. And giving your opponent a short field is definitely not helping your chances at victory.

The Eagles' kickoff coverage has been dreadful thus far. They need to tackle their opponents closer to the twenty yard line. Give Brees a longer field and therefore make it more likely that you can force a punt or a field goal.

That will also give the Eagles more time on offense to respond to any scoring by the Saints.

9. Run the Ball in the Redzone

The Eagles have struggled in the redzone ever since 2007. Those struggles continue today, partially due to Vick's turnovers.

To eliminate Vick's possibility of fumbling in scoring positions, the Eagles need to rely on McCoy when they are in striking distance of the endzone.

While such an approach seems conservative, it may actually be the Eagles' best option. The Saints have a bad passing defense, but their run defense is slightly worse (ranked 30th and 31st respectively).

McCoy is one of the best running backs in the NFL. When you're near the endzone, give him the ball and let him do the rest.

10. Utilize a Few Trick Plays

The Eagles' offense has become rather predictable over the years. Defenses seem to know what's coming on most plays and that results in incompletions and punts.

If the offense is struggling, the offensive coordinator needs to find a way to spark it. A trick play or two may do the job against a poor defense.

Whether this is a DeSean Jackson end-around or a double pass play, the Eagles need to find a way to keep the Saints defense on its toes. Otherwise, even the worst defense in the NFL can contain the Eagles.