Eagles-Falcons: Week Eight Preview

After coming off a bye, the 3-3 Eagles and the 4-2 Falcons are both ready to take the field in Philadelphia on Sunday.  Hold on...the 4-2 Atlanta Falcons?  Yes, the Falcons are 4-2.  They have beaten Detroit, Kansas City, and Chicago, and they won in Green Bay. And, like the Eagles, they are 0-2 in their division.  What kind of team are these Atlanta Falcons?

Atlanta is a team with a powerful rushing attack led by Michael Turner and an impressive rookie quarterback in Matt Ryan.  What do the Eagles have to do to win on Sunday?

Use Offensive Weapons

DeSean Jackson and the return of Kevin Curtis and Brian Westbrook should be beneficial to Donovan McNabb and the Eagles' offense if they want to put some points on the board on Sunday.

Pressure the QB

As good as Matt Ryan has looked in his rookie season, the Eagles are among the league leaders in sacks.  The Eagles' secondary matches up very well against the Falcons' receivers, and if they can get pressure on Ryan, it will make a big difference.

Red Zone Offense

The Eagles are going to need to figure out how to score in the red zone.  There was some improvement in the red zone against San Francisco, but it's not usually enough to win close football games.  However, using L.J. and Westbrook may work against a mediocre Atlanta defense.

Stop the Run

Michael Turner is an extremely dangerous running back...against weak defenses.  The Eagles have had trouble against Clinton Portis and Frank Gore, but Frank Gore is a physical back who generally puts up big numbers and Clinton Portis is a great RB who had the advantage of a solid offensive line.

Michael Turner is a speed rusher, but the Eagles have the speed to counter him, and the strength to overpower the Falcons' offensive line.

The X-Factor

I don’t mean "Weapon X" Brian Dawkins.  I’m talking about the Eagles' 9-0 record after the bye with Andy Reid.  For some reason, the Eagles always seem to come out on top after the bye.

On paper, it looks like it will be a very close game.  If you really analyze the game, you may think differently.  I’m going with the Eagles to win this one, and maybe they can win by double digits.