Philadelphia Eagles: 5 Players Who Will Secure Victory over New England Patriots

While the New England Patriots pose a daunting matchup in Week 12, the Philadelphia Eagles are not without players capable of leading the team to victory.

For the majority of the season, Eagles fans have been left to watch head-scratching, hair-pulling football. Just when the team looks like it is about to make a push for the NFC East division title, it collapses in upon itself, crushing the hopes of fans with it. Then, the cycle repeats.

Coming off a solid victory over the New York Giants, however, Philadelphia is now in a prime position to once again make a play for the division crown with a win over the Patriots.

And if they do so, it will be on the shoulders of the players mentioned in the following slides.

LeSean McCoy, RB

With quarterback Michael Vick officially listed as questionable for Week 12, it will be up to running back LeSean McCoy to carry both the ball into the end zone and the team to a victory.

Reminiscent of the man he replaced, Brian Westbrook, McCoy has stated his case for being perhaps the most dynamic back in the NFL today.  Not only is he a huge asset in the passing game, but his shifty style of running makes it virtually impossible for a defender to tackle him one-on-one.

Although the New England Patriots have proven to be difficult against the run, they are still susceptible to giving up yards on the ground and have yet to play against a running back quite of McCoy's caliber.

If the Eagles are to win the time of possession battle and keep Patriots quarterback Tom Brady off the field, they must rely on the legs of McCoy.

Todd Herremans, OL

Although largely passed over in the eyes of fans and the media, offensive lineman Todd Herremans is having perhaps his best season as a Philadelphia Eagle and is performing at an All-Pro level.

His performance in general has been excellent, but it is his ability to move along the line of scrimmage and still maintain his high level of play that marks him as one of the most flexible linemen in the game. While other linemen are comparable to hammers for their brute strength, Herremans is more like a utility knife in his ability to be a multi-purpose tool along the line. 

He will need to continue his excellent play if the Eagles are to beat the New England Patriots.

With their pass rush finally starting to blossom, the Patriots are starting to pose problems for opposing quarterbacks, registering eight combined sacks in their last two games.

If Herremans and the rest of the Eagles offensive line has its way, that number will stay at eight for at least another week.

Brent Celek, TE

After disappearing for much of last season and the first half of this season, tight end Brent Celek is finally resuming his role as a weapon on the Eagles offense.

Over the past five games, Celek has averaged 61.8 yards per game to go along with two touchdowns, as opposed to 14.6 yards per game and no touchdowns during the first five games of the season.  

This is largely due to the offensive line's ability to handle pressure without the aid of Celek, allowing him to make plays for the Eagles across the middle of the field.  

Against the New England Patriots, Celek has a chance to put up season-high numbers on his way toward leading his team to its second straight win.

Jason Babin, DE

While Trent Cole is generally known as the Eagles best defensive lineman, it is actually Jason Babin who has the better stats.

Currently the owner of 10 total sacks this season, Babin is on his way toward proving doubters that he is not a one-hit wonder.  In fact, if he keeps this pace up, he will post more sacks this season than he did last year with the Tennessee Titans.

And Eagles fans would love nothing more than to see Babin add to that sack total this week while driving quarterback Tom Brady into the turf.

With cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha likely out for this week's matchup against the Patriots, it will be up to the Cole and Babin-led defensive line to ensure that Brady does not have the time he needs in the pocket to make accurate throws to his receivers. 

Riley Cooper, WR

It is appearing more and more likely that No.1 wide receiver Jeremy Maclin will sit out again in Week 12, as he has been officially listed as doubtful.

This means both Eagles fans and the New England Patriots will be seeing a whole lot of Riley Cooper.

Coming off a performance against the New York Giants in which he caught five balls for 75 yards and a touchdown, Cooper is showing that there is more to him than just a nice flow of hair. If Maclin sits out as expected, Cooper will have the chance to prove that last week's stats were no fluke.

And he has an easy matchup to prove it. The Patriots boast the league's worst pass defense, giving up nearly 300 yards per game this season.  

Even with quarterback Vince Young likely under center, Cooper should have no problem putting on a show and helping his team pull off the upset.