Patriots vs. Eagles: Which Team Has the Edge in Every Phase of the Game?

When this game was announced, one might have assumed that the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles would be on top of the AFC East and NFC East, respectively. Although the Patriots have held up their end of the bargain, the current NFC East pecking order has the Eagles ranked third.

Nonetheless, the Eagles have given one reason after another why they should not be counted out in any situation. The Eagles have lost a lot of close games, and had a statement game just last week against the Giants at MetLife Stadium.

The Patriots have harped all week on the fact that the Eagles are a talented team. The Patriots have to be mindful of that talent and explosive potential in every phase of the game.

But who holds the pregame advantage in those phases?

Erik Frenz is the co-host of the PatsPropaganda and Frenz podcast. Follow Erik on Twitter @ErikFrenz.

Patriots Passing Game vs. Eagles Pass Defense

If the Eagles have a chance to slow down the Patriots offense, it's with their vicious pass rush off the edges from Jason Babin and Trent Cole. The Patriots have had problems in protection this year, specifically on the outsides. They could either put Rob Gronkowski in as a pass blocker—he has excelled in that role this season—or they could add an extra tackle if need be.

The Eagles have a very mediocre linebacking corps when it comes to coverage, and the Patriots will have some opportunities to exploit the middle using guys like Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez and Wes Welker, all of whom make their living over the middle. Also, with Nnamdi Asomugha having hyperextended his knee in practice on Thursday, the Patriots could test him early with a healthy dose of quicksters like Welker and Deion Branch.

With all that in mind, this Eagles defense was beaten up by John Skelton and the Cardinals. They have given no reason to have faith in their consistency.

Advantage: Patriots

Patriots Running Game vs. Eagles Run Defense

The Patriots average 4.2 yards per carry, good for 15th in the league. The Eagles let up 4.5 yards per carry to opposing backs, which ranks in the bottom 10 in the league in that category. They have faced some of the better competition in the league, having defended the likes of Matt Forte, Steven Jackson, Michael Turner, Frank Gore and Fred Jackson, but they have been little more than a road bump for those backs.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis has long been an underrated back too, and has proven capable of running against even some of the league's better run defenses, which Philadelphia certainly hasn't been for much of this season. Cullen Jenkins and Mike Patterson have been inconsistent in the middle of the line. Last week's performance against the Giants could be reason for hope, but they were already the league's worst rush attack on a per-carry basis.

Advantage: Patriots

Eagles Passing Game vs. Patriots Pass Defense

It appears that Michael Vick will once again be absent for Sunday's game. Vince Young isn't the best quarterback in terms of his ball security (44 career touchdowns vs. 46 career interceptions), so the Patriots will have their chances against him. The Patriots have been vulnerable and injured on the back end, so the Eagles could test them deep. 

The Patriots linebacking corps will certainly be tested with their coverage against tight end Brent Celek and running back LeSean McCoy. That being said, the Eagles have had problems with protection at times this year and the Patriots (surprisingly enough) have created a lot of pressure as of late.

This is one of those matchups to watch as the game develops, because we can't get a clear read on it beforehand.

Advantage: Wash

Eagles Running Game vs. Patriots Run Defense

LeSean McCoy is having an MVP-caliber season. He has developed into one of the most well-rounded backs in the league, and is capable as both a running back and as a pass catcher out of the backfield.

The Eagles might be wise to let McCoy get a heavy share of the workload. They could slow down the game and employ a plan similar to what the Steelers did against them (although the Steelers did that through the air).

The Patriots have dared teams to run against them over the past few weeks, featuring Mark Anderson and Brandon Deaderick as starters. This has been a result of their desire for an increased pass rush. Teams have taken advantage of that and have run quite well against them, but the Patriots have done enough to pressure the quarterback to make it worthwhile. The Eagles will certainly have some opportunities if the Patriots continue to do that.

Advantage: Eagles

Special Teams

DeSean Jackson has been one of the most explosive threats on special teams in the past few years, and the Patriots don't have anyone quite like him in their return unit. Julian Edelman returned a punt for a touchdown against the Chiefs last week, but Jackson clearly has the edge in terms of punt returners—though he's returned just 12 punts this year.

There isn't much of a discrepancy between the punters and kickers on either team.

Advantage: Eagles

Coaching

Bill Belichick and Andy Reid are the two longest-tenured head coaches in the NFL. Although Reid has yet to reach the level of success of Belichick, both head coaches are certainly two of the best right now. Reid isn't quite in Belichick's league, but is considered one of the better head coaches in the league. 

Both the Patriots and the Eagles have promoted their coordinators from within. Eagles fans have rightfully questioned the organization for promoting an offensive line coach to a defensive coordinator job, but the defense has begin to come together under him over the past few weeks. That said, a beating at home at the hands of the Patriots may put that decision back into question.

Bill O'Brien has been questioned for years, as the offense has struggled to adjust in the second half. That said, Rich Kotite didn't do such a great job at having Vince Young ready to go last week—a great fourth-quarter drive saved him after three quarters of inept football.

Super Bowl wins aside, in any given one-game scenario, Belichick has his players consistently prepared to play. Reid's staff has failed to do so this season.

Advantage: Patriots

Key Player for the Patriots to Shut Down

Jason Babin

The team's leader in sacks (10), Babin has been a force off the edge, especially in recent weeks. He logged two sacks against the Cowboys and the game-winning strip sack on Eli Manning last week at MetLife Stadium.

Babin has a motor that doesn't stop, and could use his veteran savvy to exploit weaknesses in rookie Nate Solder's game.

The Patriots have had some problems in protection on the edges this season, and as mentioned earlier, they should consider keeping Rob Gronkowski in to pass protect if need be.  

Key Player for the Eagles to Shut Down

Rob Gronkowski

The Eagles are weak in coverage over the middle, and will need to find an answer to Rob Gronkowski. The Patriots tight end has been all kinds of special over the course of his career.

In his career, Tom Brady has posted an impressive stat line when targeting his tight end: 96-of-134 for 1,332 yards, 20 touchdowns, two interceptions and a 136.6 passer rating. The Eagles may have a tough time finding an answer for him when he goes over the middle.

That said, his role in this game could be impacted if the Patriots are unable to protect against Jason Babin and/or Trent Cole. Although the Patriots might simply put two tackles in on either one, Gronkowski would likely see increased reps as a pass protector if the pressure off the edge becomes too much to handle.

Conclusion

Despite the injuries and the records, this has all the makings of a very close game.

The Eagles defense has the ability to keep it very close on their own, but Vince Young has the ability to either keep it close or let the Patriots run away with it if he has a turnover or two. 

The Eagles have been one of the most inconsistent and unpredictable teams in the league this year. As they proved against the Giants, there will be opportunities for the Patriots to run away with it—the question is whether or not they can capitalize. They have done a solid job of that in the past, and they should close the deal again.

Prediction: Patriots 27, Eagles 20