Eagles vs. Patriots: Halftime Observations for the Eagles

What a contrasting first half of play between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles got on the board early with a deep pass to Riley Cooper followed by a short touchdown run by LeSean McCoy.  The Patriots were able to respond with a nice drive of their own capped by a touchdown run from BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

We head into half with the Patriots leading 24-13 over the Eagles.  Will the Eagles be able to get back in this game?  Who will step up and pull this upset win?

Here are five things that the Eagles need to do in the second half in order to get back and win this game:

1. Get Pressure on Tom Brady
When Tom Brady has time to sit back in the pocket and find receivers he will pick a defense apart.  Justin Babin and company need to get penetration and disrupt Brady’s rhythm.  Furthermore, the Eagles need to get hits on Brady as much as possible.  Brady’s seemingly only weakness comes when he has been hit multiple times in the game.  Get pressure on Brady in the second half and hope he makes some careless mistakes.

2. Pound the Ball with LeSean McCoy
McCoy is an excellent running back in this league, and the Eagles need to feature him in the second half.  If they are able to establish a running game in the second half they will be able to set up play action and continue taking shots down field.  Also McCoy is a running back who drives defenses crazy because it only takes one carry for him to get loose and score a touchdown.

3. Get Vince Young to Develop Consistency
In the first quarter of this game we saw the Vince Young who can be a starting quarterback in this league.  He was able to pass the ball down field with accuracy but also make nice touch passes in the flats.  Unfortunately in the second quarter we did not see the same Young.  If the Eagles want to win this game they need Young to be smart with the ball and make some big plays in the passing game.  When Young is consistent as a passer the Eagles are a tough team to beat.

4. Break Off Some Big Plays
In the second half the Eagles are going to need to make some big yardage plays that either set up scoring opportunities or actually put points on the board.  A big return from Jackson, a long run from McCoy, or a deep pass to Cooper will be key in this second half.  In the first quarter the Eagles got off to a great start by taking advantage of the suspect New England secondary.  Keep converting on shots down field and get this upset win.

5. Win the Turnover Battle
The Patriots don’t turn the ball over often but if you want to win this game then you need to force a couple of turnovers in the second half.  If the Eagles are able to force a turnover they will need to capitalize by scoring points from it.  Maybe more importantly the Eagles need to take care of the ball and not make careless mistakes.  Young’s interception in the first half led to an easy three Patriots’ points.  Another interception or fumble against New England will prove costly.  Win the turnover battle in the second half and get a win streak going.