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Here is my reasoning. Philly matches up great with NE. Also, Andy Reid is a great coach.
With NE trying to block Kearse and Burgess on the outside, Hollis Thomas and Corey Simon will absolutely collapse the pocket up the middle and Brady won't be able to step up.
Brady can be rattled by a combination of (a) a good pass rush and (b) great cover corners. Miami owns Brady. If you don't believe me, look at his stats versus Miami's D. Jason Taylor goes and gets him and Miami's coverage just doesn't give him anywhere to go with the ball. I think Philly's defense will be able to put pressure and they've got the cover corners to go with the pass rush. Brady will throw 2 picks. Dawkins will get one of them.
Plus, Philly will be physical and they have a great D coordinator, unlike Pittsburgh and Indy.
Secondly, offensively, Philly will make NE's lumbering linebackers run in space. McNabb needs to get out of the pocket and they've gotta throw to Westbrook out of the backfield and to LJ Smith (too bad about Lewis). You gotta make Bruschi and Vrabel and McGinest and Ted Johnson run. They are big physical guys but there is no way they keep up with Westbrook and McNabb.
Philly's wideouts are a major weakness, so Bellicheck will no doubt have some help on Philly's short passing game. But if T.O. can actually play, that'll give the Eagles a major lift.
But whenever NE gets smug, they get beat. They weren't smug against Indy and Pittsburgh, so they played flawless against 2 very flawed teams. Eagles are not flawed. NE needs to keep it real, and if they do, they'll have a better chance. But, I am sensing the smugness (kind of like right before Miami beat em, which I called in advance).
I like Philly's matchups, talent, coaching, and physicalness.
Take the Eagles.
With NE trying to block Kearse and Burgess on the outside, Hollis Thomas and Corey Simon will absolutely collapse the pocket up the middle and Brady won't be able to step up.
Brady can be rattled by a combination of (a) a good pass rush and (b) great cover corners. Miami owns Brady. If you don't believe me, look at his stats versus Miami's D. Jason Taylor goes and gets him and Miami's coverage just doesn't give him anywhere to go with the ball. I think Philly's defense will be able to put pressure and they've got the cover corners to go with the pass rush. Brady will throw 2 picks. Dawkins will get one of them.
Plus, Philly will be physical and they have a great D coordinator, unlike Pittsburgh and Indy.
Secondly, offensively, Philly will make NE's lumbering linebackers run in space. McNabb needs to get out of the pocket and they've gotta throw to Westbrook out of the backfield and to LJ Smith (too bad about Lewis). You gotta make Bruschi and Vrabel and McGinest and Ted Johnson run. They are big physical guys but there is no way they keep up with Westbrook and McNabb.
Philly's wideouts are a major weakness, so Bellicheck will no doubt have some help on Philly's short passing game. But if T.O. can actually play, that'll give the Eagles a major lift.
But whenever NE gets smug, they get beat. They weren't smug against Indy and Pittsburgh, so they played flawless against 2 very flawed teams. Eagles are not flawed. NE needs to keep it real, and if they do, they'll have a better chance. But, I am sensing the smugness (kind of like right before Miami beat em, which I called in advance).
I like Philly's matchups, talent, coaching, and physicalness.
Take the Eagles.
