It also could be said that the Eagles' loss to the Cowboys was as disappointing for the Saints as it was for Philadelphia. Instead of facing an opponent that had nothing else to play for, New Orleans now must make the trip to the City of Brotherly Love to face an Eagles team that doesn't want to squander another opportunity to take care of business, especially if they can do so with a backup QB at the helm. Prediction: Eagles 27, Saints 17— Written by John La Fleur, a contributor to AthlonSports.
The offense leaned on the running game with Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill combining for 132 yards and two touchdowns. The defense did the rest, getting consistent pressure on Deshaun Watson, sacking him twice and picking him off once while holding the Browns' ground game to 3. 6 yards per carry. Cleveland's longest pass went for 10 yards as Watson completed fewer than half of his attempts (15 of 31) for 135 net passing yards. Now with back-to-back wins, New Orleans remains alive in the watered-down NFC South. Philadelphia (13-2) dropped a tough one in Dallas, falling 40-34 with Gardner Minshew replacing an injured Jalen Hurts at quarterback.
Saints vs. Eagles - NFL Game Summary - January 1, 2023
Saints vs. Eagles: What to Watch ForThe Saints have to win on Sunday to keep their postseason aspirations alive, but it won't come easy against a very tough Eagles team. In this story:New Orleans SaintsThe Saints need to keep the victories going after putting together back-to-back wins for the first time all season when they beat the Browns last weekend.
Philadelphia Eagles - New Orleans Saints: Live Stream & TV
Philadelphia Eagles vs New Orleans Saints
The Saints rank 15th with 223. 1 passing yards per game. They are tied for 14th with 23 touchdown passes, but that looks worse when you consider they are tied for the eighth-most interceptions thrown (13). Injuries can be pointed to New Orleans' struggles through the air. Expected starters Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry have missed 12 and six games, respectively, and reserves Tre'Quan Smith and Marquez Callaway also haven't been able to stay healthy.
New Orleans will need all of its pass catchers to make plays if it has any hope of not only solving Philadelphia's defense but scoring enough points to keep up with the Eagles' explosive offense. 2. Will the Eagles run wild again against the Saints? Two years ago, Philadelphia ran the ball 36 times for 246 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-21 win over New Orleans. Jalen Hurts and Miles Sanders both went over 100 rushing yards in that game. Last season, the Eagles gashed the Saints for 242 yards and three touchdowns (on 50 carries) in a 40-29 victory. Neither Hurts nor Sanders went over 100 yards but both still did plenty of damage. Hurts (69 yds. on 18 att.
Instead, the team has had to rely on some unexpected contributors, although the emergence of first-round pick Chris Olave has been a pleasant surprise. He leads the Saints in receptions (63) and receiving yards (940), followed by Alvin Kamara (55, 480). Tight end Juwan Johnson (36, 425) is next in terms of receiving production, and undrafted rookie Rashid Shaheed rounds out the top five with 19 grabs for 375 yards.
Philadelphia Eagles vs New Orleans Saints Live Stream &
) had all three rushing scores while Sanders put up a game-high 94 yards on 16 carries. Philadelphia's rushing attack comes into this game fourth at 153. 8 yards per game, but there have been some hills and valleys. The Eagles have piled up more than 200 yards on the ground in four games. They also have been held under 100 in four contests. But one thing that has been pretty consistent is Philly's ability to get into the end zone. The Eagles lead the league in rushing touchdowns with 31.
New Orleans vs. Philadelphia Prediction: Eagles Look to Bounce Back at Home Against the SaintsEven though they are separated by seven games in the win column, Sunday's matchup between the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles is important for both teams when it comes to playoff implications. Philadelphia can wrap up the NFC's No. 1 seed (and the coveted first-round bye) with a victory while New Orleans is still mathematically alive in the NFC South race, although the Saints' postseason hopes are hanging on by an extremely thin thread. Related: Expert Picks for Every Week 17 NFL GameNew Orleans (6-9) survived the frigid and blustery conditions in Cleveland with the Saints winning 17-10 on Christmas Eve.
HANG IN EARLY: The two losses against the Eagles were nearly carbon copies of each other, as each of them saw the Saints get down and out fairly early. They battled back after the half, but they somehow managed to self-destruct in both first halves in the previous two matchups. Nov 21, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Miles Sanders (26) is stopped short of the goal line by New Orleans Saints free safety Marcus Williams (43), defensive tackle Josiah Bronson (91) and outside linebacker Demario Davis (56) during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field.
New Orleans (6-9) at Philadelphia (13-2)Kickoff: Sunday, Jan. 1 at 1 p. m. ETTV: FOXLive Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)Spread: Eagles -6. 5Tickets: As low as $171 on SITickets. com*Three Things to Watch1. The depleted Saints' receiving corps vs. the Eagles' outstanding pass defenseOne of the reasons the Eagles sit atop the NFC standings has been their defense against the pass. They have allowed only 181. 2 yards through the air on average, the fewest in the NFL. They have picked off 16 passes, tied for second. They also are tied for ninth for fewest pass completions allowed (307). On the other side of this matchup is New Orleans' passing attack, which has been mediocre this season.
With a game under his belt and more time to prepare, Minshew could be even more effective on Sunday, especially considering the Saints' mixed bag of results when it comes to pressuring the pocket. They are tied for ninth in sacks with 40 but rank much lower on the leaderboard in knockdowns (28, 30th) and quarterback pressures (91, 30th). New Orleans' D has been a little boom-or-bust when it comes to disrupting opposing signal-callers. Hurts' mobility presents a whole different set of challenges, but even if he plays, he likely will try to minimize his rushing attempts. So between a hobbled Hurts and much more statuesque Minshew, it's critical for the Saints to make the Eagles' field general uncomfortable when he drops back on Sunday.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY SportsDOWN TO FINAL STRIKE: It’s been a common theme after losing a grand opportunity to Tampa in the final seconds. However, the Saints can be eliminated from the playoffs if they lose. Another couple scenarios would be if Tampa and Washington both win, or a much more complicated three-way win from Tampa, Detroit, and Green Bay. This is for the season, and New Orleans is going to have to rally to see what they can muster. DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE: Give the Saints defense some credit, but they haven’t allowed over 20 points in six straight games.
Compare that to the Saints, who have 11 in 15 games. 3. Philly's QB plansHurts, considered by many to be the MVP front-runner, suffered a shoulder sprain two weeks ago. While it would probably be in his and the team's best interests to rest him until the playoffs, the Eagles still haven't clinched the NFC East title, let alone the No. 1 overall seed that comes with the lone coveted first-round bye. As has already been mentioned, Gardner Minshew got the start in Hurts' absence last week and he nearly led his team to victory. But Minshew and Hurts have entirely different skill sets and playing styles, and Philadelphia's offense just isn't the same without the dual-threat signal-caller at the helm. Even with the injury, Hurts returned to practice this week, albeit in a limited fashion. It seems that he would be a long shot to play, but head coach Nick Sirianni hasn't ruled him out yet either. If anything, this could be gamesmanship to force New Orleans to have to plan for both quarterbacks.
However, it won’t be easy. New Orleans hasn’t had a good track record recently facing off against the Eagles in Philly. Sunday marks the third consecutive season that they play Philadelphia, and New Orleans has lost the past two. Here's a few things we're watching for when these two meet. GROUND AND POUND: New Orleans was able to get their ground attack going for the second straight game, and it helped fuel and sustain some of their drives. A heavy dose of Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill will be featured to try to find some success against a tough Eagles front, but they’re going to have to mix things up with Andy Dalton some too. Getting back Chris Olave (hamstring) would also go a long way, and we’ll have to see if Andrus Peat (ankle) returns.
The Eagles jumped out to a 10-0 lead thanks to a pick-six, but the Cowboys stormed back to trail by only three points at halftime. A touchdown with less than 10 minutes left gave Philadelphia a seven-point lead, but Dallas scored the final 13 points and held on late for the huge come-from-behind victory that prevented the Eagles from clinching the division. Minshew made some mistakes (2 INTs, lost a fumble) but was otherwise solid (24-of-40, 355 yds., 2 TDs) in his first start since last season.
Final AnalysisNew Orleans has managed to string together consecutive wins for the first time this season. Was that the start of a late-season run at the NFC South title or just a Festivus miracle? Philadelphia wasted an opportunity to put the NFC East on ice last Saturday but can take care of that and claim the No. 1 overall seed in one fell swoop. Jalen Hurts' injury is the bigger concern, however, and the team certainly doesn't want to bring him back too soon. That puts more pressure on Gardner Minshew, but he has a strong supporting cast (on both sides of the ball), so it's not like he needs to worry about doing his best Hurts impression.
Philadelphia Eagles vs New Orleans Saints live score & H2H