Run: For a little guy, Eagles running back Brian Westbrook is tough to tackle. He has a low center of gravity and great lateral quickness to escape tackles. Against an aggressive Atlanta defense, Philly used draws to spring Westbrook for big runs. He had gains of 36, 12, and 11 yards, accounting for more than half of his 96 yards. The Eagles have gone from averaging 23.5 carries a game in the regular season to 29 attempts in the two playoff victories. Both games were blowouts. There could be a correlation between the two...Knowing that running back Corey Dillon did not play in the first meeting and that Pittsburgh would be waiting for him, the Patriots coaches called a reverse with wide out Deion Branch, catching Pittsburgh off-guard for a 14-yard gain. Dillon got his share as well. His 3-yard average was nothing special, but he kept the chains moving, especially in the second half. New England ran 22 times in the second half and wore down Pittsburgh. But can they do the same to Philadelphia? Against an aggressive front, New England might use draw plays to turn Philly's aggression against them. This is where third down back Kevin Faulk could have an impact with his quick acceleration.
Pass: Receiver Terrell Owens will play. The question is whether he will be 100 percent. The most likely scenario might be Owens plays half the game offensively with certain plays for him to optimize his performance. The broken leg might prevent him from making certain cuts. QB Donovan McNabb must keep his playoff flow. Don't focus on Owens now that he's back. Keep spreading the ball around. McNabb will be without tight end Chad Lewis out. Jeff Thomason replaces Lewis, but will have a limited role offensively. That could mean a even bigger role for L.J. Smith. Running back Brian Westbrook must get touches. And wide out Freddie Mitchell better put his money where his mouth is and be a major player after calling out New England's enforcer, safety Rodney Harrison...One of the keys to the Patriots passing game is the blocking. Quarterback Tom Brady was sacked just twice while facing the Blitzburgh defense. Dillon and the other running backs do a great job of picking up blitzers. N.E. also won't hesitate to keep the tight ends on the line for max protection. If Brady has time, he'll pick a defense apart short (wide out David Givens three first downs out of five catches) or long (Branch receptions of 45 and 60, the latter for a touchdown). Most importantly, Brady hasn't turned the the ball over.
Run: Philly held the top rushing team to just 99 yards. What more is there to say? They first stuffed the running backs, then rushed quarterback Michael Vick with discipline, keeping him from ripping off huge runs. Philadelphia doesn't have to worry about Brady dashing out of the pocket for 25-yard scampers, but they must deal with Dillon. Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter gets most of the credit, but Keith Adams came up big. Adams is said to be better against the run than the man he replaced, Mark Simeonau. They must swarm to the ball and be sure tacklers because Dillon makes a lot of yards after first contact...New England will get defensive end Richard Seymour back in time for the game. The question is how effective will he be? Without Seymour, playoff opponents have averaged four yards. Jarvis Green has played well in place of Seymour, but having Big Sey back would help the D, even if it just improves depth. Roethlisberger gained 45 yards in the AFC Championship and he's not half the runner McNabb is. For some reason, passers slipped through the fingers of the Patriot pass rushers. They can't afford to let that happen this week.
Pass: The secondary wasn't tested by Atlanta's feeble passing offense so there's only so much stock that can be put on the Eagles limiting the Falcons to just 136 yards. Where they made a difference was with the pass rush. They sacked the most mobile passer in the league four times. Defensive end Derrick Burgess had two of them. Catching Brady will be easier, but they must squeeze the pocket because Brady is one of the best at moving around in the pocket to buy time. The secondary has three Pro Bowlers, but three of the four have three or less years of experience. Corners Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard must prove their worth...New England's secondary better not be distracted by the antics of Mitchell, especially with Owens to prepare for. They haven't seen a receiver of his caliber all year long. They'll keep playing zone because they don't want to leave their young corners alone with Owens. Corner back Assante Samuel should have had maybe two interceptions in the AFC Championship game but his hands are firm. The same can't be said for safety Eugene Wilson who picked off two in the same game. The Pats have only two sacks this post season.
Kickoff returner J.R. Reed has given the Eagles good field position, averaging 31.7 yards per return, including a 48-yarder. The other returners, either kickoff or punt, haven't done the same. Punter Dirk Johnson has lost more than four yards off his net average. One thing Philly can count on is David Akers. He was good on his four attempts, though his longest so far was 34 yards. They can take comfort in his 84 percent accuracy in the regular season...So can the Patriots in Adam Vinatieri who missed just two all season. Vinatieri is perfect in the post season as well, with a long of 48 in Heinz Field, known as a difficult stadium to kick in. Receiver Troy Brown is back returning punts and had a return for 20 yards. But of the punts returned against the Patriots in the playoffs, opponents are averaging 13.3 yards. That causes punter Josh Miller's net average to plummet to just 30.7. Kickoff coverage has been stellar while the Pats' returners aren't doing much.
Small pockets: It's more than just getting pressure on
Brady. He moves very well in the pocket. Give him less room until there's nowhere to go
but down.
On the run: Whether through Westbrook, Levens, or McNabb, keep running
the ball to make the offense more balanced.
Finders, keepers: Forcing a turnover or two against a very secure New
England team could be huge. At the same time, don't lose the ball. N.E. can quickly turns
those mistakes into points.
T.O. and who?: They know who Owens is and might not be able to stop
him. What about the other receivers? Keep them under control.
Pop quiz: Are the young corners as good as advertised or a product of the
blitzing that makes them look good? Test Sheppard and Brown and find out for sure.
Same identity: They got this far by running and using play-action. An
effective Dillon will make the passing game better.
The Pick: Philadelphia proved to be the men among boys in the NFC in two convincing wins in the playoffs. But being in the Super Bowl for the first time makes Philly a team of rookies. New England has been here before and know about playing at a higher level. N.E. shows Philly they still have some things to learn. Patriots 27, Eagles 16.
Home | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 |
Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15 | Week 16 | Week 17 | Wild Card | Conference Championships