Patriots - Eagles Key Matchups, Who Has the Razor's Edge?
Steve Balestrieri
Look for the Patriots to try to wear down this Eagles defense with much more Blount and Bolden carrying the ball this week in a similar offensive game plan as when they faced a fellow NFC East foe, the Redskins.
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Interesting take on the Eagles - Patriots, and a bold prediction of a blowout (30-14) by the Patriots.
I'm much more skittish after three games in a row where the Patriots have scored fewer than 25 points and cannot put a decent rushing attack together to take some of the heat off of Brady throwing in an offense that counts on the slot receiver to such a great degree. The offensive line is treading water and bringing back dark memories of the first four games of the 2014 season. In other words, the Patriots' inability to put more than 24 on the board has me thinking a much closer game, and a shot for the Eagles to pull off a huge upset.
Hightower being out (if that is the case as he was at practice on Wednesday) makes the running attack of the Eagles more formidable, although their offensive line is similarly a mess. Getting Collins back is good, but he's not the run stuffer that Hightower is and provides greater value in the short passing defense.
The Eagles look to be regressing and possibly in full revolt against their coach who is out of his league in the NFL. The rumors of where he'll land in the NCAA are all over the internet which suggests universities are making inquiries. If Chip Kelly has a foot out the door, this game could go as Ballestrieri suggests. USC has approached him and he told his team, "As long as they have me here, I'm here."
If he's trying to save his job and has players who believe in him a la Tom Coughlin, this could be another rock fight. What should be an easy win now looks fraught with danger.
The Eagles crowd always turns on whoever is making them grumpy. I used to live there and went to a few Eagles games at Franklin Field and the Vet. I learned how to Boo and how to heckle my own team at the time from the best. They're at it again, so the Patriots game is really a crucible that will tell the folks back home a great deal about Chip Kelly's character. That said, "Bleeding Green Nation," one of those bogus fan sites run by SB Nation, has this to offer:
Crunching The Numbers: Eagles In Free Fall
Chip Kelly told his players he's not leaving the Eagles
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