Week One can be the most important game of the entire
year for a football team. For example, Eagles fans will remember Week One of the
2007 season as the game that doomed the Eagles for the year but sent the Green
Bay Packers to the NFC Championship Game.
Many would question how the
first game could possibly have such an impact, but really, it’s simple. The
confidence you get from a big win can help you through the entire year, and
adversely, the hurt of losing a game you should have won can kill a season.
Were the Packers the second-best team in the NFC that year? Probably not.
They overachieved because of that confidence.
It may not be the same
situation for the Eagles and Panthers, because both are good teams, and it
probably wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see either team pull it out (although
most would agree the Eagles are the better team). In that instance, it’s just
the fact of getting that first win to get on a roll, so either way, Week One is
immensely important.
With that all said, let’s look at what the Eagles
must do to win this game.
Jason Peters Must Win the Battle vs. Julius
Peppers
Julius Peppers is a freak of nature. At first glance, he
just looks like another lanky defensive end. However, at 6’6″ and 290 pounds,
he’s got an incredible combination of speed and strength that the NFL hasn’t
seen since the Minister of Defense, Reggie White.
Jason Peters, like
Peppers, is supposed to combine the athleticism and size usually unseen in a man
at his position. At 6’4″ and 330 pounds, most would expect Peters to be slow and
clumsy, but instead he’s got fantastic footwork and the athleticism of a man 100
pounds lighter.
To point out the obviousËëâhis will be an incredible
matchup.
If Peters can keep Peppers away from Donovan McNabb, he should
be able to tear apart the Panthers secondary. They’re a patchwork of average
players that will not be able to cover the Eagles receivers if McNabb has time
to find them. If he doesn’t, it will be a long and difficult game for the Eagles
offense.
Peters’ footwork will be the difference in this matchup. If
Peters can stay in front of Peppers, he should have no problem overpowering him
and keeping him away from McNabb. However, if Peters remains slow off the ball,
Peppers will eat him alive all day.
Make the Panthers Play from Behind
The best way to do
this is to keep a good pass-run ratio for the first quarter (or so) of the game.
By keeping it to about 55-45 percent, the Eagles can score some points while
also tiring out the defense. This way, when the Panthers offense gets on the
field, they won’t be able to rely as heavily on the running
game.
Basically, the plan here is to make Jake Delhomme and the receivers
beat you. With Asante Samuel on Steve Smith and Sheldon Brown on Muhsin
Muhammad, that should be an incredibly difficult feat for Jake Delhomme. He’s
been a pretty decent quarterback, but he has shown that if he’s forced to play
from behind, he’ll crumble and throw some picks.
With Samuel looking to
double his production from last season, we should be able to see some big plays
from him and the rest of the defense.
Once the Eagles have a lead of at
least two touchdowns, then it’s time to pound the ball. Give all three running
backs some reps so there’s always a fresh runner for Carolina’s defense to chase
after. Give Brian Westbrook a pitch to the outside, give LeSean McCoy a carry
off tackle, and then pound it up the middle with Leonard Weaver and Eldra
Buckley.
The Carolina defense will be ready to roll over by the end of
the third quarter.
Eliminate Mental Mistakes on Both Sides of the
Ball
Mental mistakes were the biggest problem for the Eagles
during the preseason, as silly penalties would back them up and take points off
the board. All penalties are mental mistakes, but the biggest ones are
procedural penalties such as false start, offsides, delay of game, illegal
formation, and so on.
Mental mistakes would also include plays like the
lateral against the Jaguars in the third preseason game. If the ball is thrown
backwards, it’s live. Don’t just watch it bounce around and give up an easy six
points because you’re not paying attention.
If the Eagles make those
kinds of mistakes repeatedly, it could mean the difference between a win and a
loss to start off the season.
Execute; Do the Little Things Properly
As I said,
most consider the Eagles the better team in this game. Personally, that’s the
ship I’m on at the moment. If you compare the offenses, it goes to the Eagles,
because the Panthers don’t have much of a passing game. If you compare the
defenses, it’s not even an argument that the Eagles take the cake as
well.
With that said, the Eagles just need to do the little things
properly and they should be able to walk away with a victory. They need to do
the little things, such as making your blocks even if you’re backside and always
making sure the ball is moving forward. Even if it’s only one or two yards, it’s
a positive play. If you spend time going backwards, it begins to add
up.
Considering it’s a Week One game, there are bound to be some mistakes
in execution. However, if they can keep the mistakes to a minimum, they should
be 1-0 for their home opener against the Saints in Week Two.
