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The high-flying Philadelphia Eagles‘ offense will have perhaps their stiffest test of the season thus far Sunday against a top-ranked Seattle Seahawks defensive unit. Eagles head coach Chip Kelly knows this game will be a challenge, but also a great way for his club to grow moving forward. In order for Philadelphia to be victorious, extending drives will be the key to success.
Since getting middle linebacker Bobby Wagner back from injury in Week 12, Seattle’s defense has been revitalized, allowing only six combined points in their last two contests.
On the other side of the ball, quarterback Mark Sanchez has gone 3-1 as a starter since taking over the offense from the injured Nick Foles. Over those span games, the Eagles are averaging an impressive 35 PPG.
Thankfully for the Eagles, Sanchez plays in an incredibly efficient system put in place by Kelly. Weapons like Jeremy Maclin, Jordan Matthews and Darren Sproles certainly help too. Starting running back LeSean McCoy is also beginning to pick up where he left off as last season’s rushing champion, now that he is finally running behind a mostly healthy offensive line.
The Eagles have converted 44 percent (7th) of their third down attempts this season. This will be a crucial stat for a number of reasons if the Eagles are to prevail in front of a home crowd.
The Seahawks shine brightest on their secondary in terms of talent. Due to their pass rush not excelling the way it did last season, they have been somewhat susceptible to giving up big plays on third downs. The opposition has converted at a rate of 44 percent against them, only 11th best in the league.
While winning time of possession could also be important for Philadelphia, it’s not a must. They are 9-3, but have won the possession battle in only six of their 12 games this season. That is why extending drives by keeping their briskly paced offense on the field to tire out the Seahawks’ secondary on current and future drives will be key. Exhaustion can lead to frustration, and frustration can lead to coverage breakdowns. Getting players like Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas out of their comfort zone could do wonders for the Eagles’ confidence when they have the ball.
The longer the Seahawks’ defense is on the field gasping for breath, the better chance the Eagles have of breaking a huge play or two by substituting fresh-legged receivers into different packages and formations.
All of this will in turn put less pressure on an Eagles’ defense that actually has 22 more sacks and four more takeaways than the Seahawks do this season. The less time that unit spends on the field, the more energy they will have to try and chase down Russell Wilson when he tries to scramble for first downs.
Jordan Wevers is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JordanWevers, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
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