Three keys to the Broncos beating the Eagles on Sunday
Nov 10, 2021, 6:31 AM
The Denver Broncos are on a roll, and they are coming off the first signature win of head coach Vic Fangio after beating the Dallas Cowboys 30-16 in Week 9. They come back home this week but stay in the NFC East with the Philadelphia Eagles coming to town in Week 10.
The Eagles are one of the most confusing teams in the NFL. They truly are a “Jekyll and Hyde” type of team who can look great one week, then look terrible the next.
As per usual on Mondays and Tuesdays during the regular season, I have broken down the coach’s film of the Broncos upcoming opponent. Here are three observations from the Eagles film that could be the keys for a Broncos victory on Sunday
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Only Good When They’re Bad
I like Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. A second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Hurts got an opportunity in 2021 to prove he can be the long-term solution for the Eagles at quarterback. The team traded away 2016 first-round pick Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts so they could make Hurts their top guy. Even though they flirted with the idea of traded the Houston Texans for Deshaun Watson, Hurts remains their top quarterback.
It’s too bad that Hurts only seems to play well when the team is performing poorly. On the flip side, when the team plays good as a whole – Hurts doesn’t post great numbers. Last week against the Los Angeles Chargers was a great example of this.
The Eagles barely lost, but it was poor play from Hurts – especially in the first half – that cost them the game. Hurts only completed 11 passes for 162 yards and one touchdown. He had several misfires in the first half that could have helped get the Eagles over the top.
When he struggles passing, at least Hurts can make plays with his feet. He had 62 yards rushing on 10 carries last week against the Chargers. If the Broncos aren’t careful, Hurts can hurt them with his rushing ability. Not only is he a fast runner, Hurts has strength upon contact to pick up tough yards. He’s not easy to get a bead on, and he’s not easy to bring down when you do. Rushing quarterbacks have been problematic for the Broncos, and Hurts will come with plenty of puzzles to solve – even if he struggles with his arm.
“He was a stud out there”
“We definitely have to build on this”
“He made some unbelievable plays on third down”
-Nick Sirianni on Jalen Hurts
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) November 8, 2021
We’ll see how he handles the pressure from the Broncos defense. He was able to get away from pressure against the Chargers – even against a zero blitz when Los Angeles sent the house. The Broncos had better get home if they send that many bodies after the Eagles athletic quarterback.
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Slay Island?
The Eagles feature one of the best cornerbacks in today’s game with veteran Darius Slay out there patrolling the back end of their defense. The 31-year-old cornerback is having a rejuvenated season after struggling in his first season with the Eagles last year.
Philadelphia sent a third-round and fifth-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft to the Detroit Lions to acquire Slay. Shortly thereafter, Slay signed a new three-year deal worth $50 million with $30 million guaranteed. He’s quietly putting together a Pro Bowl season in 2021.
Slay (hamstring) had three solo tackles before leaving the Week 9 game against the Los Angeles Chargers with a hamstring injury. He’s been great this season, especially early on when he was shutting down the best receivers in the league. This week against the Broncos, Slay (if healthy) will be able to shut down one of the Broncos receivers – which one is unknown.
WRs covered by Darius Slay this season:
Calvin Ridley Week 1:
🔒 2 targets, 0 recBrandon Aiyuk Week 2:
🔒 1 rec, 6 yardsAmari Cooper Week 3:
🔒 1 rec, 6 yardsTyreek Hill Week 4:
🔒 1 rec, 15 yardsDJ Moore Week 5:
🔒 2 rec, 14 yardsMike Evans Week 6:
🔒 2 rec, 27 yards pic.twitter.com/YYKCZ3r6PS— PFF (@PFF) October 21, 2021
We’ll know more about Slay’s availability during the week of practice. They call him “Big Play Slay” for a reason, and if he missed the game on Sunday, it would be a huge boost for the Broncos offense.
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Fast 6
Alabama football has had some great wide receivers come through their program in recent years. The Broncos know this as they selected Jerry Jeudy in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. When healthy, Jeudy can shine in this league.
The Eagles followed suit by selecting their own first-round Alabama receiver when they picked Devonta Smith in the 2021 NFL Draft. Like Jeudy, Smith can be a star in this league. Unlike Jeudy, Smith has incredible speed – blazing speed – and he can take the top off the defense in the blink of an eye.
We’ve seen Smith build a strong chemistry with Hurts, who also played at Alabama. Last week against the Chargers, Smith caught five passes for 116 yards and one touchdown. Hurts also overthrew Smith for what could have been a touchdown in the first half. There is no doubt that Hurts looks for Smith early and often.
Smith had a whopping target share of 37.5 percent last week, tying tight end Dallas Goedert for the most passes thrown his way. He’s played in nine games, and in seven of those contests Smith has been targeted six or more times.
Jalen Hurts to Devonta Smith! 🔥
Chargers-Eagles is tied, 24-24.
📺: #LACvsPHI on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/pJlDoSdZex— NFL (@NFL) November 7, 2021
Dealing with Smith is going to be a problem for the Broncos defense. He’s clearly got the trust of his quarterback, and Smith is going to be a big-play option who could flip the field against Denver. Stopping Smith is one of the main keys for the Broncos defense in Week 10.
