“Crossroads” is a song originally by Robert Johnson, written in 1936. It’s a blues track, and the most popular iteration is by the Eric Clapton-led Cream. It was the first single of their Wheels of Fire album in 1968.
I kinda feel like this upcoming home game against the resurgent Colts is a crossroads thing. We’re coming off some hard times in Tampa. We’re a tad beat up. We’re throwing rehab-version of Carson Wentz into a situation where offensive failure means a likely 1-2 record after 3 games. That’s a crossroads deal. You fall to 1-3 after that, we’re looking at a long road to the top.
So let’s rally and start stacking some W’s!
Yeah, we could use some divine mercy.
Our old buddy Dave Spadaro is losing his mind worrying about this upcoming test:
“The Eagles are 1-1, still learning about themselves in this 2018 season. The offense has labored for much of two games and has had to scratch for every point it has scored. In the 18-12 opening-night win over Atlanta, the Eagles relied on the running game and a short passing attack to beat the Falcons. In Tampa against the Buccaneers on Sunday, the Eagles generated very little offense until they were behind 27-7 and then gained some traction in the passing game. The running game never truly flowed. The lone legitimate big play in the passing game came when Nelson Agholor caught a pass, outran a defender to the sideline, and then turned on the jets to gain 50 yards on the play. For most of the game, especially in that frantic comeback attempt, the Eagles relied on underneath throws from Foles to Agholor and tight end Zach Ertz to pick up yardage in handfuls, not buckets full, which they needed.
“Head coach Doug Pederson has some real challenges getting this offense where he wants it. Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery is “week to week, with no timetable” as he continues his recovery from offseason surgery to his rotator cuff. Fellow starting wide receiver Mike Wallace suffered a fractured fibula in the loss at Tampa Bay and is out for several weeks [or the season]. Mack Hollins, the second-year receiver who the Eagles anticipated would take a jump this year, is on Injured Reserve with a groin injury.
“You never know which group is going to be hit with the injury bug and right now it’s the receiver group,” Pederson said. “We’re confident. We’ll get Alshon back whenever he’s cleared and ready to go and then the loss of Mike is going to be big. He’s a starter-caliber guy who is a big part of our system. We brought him in here in the offseason as a free agent. We’ve just got to continue to work and look forward and rely on some of our other groups. The tight ends, our runners, our offensive line, we have to lean on that. And then of course our quarterback and we can do that and put a good mix of offense together and try to keep some teams off-balance.”
“Pederson and the coaching staff will be creative here, because in addition to the No. 1 (Jeffery), 2 (Wallace), and 4 (Hollins) wide receivers out, running back Darren Sproles is a question mark for Sunday because of a hamstring injury that flared up in practice last week and left tackle Jason Peters has a quad strain that forced him out of Sunday’s loss to Tampa Bay. He vowed to play against the Colts on Sunday, so we’ll see. Having Peters out there, at the age of 36, is an uncertainty week to week. That’s just the reality of being 36 years old in the physical and demanding world of the NFL.”
Okay, we know we have physical issues on offense. Are we deep enough to buy enough time to beat the Colts and avert the crossroads issue?
The question is how quickly Carson can be Carson?… and to add to that is the question of how the Eagles will coach him and call plays. Head coach Doug Pederson vows to remain aggressive and “not coach scared” with Wentz. There are no coaching limitations with Wentz, who, among his many great traits, has kept plays alive in and out of the pocket with his legs and awareness of who and what are around him and the game situation.
The problem is complicated by Wentz’ alleged decrease in mobility. That, and there is always the subconscious doubt in an athlete’s mind: Can I really trust that mending knee?
“What are we going to see early from Wentz playing with a receiving corps thinned out by injury? A lot of quick, high-percentage throws to get him in the flow right away? An emphasis on the running game? A moving pocket to keep Wentz away from a Colts pressure package that you would expect to go after him early?”—Spadaro.
Oh yeah, the Colts…
For Colts head coach Frank Reich and linebacker Najee Goode, this is their first matchup against the Eagles since winning the championship with the team in February.
Reich was asked by the media on Monday what it will be like to face his old team:
“Yeah, it’s special. A lot of times in this business, usually when you are going back some place, you are usually going back to some place you got fired from and so this isn’t like that. I have nothing but great memories and tremendous experience in the two years there. I couldn’t have a higher opinion of the organization and the people there. But at the end of the day, we are all after the same thing. I owe a lot to that organization because they helped give me the opportunity that I have right now to be the head coach here. But it’s exciting to go back and to be able to compete against the defending Super Bowl champions and that’s what we plan on doing.”
Goode spoke more strategically on this game, commenting on how he can help his teammates in regard to the Eagles’ tendencies and schemes. He joked that he’s already talked to a few of his old teammates and that he has a target on their backs just as well as they do with him. He also mentioned talking with some of their offensive linemen but that they aren’t offering many tidbits of information.
Here are three key matchups to watch in Week 3:
Quenton Nelson vs. Fletcher Cox
They won’t always be lined up against each other, but similar to when Nelson had to line up against Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins, the rookie guard will go head-to-head against one of the top interior pass rushers in the NFL.
Cox has been one of the elite defensive tackles in the league since 2015 when he earned his first Pro Bowl selection. He might not put up the gaudy numbers Atkins does, but his get-off and strength on the interior are close to second-to-none.
The Colts pull and move their offensive linemen a lot so these two won’t be always facing off, but this is a matchup that will be key for both teams in the game while also giving Nelson another chance to prove himself against elite talent.
T.Y. Hilton vs. Eagles CBs
The Eagles don’t have a cornerback that will follow Hilton throughout the entire game, but he will have his opportunities going against Jalen Mills, Sydney Jones and Ronald Darby.
All three are having decent starts to the season, despite the media trashing that Mills is taking for his no-show effort against the Bucs. But Hilton has proved he can produce against solid secondaries. He routinely found separation off the line against a Redskins secondary that included Josh Norman and Quenton Dunbar.
The Eagles have a strong pass rush, which means Andrew Luck will have to get rid of the ball quickly again. It will be imperative that Hilton finds separation from the Eagles secondary.
Joe Haeg vs. Brandon Graham
Assuming Haeg is the starter at right tackle like he was during the Week 2 win against the Washington Redskins, he will have a tough task going up against a premier pass rusher in Graham.
Graham hasn’t ever recorded a 10-sack season, but he’s been a consistent and productive pass rusher on the Eagles defensive line since he arrived as a first-round pick in 2010.
The 30-year-old is coming off of the most productive season of his career, and Haeg will be looking to solidify himself as the starter at right tackle in what will be a crucial matchup for the Colts in Week 3.
This game could be a lot of fun, if only it weren’t a crossroads deal. The Brimidity anxiety barometer for this one will be jacked up for true Eagles fans.
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