Peyton Manning has attempted 122 consecutive passes without throwing an interception to open the season.
When the Eagles beat the Redskins in their season opener, it
appeared they suddenly had a chance to enter this Week 4 match undefeated,
facing the Chargers and Chiefs.
That Week 4 match is here. The Eagles are 1-2.
The past two weeks have not gone the way the Eagles may have
hoped. The schedule also takes a turn. The Denver Broncos await the Eagles with
an undefeated record and a nearly perfect quarterback.
When you think of the Broncos, you think of their high-powered
offense. Forget about Chip Kelly’s
fast-paced offense for just a moment. The Broncos possess the true high-powered
offense.
With weapons at every part of the field – Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker as wide-outs and Julius Thomas inside as tight end –
quarterback Peyton Manning has tons
of options. In case you haven’t heard, Manning is also a mastermind at his
position as well.
Manning has attempted 122 consecutive passes without
throwing an interception in his first three games of the season. He has 12
touchdown passes and has thrown for 1,143 yards. All this in just three games.
That has the Broncos’ pass offense atop the league leaders. The run game is
another and defending the pass are two different stories.
The Broncos have one of the league’s worst pass defenses,
allowing 327 yards per game in the air. The run defense, however, ranks first
in the NFL, allowing just 43 yards per game. If the Eagles are looking to
attack with LeSean McCoy, it
probably won’t result in the desired outcome.
The Eagles offense enters the game 10 days removed from a
sloppy game against the Chiefs. Michael
Vick threw two interceptions and lost a fumble, contributing to the Eagles’
five turnovers.
But Vick has proven capable before this season. Offensively,
he dominated the first half of the Eagles win over the Redskins and kept the
Eagles in the game in Week 2 against the Chargers. With 10 days since
Thursday’s loss, he should be motivated to rebound, especially in a game where
all eyes are focused on the opposing quarterback.
Some of the big questions entering the game involve the
Eagles receiving corps. Does Vick heavily target DeSean Jackson again? Do tight ends Brent Celek and James Casey finally
emerge in the passing game? And how will the Broncos secondary contain the
Eagles wide-outs?
It has the makings for a very interesting game. The Eagles
are against long odds. The Broncos may be too well liked for this game. If that
has an impact remains to be seen.
Injury Report:
Eagles
- T Jason
Peters (finger) is probable for today’s game. - S Patrick
Chung (shoulder) is doubtful for today’s game. Chung did not participate in
this week.
Broncos
- LS Aaron
Brewer (rib) is probable for today’s game. - TE Joel
Dreessen (knee) is questionable for today’s game. He was limited in practice
this week. - T Orlando
Franklin (shoulder) is probable for today’s game. - WR Eric
Decker (shoulder) is probable for today’s game. - S David
Bruton (neck) is probable for today’s game. - RB C.J.
Anderson (knee) is probable for today’s game. - S Omar
Bolden (shoulder) is probable for today’s game. - CB Tony
Carter (ankle) is probable for today’s game. - CB Champ
Bailey (foot) is questionable for today’s game. He was limited in practice
this week. - WR Wes
Welker (ankle) is probable for today’s game. - LB Paris
Lenon (thigh) is doubtful for today’s game. He did not participate in
practice this week. - S Duke
Ihenacho (ankle) is questionable for today’s game. He was limited in
practice this week. - WR
Demaryius Thomas (ankle) is probable for today’s game. - G Chris
Kuper (ankle) is probable for today’s game.
Staff Predictions:
Frank Klose
Eagles 17, Broncos 34
I’m feeling this is all Broncos. Eagles won’t keep up.
Andrew Gillen
Eagles 23, Broncos 42
The idea that the Eagles have a chance in this game is
difficult to believe. Peyton Manning and his cavalry are playing too well, and
Philly has very little on defense to stop them. Michael Vick will be playing
catch up all day, and the Broncos will take this one easily, 42-23.
Kevin Durso
Eagles 27, Broncos 38
The Eagles may have all the rest they need but
the Broncos are just too talented. Don’t be fooled, the Denver defense is not
top-tier, so the offense will score, but the Eagles defense also has to contain
Peyton Manning somehow. With this defense, that certainly is a task easier said
than done. The Eagles’ run game should be solid with LeSean McCoy but unless
the Eagles find a way to spread the ball around and keep the Broncos guessing,
they won’t be able to keep pace in this offensive shootout.
Kevin Durso is a contributor for Eagledelphia. Read his weekly Monday Review the morning after every Eagles game. You can follow him on twitter @KDursoPhilsNet.
