Eagles vs Raiders Preview
The Eagles are coming off a much-needed mini bye week after losing a sloppy game last Thursday night against Tom Brady and the Bucs. Nick Sirianni stated that he used the extra time to reflect on the Eagles struggles and see what other teams around the NFL have been doing well. Both Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Shane Steichen said that Miles Sanders needs to touch the ball more, but we will see if that translates into a game. In Week 7, the birds hit the road to face off against an explosive Raiders offense that got back on track with a big win over the Broncos.
Los Vegas Raiders Injury Report:
The Raiders had 17 players listed on their injury report this week, but the only player that is out for Sunday is the backup tight end Nick Bowers (neck). The Raiders do have four starters on their injured reserve list, which includes breakout corner Trayvon Mullen Jr. along their two starting guards Richie Incognito and Denzelle Good. The Raiders backup guards will have their hands full going up against Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave, who are the best interior duo in football. Star tight end Darren Waller was updated to a game time decision, but you must suspect that he'd play.
Philadelphia Eagles Injury Report:
The Eagles received some excellent news earlier this week, as Lane Johnson returned to the team and will start Sunday. Dallas Goedert was also activated off the covid list and will play Sunday, looking to assert himself as the tight end of the future after the Zach Ertz trade. Among those listed as questionable were backup guard Jack Anderson (hamstring) and starting safety Anthony Harris (hands/groin), who got ruled out late Saturday evening. Tyree and Jackson and K'Von Wallace are getting closer to being back, but he is not quite ready and won't play Sunday.
Key Matchups
Defense:
Eagles linebacker's vs Darren Waller
Darius Slay & Steve Nelson vs Henry Ruggs & Bryan Edwards
Alex Leatherwood vs Javon Hargrave & Fletcher Cox
The Raiders offense has been one of the best in football this year, and a large part of that is due to Derek Carr who has averaged over 300 yards through the first 6 games. Many don't consider the Raiders a team with elite skill players, but they have 4 receivers with over 300 yards. The Raiders have averaged a whopping 3.3 yards per-carry and only have 2 runs of 20+ yards through the first 6 weeks, but they Eagles have been one of the worst run defenses in football during that time span. For the Eagles to win, they need to force the Raiders to be a one-dimensional team and take away the run game. Carr has proved he can play at an elite level without a run game, but the Raiders offense could hit full throttle with a sustainable run game. The Eagles matchup well with Ruggs, Edwards, and Renfrow on the outside, but Darren Waller could look to take advantage of a poor Eagles linebacking core. The Eagles have played a strong group of tight ends through the first few weeks, holding George Kittle, Travis Kelce, and Kyle Pitts to a combined 12 catches for 71 yards, but they allowed Dalton Schultz, Ian Thomas, and O.J. Howard to have 10 catches for 169 yards and 3 touchdowns. When the opposing tight end is at the top of the Eagles scouting report, they tend to shut them down. However, when the tight end is buried on the scouting report duo to stacked receiving corps, the Eagles struggle. For the Eagles to have a shot, they will need to shut down Darren Waller and force other guys to beat them.
Offense:
Lane Johnson vs Maxx Crosby
DeVonta Smith vs Casey Hayward Jr.
Miles Sanders vs Denzel Perryman
The Eagles offense has struggled to move the ball downfield in recent weeks, and a big part of that is Nick Sirianni's unwillingness to run the football. Miles Sanders is the Eagles best skill players, but Nick Sirianni has not gotten him involved with the game plan enough, only having 57 carries in 6 games, which will not cut it. The Eagles have run the ball well when they keep it on the ground, averaging 5.2 yards per carry and having 4 runs of 20+ yards, but the young coaching staff has not stayed committed to the ground game. Sirianni and Steichen said that they need to get Miles Sanders more involved, but we’ll have to see if that translates to a game. With the return of Lane Johnson, not only are the birds getting an All-Pro tackle back, but Jordan Mailata will move back to his natural position of left tackle. The Raiders have struggled to stop the ball on the ground, and they will also be without their best corner, Trayvon Mullen. If the Eagles can run the ball efficiently with Sanders and Gainwell, that could open things up for the wideouts on the outside.