The Philadelphia Eagles want to break a cycle, a cycle in which NFC East champions in one season are not able to then win the division the very next season.
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Philadelphia Eagles
Sunday, September 7th – 1:00 PM ET
Odds: Philadelphia -10
Why The Jaguars Will Cover
They are in a position to play different styles of football and perhaps give the Eagles something they’re not quite expecting. The Eagles know that Jacksonville is starting veteran Chad Henne at quarterback in this game. The Jaguars have not been strong at the position in recent years, but Henne is at least better than former Jaguar quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who is clearly a backup quarterback in this league. Henne makes sense as a first-week starter because of his experience. Yet, it’s not as though he blew away his main competitor in the preseason. The Jaguars were high on Blake Bortles, their draft pick at the quarterback spot. Bortles has speed in the open field. He’s not even a scrambler, though that’s part of his game. He’s a runner, a guy who can break open plays and can burst out of the pocket in an explosive way. If the Jaguars are able to run a conventional offense with Henne, they can do a lot of different things with Bortles and offer the Eagles different looks with their offensive sets. Philadelphia’s last game that counted was a playoff game against the New Orleans Saints. The Eagles were blown away up front by New Orleans’ offensive line. The Jaguars are not as good as New Orleans up front, but if they can get anything going with the running game and can set up short passes that can move the chains consistently, they can move the ball with regularity and keep the Eagles’ high-powered offense off the field.
Why The Eagles Will Cover
They are simply the much better team. The Eagles have received new direction under coach Chip Kelly. They have the look of the Seattle Seahawks, not in terms of their offense-defense balance, but in terms of having a coach from the Pac-12 who came to the pros and shook up their internal world. The Eagles’ attitude is so different right now, and this is exactly why the team can become the first NFC East champion in a number of years to repeat as the division winner. Last year, Washington couldn’t defend its division title. The year before, the New York Giants couldn’t defend their division title. The year before that, the Eagles couldn’t defend their division title. Can Philadelphia break that string this fall? Nick Foles broke through last season, and seems ready to become an established high-level quarterback in the NFL. The Eagles have assembled speed on offense, and that speed is likely to be too much for Jacksonville’s defense to overcome. The Jaguars don’t have enough playmakers to keep up with the Eagles if this game becomes a shootout, either.
Outlook
This is a mismatch. Philadelphia is a very solid team with a great offense, and Jacksonville is a bad team with very little offense. Philadelphia is at home. What more could a bettor want?
Pick: Eagles -10
