Are the Philadelphia Eagles (7-1) the NFL’s best team? Sunday they could at least keep the league’s best record as they host the new look Denver Broncos (3-4) at Lincoln Financial Field Sunday.
The game will be shoved right into your face by the CBS television network and its affiliates around the country at 1 p.m. EST.
The Game: Denver Broncos at Philadelphia Eagles (-7)
O/U: 41.5
The History
The Broncos and Eagles have met just 12 times since 1971. Philadelphia holds a 7-5 advantage int he all time series.
They last met on September 29, 2013 with the Broncos delivering a 52-20 shellacking at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
DENVER BRONCOS (3-4)
The Trevor Siemian era in Denver officially ended with a thunderous fart last week in a 29-19 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Head coach Vance Joseph’s infatuation with the glorified Scott Tolzien was always a mystery to me, especially with a first round pick sitting on the bench. Paxton Lynch’s preseason injury didn’t even matter. Joseph had already handed Siemian the job.
Now it’s back in the hands of Brock Osweiler, who had his best year with the Broncos under then head coach Gary Kubiak. Osweiler played so well in a stretch that he kept Peyton Manning on the bench and won the key games that gave Denver home field advantage in the playoffs. He’s got a Super Bowl 50 ring and deserves it, even though he was back on the Surface tablet during the playoff run.
Siemian’s turnover problems ended his tenure. Last week against the Chiefs he tossed three picks. With Siemian at quarterback, star wide receiver Demaryius Thomas hasn’t caught a touchdown in 13 consecutive games.
The Broncos still have elite players on defense. What they don’t have is Wade Phillips coordinating the unit and the difference shows. This is still one of the NFL’s best units, but it isn’t what it was. A creative offensive mind can beat it, get players out of position and negate Von Miller’s pass rushing impact. Just look at what Andy Reid did with the Chiefs last week.
Tackle Donald Stephenson is still out. Emmanuel Sanders, Ron Leary and Todd Davis are all questionable, but practiced this week.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (7-1)
The only loss the Eagles have on their schedule was a fourth quarter, one score defeat on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs. It was a game they had a chance to win until the final minutes. If you need any other proof this might just be a Super Bowl team, it won’t come Sunday against the Broncos. For that, we’ll have to see how they match up with the Dallas Cowboys next weekend.
One of the most prolific offenses in the NFL got more dangerous with the addition of running back Jay Ajayi from the Miami Dolphins. How soon with Ajayi play? Adam Gase’s offense is creative enough that he shouldn’t need too much of a learning curve to take the field for the Eagles.
Last week was a down week for Carson Wentz as he only threw for 211 yards and two touchdowns as opposed to the 300-plus, three TD games he’s been having. Yes, I’m being sarcastic. Philadelphia put a 33-10 beat down on the San Francisco 49ers. Wentz was 18 of 32 and did throw a pick. The running game produced a touchdown and gained 112 yards total, with Corey Clement leading the way with 10 carries for 54 yards. LeGarrette Blount had 16 carries for 48 yards and a score.
Defensively, the Eagles sacked C.J. Beathard four times and got nine stops in the backfield. To make matters worse for Denver, Philly’s injury report is empty this week. They’re relatively healthy and all practiced.
The Pick
Are they Eagles the cream of the crop? Maybe. Are they better than Broncos? Significantly. Denver’s defense could make this one interesting for a while and you never know what you’ll get with Osweiler. It’ll be better than Siemian, but that’s not enough for a Philly team primed to make a legit title run. Eagles 31, Broncos 20
This week
Straight up: 0-1
Against the spread: 0-1
Last week
Straight up: 9-4
Against the spread: 8-5
Season
Straight up: 69-50
Against the spread: 58-61
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