The Philadelphia Eagles key to Victory the Running Game?
By Jon Dove
The Philadelphia Eagles may need everything to break right in order to pull off a win versus the Atlanta Falcons.
This weekend’s matchup featuring the Philadelphia Eagles vs. the Atlanta Falcons looks a lot different knowing Carson Wentz is out of action. Philadelphia’s Super Bowl hopes took a major hit when Wentz was lost for the season.
However, the situation isn’t hopeless as the Eagles still have plenty of talent on the roster. Many will point to Nick Foles as the key to the game, but I would argue it’s the Eagles running attack that could play a bigger role.
The Eagles have four running backs who have made major contributions at some point in the year. LeGarrette Blount is the team’s leading rusher, but Jay Ajayi is the most talented. He has added more of a big-play element since being traded from the Miami Dolphins.
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Philadelphia also finds a way to work in Corey Clement and Wendell Smallwood into the action. However, this week could be where Ajayi gets a majority of the workload and sets the tone.
Ajayi will be facing a strong Falcons defense that finished the year allowing 104 yards per game. This was good enough to have them ranked as the No. 9 rush defense in the league. They were able to hold the high powered New Orleans Saints rushing attack to only 86 rushing yards a few weeks ago.
However, it will be important for the Eagles to establish a running attack in order to take some pressure off of Foles. A strong running game will also help keep Atlanta’s offense off the field.
It will be interesting to see how Doug Pederson and his coaching staff want to attack this game. They could very well do the opposite and make Foles the focal point of the office. However, it seems like getting their talented backfield involved makes the most sense.