New Orleans Saints: 4 Mistakes to avoid against Eagles

The New Orleans Saints have a slight advantage since they’re playing the Philadelphia Eagles. To win again, the Saints must avoid these 4 key mistakes.

Since securing the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the 2019 NFL Playoffs, the New Orleans Saints have had it pretty easy. They had a week off and a significant amount of time to prepare for this week’s matchup. While many assumed the team would be facing off against the Cowboys, they’re going to be taking on the Philadelphia Eagles again at home.

A lot of hype is being made about this for the Eagles. It’s their final chance to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke. Similar to last year, the team is being led by Nick Foles instead of Carson Wentz. Wentz suffered another season-ending injury but Foles came in and led the team to another playoff run.

Foles even cited the Saints game in a recent press conference. Foles explained (via NFL.com):

"“That game has helped us become the team we are today.”"

For the Eagles, it’s their chance for revenge. It’s also a chance for the Eagles to prove that Foles is their guy and could become the starter if Wentz continues to struggle with injury.

Keeping with the news trend, a report came out about the Saints. To get the team motivated, coach Sean Payton had the Lombardi Trophy brought into the locker room along with over 200,000 dollars cash. For Payton, it was a way to get his team motivated and pumped up to head to the Super Bowl along with getting a bonus.

There’s a lot of excitement around this game and it hasn’t even happened yet. Either way, it does feel like it’s the Saints time. The Saints beat the Eagles in their last meeting and that’s a huge advantage for them. In honor of their last win, let’s look at 4 key mistakes the Saints can’t afford to make.

Starting with the defense, the Saints cannot let Nick Foles have time to throw. Looking back at last week, Foles threw a touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal to secure their win. If the Bears had kept pressure on him, that might never have happened.

The Saints need to rely on guys like Cameron Jordan and Sheldon Rankins to get in Foles’ face, cause him to make those risky throws and generate turnovers. Last week against the Bears, Foles threw two interceptions. Even though the team still won, it wasn’t without error. Getting pressure on Foles is a must.

The second mistake the defense can’t allow is for the Eagles to get their run game going. In their last meeting, the Eagles only scored once via Josh Adams. Even though they held him to 53 rushing yards, he found his way to the end zone.

The Bears were able to stifle them on the ground, which left no option but for Foles to throw and they took advantage. Once again, they’re going to need to rely on the big guys up front to make those key stops. The Saints also have to make sure that Marshon Lattimore and Eli Apple are keeping up with their receivers, too.

Moving to the offensive side of the ball, a major mistake the Saints must avoid is not scoring first. While playing from behind is a Brees special, that’s just not going to work in the playoffs. The Saints need to strike first as their playmakers have to be ready to ball out against the Eagles.

The last mistake the Saints must avoid is turnovers. In particular, this applies to Drew Brees. In the latter half of the season, Brees began throwing interceptions and it was tough to watch. He remained interception-free against the Steelers, so that’s a good sign. No matter, Brees has to be smart and keep his eyes all over the field as not to wreck their momentum. One interception by Brees could seal the game for them and they’ll be the ones on the couch in February.

If the Saints play as they did in Week 11, then they’ll take care of the Eagles. Yes, they’re a little bit different at this point, but so are the Saints. Despite a few struggles, the New Orleans Saints are still one of the strongest teams in the NFC. As long as they can avoid costly mistakes, then they’ll stamp their ticket the NFC Championship Game and, possibly, the Super Bowl.