After a shocking, blowout win last Sunday, the Denver Broncos take on the struggling Philadelphia Eagles this weekend ahead of the bye.
The Broncos (5-4) surprised everyone in Week 9 when they dominated the Dallas Cowboys. It was their highest offense score of the season with 30 points. Denver has won back-to-back games while the Eagles are 1-3 in their last four games.
Now, Denver goes into Sunday’s game as 2.5-point favorites. Here’s what the Broncos can expect to face from the Eagles (3-6) in Week 10.
Eagles on Offense
The Eagles go into the game as the 17th-ranked overall offense against a sixth overall Broncos’ defense.
Jalen Hurts has been phenomenal with his feet this season, but very underwhelming with his pass game. The Eagles are near the very bottom of the league at 28th in passing, with Hurts throwing only 11 touchdowns with eight interceptions. Not a single player on the team has more than two touchdowns this season. Meanwhile, the Broncos are currently 8th on the defensive side.
Former Alabama teammates and rookies cornerback Patrick Surtain and wide receiver Devonta Smith will face off against each other. Smith has been the Eagles’ leading receiver this season while Surtain has impressed nearly every week.
If Denver can shut down Hurts’ arm, he’ll be forced to rely on the run entirely.
However, Hurts is tied for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback at five. Overall, the Eagles have been most successful in that department and are tied as the sixth-best rushing team. The Broncos defense has been mainly successful against the ground attack thus far as they rank eighth.
With Miles Sanders being put on injured reserve, Jordan Howard and Boston Scott have seen an increase in their playing time. Both have shown flashes of greatness but face a tough defense that put them up to the test.
Eagles on Defense
While the Broncos and the Eagles have mostly evenly matched numbers offensively, Denver has the far superior defense. The Eagles’ defense comes in ranked 15th, while the Broncos’ offense comes in at 18th.
Denver will have an offensive line made primarily of backups. Calvin Anderson and Quinn Meinerz will get the starts at right tackle and right guard respectively. Dalton Risner and Garett Bolles have been held out of practice this week and will most likely be out.
This could spell trouble for the Broncos as defensive tackle Javon Hargrave has six sacks on the season. However, after the stellar performance last week, Denver will most likely focus on their rushing attack. The Broncos’ rush offense is the 13th best in the NFL, while the Eagles’ rush defense is the 20th best.
Of note, Philadelphia’s secondary has been weak this season. The 12th-ranked pass defense will be up against the 19th-best pass offense of the Broncos. Teddy Bridgewater should be able to march down the field with check-downs and the occasional long ball. As long as he protects and doesn’t turn over the ball, Bridgewater should have a very successful day, especially now that Jerry Jeudy has returned. Expect at least one deep ball touchdown.
Score Prediction: Broncos 24, Eagles 13