Countdown to Kickoff: Eagles vs. Colts

The Eagles will get an opportunity to bounce back from their first loss on Sunday in Indianapolis, a setback that created some cracks on the facade inside and outside of the NovaCare Complex.

Panic set in with much of the fan base after perfection turned to patsy against a limited Washington team on Monday night. Meanwhile, the organization itself played into some of the concerns by quickly bringing in two veteran defensive tackles – Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh – to help a leaky run defense.

A shoulder injury to Dallas Goedert that will cost the star tight end at least four games is the even bigger problem as Philadelphia tries to keep its perch atop the NFL.

5...PLAYERS TO WATCH

Eagles DT Fletcher Cox - He is getting a lion’s share of the blame for what’s going on up front and for the arrival of Suh and Joseph. In reality, Joseph is here to bolster the nose and shade looks in five-man fronts without Jordan Davis available but Suh is here to bolter the three-technique and 4i looks and hopefully make sure Cox doesn’t have to play 70 snaps ever again.

Typically when Cox has been criticized, and this week has been over the top, he’s responded.

Eagles WR DeVonta Smith - With Goedert not available, Smith has to shoulder more of the load when it comes to the passing offense. As the No. 3 option behind A.J. Brown and Goedert, Smith has been a little less consistent than his rookie year and should be able to get in more of a groove with increased targets.

Colts RB Jonathan Taylor - Since 2021, Taylor, a South Jersey native, ranks first in the NFL in scrimmage yards (2,867), rushing yards (2,420), and rushing touchdowns (20). A far more explosive and pedigreed back than the recent hurdles the Eagles have struggled with like rookies Dameon Pierce and Brian Robinson.

Taylor had 10 100-yard rushing games in 2021, the most in the NFL but has been limited to two so far this season, including a 147-yard effort against Las Vegas last week.

Colts QB Matt Ryan - Ryan is a borderline future Hall of Famer that was essentially forced to the bench by owner Jim Irsay. Once Irsay foolishly fired Frank Reich, he allowed hand-picked interim coach Jeff Saturday to do what he liked and the former star offensive lineman quickly went back to Ryan, who gives the Colts the best chance to win every week over the overmatched Sam Ehlinger and former Eagles Super Bowl hero Nick Foles.

Ryan, an Exton, PA native, has started 230 career regular season games in 15 seasons with the Colts (2022) and Falcons (2008-2021) and has compiled 61,965 yards with 377 touchdowns and a 93.9 passer rating.

A former NFL MVP, Ryan isn’t what he once was but can still be dangerous if the Philadelphia defense doesn’t pack its 'A' game.

Colts DT DeForest Buckner - The Indy defense has been stout and it starts up the middle with Buckner and fellow interior lineman Grover Stewart. Both are in the top five when it comes to tackles for NFL DTs and Buckner is also a top-tier inside pass rusher with 5.5 sacks.

4...MATCHUPS TO WATCH

Eagles’ offense vs. Colts’ red-zone defense - The Colts have been stout defensively with Gus Bradley’s vaunted Cover-3 scheme that has evolved over the years. The one area where Indy has struggled a bit, however, comes in the red zone where the No. 4 overall defense is just 21st in the NFL so Philadelphia has to bash in on the opportunities it does get.

Eagles’ run defense vs. Taylor - The panic has set in with the Eagles’ faithful when it comes to stopping the run. Taylor, of course, is coming off a spectacular 1,811-yard rushing season but he and the Indy run offense have struggled for most of the season until a breakout 147-yard performance in Las Vegas last week. Overall, the Colts’ are 28th in the league in rushing at 98.7 yards per game.

Eagles’ coach Nick Sirianni vs. Colts’ owner Jim Irsay - Sirianni, the ex-Indy offensive coordinator, isn’t happy that Irsay fired his mentor Frank Reich and will embrace every opportunity to show up the guy who once signed his checks.

Colts’ coach Jeff Saturday vs. public perception - In a hot-take world, the hiring of Saturday was laughed at by many who believe it was an insult to hire a coaching novice. The former All-Pro center is 1-0 and out to prove the detractors are off base.

3...THINGS TO KNOW

-The Colts' offense ranks tied for third in the NFL in 10-play drives with 22. The Eagles, meanwhile, have been susceptible to allowing those kinds of long drives.

-The Colts defense is No. 4 overall, allowing only 307.0 yards per game, is second in the NFL in opponent three-and-outs (30) and fourth in opponent three-and-out percentage (26.3).

-Eagles’ center Jason Kelce will tie Chuck Bednarik (169, 1949-62) for the most games played by an offensive lineman in Eagles history on Sunday

2...X-FACTORS

For the Eagles: TE Jack Stoll - While fans clamor to see the receiving ability of Grant Calcaterra or Tyree Jackson, it’s Stoll who will get the lion’s share of reps in Goedert’s absence. Sirianni mentioned earlier this week just how much Jalen Hurts trusts Stoll.

For the Colts: S Rodney McLeod - The savvy McLeod spent 2016 through 2021 in Philadelphia and is one of only two active safeties with 10-plus interceptions and 10-plus forced fumbles. He’s taken over as a leader in the Indy secondary just as he was with the Eagles and will be looking to prove Philadelphia made a mistake by moving on.

1...PREDICTIONS

John McMullen (8-1, 3-6 vs. the spread) - It took only 60 minutes of underwhelming football for the extremes of the Philadelphia fanbase to race from underserved entitlement to unbelievable angst to the point some are wondering how the best team in football could possibly beat an abject mess of a franchise in which the maverick owner fired the offensive coordinator and head coach before bringing in a novice to stop the bleeding.

A simple market correction by the Eagles should be expected even with a growing injury list that is a concern for Philadelphia, tight end Dallas Goedert, who is out for at least four games.

In the end, though, if you believe Sirianni is letting Irsay off the hook after the Colts owner did Reich dirty, think again. This is personal for Sirianni.

EAGLES 33, COLTS 17

Ed Kracz (7-2, 5-4 vs. the spread)

The courage of my convictions was lacking last week, when I had a bad feeling that the Eagles would lose to the Commanders, yet chickened out when it came time to make the pick and went with the Eagles by a field goal.

I have a better feeling this time around, especially after the Eagles beefed up the D-line by adding veterans Joseph Linval and Ndamukong Suh to help stop Taylor from running wild.

The bigger concern at this point is the absence of tight end Dallas Goedert, who was placed on IR with a shoulder injury.

Still, interim high school coach Jeff Saturday can't go 2-0, can he?

EAGLES 29, COLTS 20

--John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen

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