Both the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles are desperately seeking a win when they meet on Monday Night Football in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Eagles vs. Saints 2012 game preview: Philadelphia desperately seeks to turn tide in Big Easy
Michael Vick and the Eagles look to snap their three-game losing skid while the Saints try to lock up their third win.
Philadelphia comes in at 3-4 after dropping three straight contests to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons. On the other side, the Saints are just trying to get their feet under them with their new interim coach, Joe Vitt, at the helm.
Meet the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans comes into this game desperately looking to hold on to any hope of making the playoffs in the crowded NFC. Things were looking up for the Saints, before being hammered on national television by Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.
Now at 2-5, Drew Brees has to rally the troops and come up with a big win on Monday night. He'll have to do it without the dynamic Darren Sproles, who's out with a hand injury. At 3-5, New Orleans still has a chance if it can get its act together.
The biggest problem has been the defense (no surprise there), which ranks 30th against the pass and 31st against the run. When your defense is that pathetic, it’s tough to win football games.
Meet the Philadelphia Eagles
No team has come under more scrutiny in recent weeks than the Eagles. Each week, it seems the Michael Vick saga becomes more interesting. When will Andy Reid finally sit him? The answer is probably never, unless Vick just implodes.
If Reid sits Vick and Nick Foles can't immediately deliver, Reid is a goner. No coach in his right mind would ever put himself in that position, so Philadelphia is going to ride this season out with Vick and hope for the best. In all likelihood, this year will be the last with this group, as Vick will almost certainly be cut and Reid could be shown the door.
Local Takes: New Orleans Saints
Dave Cariello from Canal Street Chronicles says this about Darren Sproles’ injury:
The team wouldn’t say which hand was injured but did confirm that Sproles had to have surgery. There is no timetable for his expected return.
Local Takes: Philadelphia Eagles
Eliot Shorr-Parks from Bleeding Green Nation says this about how the fans feel in Philadelphia:
The fact is, an Eagles game is no longer a fun time. It’s not fun for the family. It’s frustrating for the fans. It is an experience that, more times than not, you leave from upset. You can’t say that about any of the other franchises in this city, even if they are not as good.
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Prediction
The Saints have a lousy defense, but the Eagles will likely bail them out by turning the ball over multiple times. Both teams need the victory, but New Orleans has a couple of factors working in its favor. The Saints are at home and frankly, Philadelphia has the look of a team in total chaos.
Andy Reid’s job is slipping away, and he isn’t helped by a bunch of players who lack any fire whatsoever. Even though the Eagles have a better record than New Orleans, they look ready to do a complete nosedive into oblivion.
If the Saints get extra possessions, they were dismantle a Philadelphia secondary that while highly touted, stinks against elite competition. Defensively, New Orleans’ front will get a nice jump on the snap thanks the the crowd noise, which will prove to be a major factor against the Eagles’ injured line.
The pick: 41-17 Saints
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