NFL Week 4 Keys to an Eagles Victory at Los Angeles

The Eagles needed a near-miracle 61-yard field goal as time ran out to get past the New York Giants last week, but a win is a win in the NFL. One of the main reasons why this game remained so close was Philadelphia’s inability to put constant pressure on Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning. He sliced up the defensive secondary for 366 yards and three touchdown throws including two to Odell Beckham Jr.

This week out on the West Coast, the Eagles face a Chargers’ team that also knows how to move the ball through the air behind veteran quarterback Philip Rivers. He has already thrown for 760 yards and four touchdowns in his first three games. It becomes rather obvious that Philly’s front four will have their work cut out for them this Sunday afternoon if they want to avoid another rough outing against the pass.

Often times, there are one or two key factors in each of the three phases of the game that will have a major impact on the actual outcome. Below are this week’s three keys for the Birds getting out of Los Angeles with a big W against the Bolts.

Offense

I might be getting a bit redundant with this painfully obvious key, but the Eagles need to find a way to establish their run game right out of the gate. The offense is actually ranked eighth in the NFL in rushing yards per game with 119.3 yards per game, but that stat is a bit deceiving when you go back and watch the first quarter of Philadelphia’s first three games. The run game did pile up 193 yards on the ground against the Giants last week, but it took some time to get things rolling. Darren Sproles is done for the season, so it will be up to Wendell Smallwood and LeGarrette Blount to pick up the slack from the initial running play in the Eagles' first offensive possession of this Sunday’s game.

Defense

Along with pressure on Rivers as an obvious key, this Sunday’s game could come down to the Eagles' ability to contain wide receiver Keenan Allen. He has been targeted 28 times in three games and his 19 receptions have added up to 196 yards. Travis Benjamin and Tyrell Williams have also been a big part of the mix with a combined 20 receptions for 282 yards. By bottling up the Chargers’ top outlets in the passing game, Rivers is likely to put a few balls up for grabs considering that he has also thrown four interceptions this season.

Special Teams

After showing some tremendous leg strength in his 61-yard game-winning boot last week, rookie kicker Jake Elliott adds a whole new dimension to the Eagles’ ability to put points on the board. Head coach Doug Pederson has developed a bad habit of going for it on fourth down in very low percentage conversion situations. Maybe now, he will turn to Elliott when a drive stalls inside his impressive field goal range.