Philly Dilly! Nick Ballistreri shares his Over/Under pick for the Philadelphia Eagles Win Total
After winning their first Super Bowl ever in 2017, the Eagles took a step back last season. The Eagles finished 9-7, secured one of the wild card spots and defeated the Bears in the Wild Card Round before bowing out to the Saints in the Divisional Round. Last season was a weird one for the Eagles. They had franchise QB Carson Wentz healthy to begin the year, only to eventually place on the IR with a 6-7 record. Nick Foles (remember him) then lead the Eagles to 3 straight wins to make the playoffs, and followed it up with a playoff win as well.
With Nick Foles moving on to Jacksonville, the fans calling for a QB controversy will have to go somewhere else. The Eagles have made it clear Wentz is their guy for the present and the future, giving him a 6-year, $154 million contract extension this offseason. The Eagles have bet their future on Wentz, but can he stay healthy enough to make it worth it?
Offense
On paper, the Eagles offense is as good as anyone. They are lead by Carson Wentz, who through 3 seasons, has proven to be an MVP candidate. That being said, Wentz has also proven to be extremely injury prone, ending the last 2 seasons on the IR. When Nick Foles took over 2 years ago for Wentz, the team went on to win the Super Bowl. When Nick Foles took over last season, they went on a playoff run. I’m not saying there’s a trend here, but this may be something to watch this season.
That being said, Wentz is good. In his 11 games last season, Wentz threw for 3,074 yards, 21 Touchdowns, and 7 Interceptions. Those are good numbers. However, the team over the past couple seasons just seemed to click better with Foles at the helm, and there were even reports last season that the locker room wasn’t exactly fond of Wentz. Those reports were later refuted, but usually when there’s smoke, there’s fire. We’ll see how they respond this season.
At running back, the Eagles made moves this offseason. They swung a trade for bruising RB Jordan Howard, and drafted Miles Sanders in the 2nd round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Darren Sproles is still in town as well, so the Eagles have options in the backfield. Look for this to be Howard’s show to start, with Sanders eventually taking over the starting role later in the season.
At receiver, the Eagles also have depth. The team is lead by Alshon Jeffery, a fine receiver coming off a year in which he totaled 843 yards and 6 TDs in 13 games. The team also brought back former star DeSean Jackson. Look for Jackson to open up the field with deep throws often. At slot is Nelson Agholor, who is building a solid role after a disappointing start to his career.
While listed at Tight End, Zach Ertz is the Eagles best receiver, positions aside. Ertz is arguably the best tight end in the game, finishing last season with a ridiculous 116 receptions, 1,163 yards and 8 TDs. Ertz broke the single season record for most receptions from the tight end position…he’s a tough cover. Behind him is promising 2nd year tight end Dallas Goedert, who has proven to be a lethal weapon in the red zone. Put simply, Carson Wentz has weapons everywhere.
You can’t talk about the Eagles offense without mentioning their offensive line. This group is consistently one of the best in the league year in and year out, and this year should be no different. While LT Jason Peters is getting up their in age and mileage, he is still one of the best blindside blockers in football.
Defense
The strength of the Eagles defense is their defensive line. At DT, you have Fletcher Cox, who you could argue is one of the best defensive lineman in the game. The team also added Malik Jackson, who while a disappointment the last couple seasons, has proven to be a great player in this league.
At end, Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett get the job done as well. They consistently rush the passer and put pressure on the opposing lines. At linebacker, the team is also solid. They went out and got LB Zach Brown this offseason, who is a former All-Pro, to add to an already solid group.
In the secondary, the team is lead by longtime safety Malcolm Jenkins. Jenkins is considered one of the best safeties in football for good reason. The question mark for the Eagles defense is at corner. Ronald Darby has had some good seasons, but he struggled last season. In a season where the secondary was ravaged by injuries, the Eagles found a bright spot in corner Avonte Maddox. Maddox was thrown into a role due to the injuries and played admirably a season ago.
Ultimately, the defense will be solid. The team let up 21.75 PPG a season ago, and looks to improve on that number this season.
Eagles Over/Under Pick
Draftkings has set the Eagles O/U at 10. This all hinges on the health of QB Carson Wentz. With the talent on the squad, if Wentz stays healthy, they should easily hit the over. If Wentz falls, their backup is journeyman Josh McCown, who is not striking fear into any defenses.
There are weapons all over the offense, and the offensive line is solid. This team should have no trouble scoring points. On defense there are solid players all around as well.
The big thing for me is Wentz. Can I truly trust him to stay healthy enough for a full 16 game season? He’s rarely proven that he can. That being said, the Eagles must believe he can for a couple reasons. First, they let Nick Foles walk in free agency. Foles is the man who lead them to a Super Bowl victory, which is an indication they trust Wentz. Next, they signed Wentz to a lucrative extension. The team has put all their chips in Carson Wentz’ hands.
This pick scares me. The talent is there, but Wentz could get hurt and ruin everything. However, the division isn’t that good, with only the Cowboys being a threat there. Give me the Over, but just know that if Wentz goes down the under is going to hit. It’s that simple!
Eagles Over 10 -134 @ Draftkings
