October 20, 2023
It's finally Kelly Green week, but the Eagles are heading into it with a lot of concern still very much lingering from last week's loss to the Jets.
They're banged up, have some notable flaws to address, and will be facing a Miami Dolphins offense that can absolutely light you up if you're not careful.
Will the Eagles avoid that prospect and get back on track with a win?
Here are our thoughts and predictions:
TV: NBC (Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth)
RADIO: 94.1 WIP (Merrill Reese, Mike Quick)
| Book | Spread | Money Line | Total (O/U) |
| DraftKings | PHI -2.5 | MIA +114 PHI -135 | 52 |
| FanDuel | PHI -2.5 | MIA +122 PHI -144 | 51.5 |
| BetMGM | PHI -2.5 | MIA +120 PHI -145 | 51.5 |
| UniBet | PHI -2.5 | MIA +120 PHI -143 | 51.5 |
| PointsBet | PHI -2.5 | MIA +125 PHI -150 | 51.5 |
In the wake of the Eagles' alarming Week 6 loss to the Jets, I had it in my head that the Birds are ripe for a loss to the Dolphins, a team with incredible speed at the skill positions, which is especially concerning given the Eagles' injury woes in their secondary.
However, the more I examined the Dolphins' roster, the more it became clear that this is a flawed team. They rank 27th in defensive DVOA, and their biggest weakness at the moment — their offensive line — could be vulnerable against the Eagles' outstanding pass rush. On a lesser note, they're 30th in special teams DVOA.
Certainly the Dolphins' speed at wide receiver and in their backfield is nothing to sneeze at. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle form one of the fastest wide receiver tandems ever, and they have the ability to create game-breaking plays in a flash. Containing those guys — as well as speedy RB Raheem Mostert — will be Sean Desai's most difficult challenge of the season to date, by far.
But ultimately, the Eagles' wide receivers are every bit as capable of inflicting pain on opposing secondaries as the Dolphins', who could be without both of their starting cornerbacks. Beyond the WR-DB mismatches that each team possesses, the Eagles have a better roster, especially in the trenches.
I don't really have faith that the Eagles' banged-up secondary will be able to stop Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Nor do I think the banged-up and makeshift middle of the defense will be able to contain Miami's ridiculous run game.
Maybe the Eagles can get vertical and keep up with the Fins offensively, but this game could come down to turnovers — a battle the Birds haven't won lately.
I think the Eagles lose in a Kelly Green slugfest.
The vibes are just off right now. Injuries are piling up and the offense is stagnant. Miami has so many explosive qualities that are fearsome for any opponent.
A division title is still certainly in sight, but Philadelphia may be in for a (brief) slide.
I guess my pick is heavily dependent on the health of Lane Johnson. He's practicing with his ankle injury as of Thursday, which points to him playing, and hopefully he's effective, because if Jack Driscoll has to fill in for a significant amount of snaps, it's going to be trouble.
I also remain highly concerned about the middle of the field on defense. It's a weak point, and the better the quarterback – and the more weapons he has – the more exploitable it becomes. Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle are just a bad mix for that.
I think Sunday night is going to be a super frustrating one that's ultimately going to be a major wake-up call for the Birds, be it for better or worse.
The Eagles are in a difficult spot this week for some rather obvious reasons, but there’s another issue that troubles me. The Birds are supposed to bounce back from an ugly loss against the Jets - they return home and should look better on offense against an overall worse defense. While that’s true, and from a trend standpoint the Eagles are in a terrific place to win this game by a bunch, the type of matchup the Dolphins present currently concerns me more than my optimism.
Jalen Hurts and the offense blew another opportunity to run the ball, almost forcing passes against a banged-up Jets secondary. While New York is far better against the run than the pass, the Eagles called plays like it was a forgone conclusion they couldn’t run. The Dolphins are a lesser opponent but will the Eagles take advantage of what’s in front of them? They didn’t last week, they didn’t even try.
There’s also Miami's offensive firepower - mainly Tyreek Hill - that concerns me. The Birds thrive on forcing the opposing QB to make bad decisions, mainly through immense pressure. While they sacked Zach Wilson five times, their secondary was still exposed. Coaching and execution in the secondary are massive concerns on defense. The Eagles - for whatever reason - seem to be insistent that their two new coordinators, especially on offense, are doing it all by themselves. Sean Desai seems to be dealing with the same issues that Jonathan Gannon did, being bailed out by the pressure up front.
The offense has sputtered in back-to-back second halves, a far cry from the genius we saw from Nick Sirianni and Hurts last year. Miami has the better QB right now, better coach, and the better overall offense. That might change next week but it’s the reality right now.
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