Here's something you don't see every day: The defending Super Bowl champions are 8.5-point underdogs.
And it's pretty likely it won't be nearly enough to cover.
The one thing the sputtering Eagles did not need is to run into the buzzsaw that is Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. But that is the Birds' task after their desultory loss to the Cowboys in prime time last Sunday night.
The Eagles really only have one chance in this game, and to do it, Doug Pederson will have to go out of character.
Run the damn ball, Doug.
The Eagles best chance in this game is to control the ball, and the clock, and most of all keep Brees and the supercharged Saints offense off the field. That will be easier said than done with a banged-up offensive line and patchwork running back crew.
The Saints are average a gaudy 36.7 points per game this season. The most points the Birds have put up this season was a 33-point effort against the lowly Giants.
If they can turn this into a low-scoring, 19-17 kind of slugfest, the Eagles might have a chance.
I don't see that happening.
On defense, if you can't put pressure on Brees, you stand the chance of being exposed by a Hall of Fame quarterback.
One thing that would certainly help would be getting some turnovers, which this team has failed to do all season.
This Eagles team has been off kilter all season. Sure, injuries have played a big part. But there is something else going on here. Maybe it's the exodus of a few key pieces, such as Legarrette Blount. Or two important offensive coaches.
Last year the Eagles rallied around their underdog status, especially after Carson Wentz was lost for the remainder of the year.
They rode that motivation to a Lombardi Trophy.
If they have any thoughts of repeating, late Sunday afternoon in New Orleans would be a good place to start.
As opposed to being embarrassed on national TV for the second straight week.
THE PICK: Make it Saints 37, Eagles 23. The Eagles just don't have the guns - on either side of the ball - to march Drew Brees and the Saints. Maybe they find themselves in the Big Easy. It says here they go down hard again.
LAST WEEK: The only thing worse than an Eagles loss is an Eagles loss to the damn Cowboys. The Birds looked lifeless in a mortifying effort and lost to Dallas, 27-20 Sunday night. The offense was MIA the entire first half. Slow starts are becoming this team's calling card. Carson Wentz rallied the team in the second half, but also had the ball in his hands at the end of the game with a chance to win it - and came up empty. The Birds' defense had one job - stop Ezekiel Elliott. All he did was drop 150 yards on them, as the Birds again forgot how to tackle. The loss dropped the Eagles back under .500 at 4-5. Another loss would put the season in jeopardy. I don't have that worry. This season already has been a disaster for me. I picked the Birds to beat Dallas, and they rewarded me with another loss that dropped my record to an ugly 2-7.
GAME BY GAME: Cowboys 27, Eagles 20 (My Pick: Eagles 29, Cowboys 16)
Eagles, 24, Jaguars 18 (My Pick: Eagles 24, Jaguars 23)
Eagles 18, Falcons 12. (My Pick: Falcons 27, Eagles 13)
Buccaneers 27, Eagles 21 (My Pick: Eagles 23, Buccaneers 13)
Eagles 20, Colts 16 (My Pick: Colts 23, Eagles 17)
Titans 26, Eagles 23 in OT (My Pick: Eagles 26, Titans 13)
Vikings 23, Eagles 21 (My Pick: Eagles 24, Vikings 13)
Eagles 34, Giants 13 (My Pick: Eagles 19, Giants 17)
Panthers 21, Eagles 17 (My Pick: Eagles 26, Panthers 17)
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