Eagles-Titans participant matchups to look at in Week 13

The Eagles (10-1) will host the Tennessee Titans (7-4) on Sunday afternoon on the Linc.

Listed below are some key matchups to look at:

Derrick Henry vs. Eagles run protection

Final week, Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon walked as much as the microphone in entrance of the NovaCare Auditorium already speaking about Aaron Rodgers. Derrick Henry received comparable remedy this week.

As Gannon walked away from his press convention, he let loose a “King Henry!”

So, yeah, we all know who the defensive coordinator is considering this week.

“I’ve performed in opposition to this man a number of occasions being in that division for 3 years with him, and he is a tall order,” Gannon mentioned. “He is one the premier gamers on the planet at his place, so now we have our problem minimize out for us.”

Henry, 28, is having one other unbelievable season. He leads the NFL in dashing makes an attempt once more with 247 and already has 1,048 yards. He’s averaging 95.3 per sport after averaging over 100.0 per sport in every of his final three seasons. And at 6-3, 247 kilos, everybody is aware of how laborious he’s to deliver down. Positive, Henry’s common is all the way down to 4.2 yards per carry this season however he will get a ton of carries.

This season, Henry has damaged 25 tackles to steer the NFL. To place that into perspective, Miles Sanders, who’s working more durable than he’s ever run in his profession, has 9.

Perhaps the Eagles are seeing Henry and the Titans on the proper time? Over the past three weeks, in opposition to the Broncos, Packers and Bengals, Henry is averaging simply 2.78 yards per carry and hasn’t gone over 100 yards after 5 straight 100+ yard video games.

 

However everyone knows the Eagles have had their struggles stuffing the run this season. They’re 18th in dashing yards allowed however twenty third in yards per try at 4.7.

Getting massive Jordan Davis again for this sport could be a giant increase as a result of the Eagles appear to have the ability to cease the run just about solely once they’re of their 5-man entrance. Having Davis and Linval Joseph to rotate because the nostril deal with spot would go a great distance. Davis is eligible to return from IR this week after lacking 4 video games with a excessive ankle sprain and he has been practising.

One other word on the Titans’ run sport: As you’d anticipate, Ryan Tannehill is excellent utilizing play motion. His passer ranking on play motion ranks fourth within the NFL.

Eagles run sport vs. Titans run protection

Pretty much as good because the Titans are at working the soccer with Henry, they’re even higher at stopping the run. They’re third within the league in yards allowed (930) and are second in yards per try at 3.9.

This can be a actually enjoyable matchup between the strengths of those two groups. The Eagles had 363 dashing yards final week in opposition to the Packers and the Titans haven’t given up greater than 108 since Week 1.

In reality, the Eagles had extra dashing yards in opposition to the Packers (363) than the Titans have given up of their final 5 video games mixed (349).

The Titans have been recognized for his or her toughness below head coach Mike Vrabel and that actually exhibits up with their run protection.

“They’re actually good coaches and also you all the time knew — once we play them twice a yr, we all the time knew that staff was going to be very well coached, actually disciplined, actually bodily, proper?,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni mentioned.

“These have been three knowns that you just knew going into each one. So that you wanted to be bodily and also you wanted to be disciplined and also you wanted to be — your job element needed to be very crisp and we needed to do an excellent job placing the fellows in place and ensuring the element was proper.”

Eagles iOL vs. Jeffery Simmons

The Titans have some actually good gamers on their line of defense. You possibly can’t neglect about Bud Dupree or Denico Autry or Teair Tart, however the star of the present is Simmons.

The 25-year-old former first-round pick of Mississippi State is true now within the prime of his profession and is taking part in at an All-Professional degree for the Titans. After an 8 1/2 sack season in 2021, Simmons is already at 6 1/2 in 10 video games this season and is properly on his technique to one other Professional Bowl nod.

Simmons is ranked because the fifth-best inside defensive lineman within the NFL by ProFootballFocus. The one guys forward of him are Chris Jones, Dexter Lawrence, Aaron Donald and Quininen Williams. For comparability’s sake, Eagles DT Javon Hargrave is available in at No. 12.

 

It’s essential to notice that Simmons performs on each side of the middle so your complete Eagles iOL must be prepared for him on Sunday. Preserve that in thoughts with Landon Dickerson, who has been coping with some accidents this season and was compelled out of the Packers sport for 4 snaps.

Simmons (ankle) and Autry (knee) missed two days of observe to start out the week and that’s value monitoring. Autry harm his knee a pair weeks in the past and missed final week’s sport in opposition to the Bengals. Simmons has been coping with this ankle harm for some time now so even when he performs, he is perhaps restricted. That’s a giant deal.

Dennis Daley vs. Josh Sweat

Earlier this season, the Titans misplaced three-time Professional Bowl left deal with Taylor Lewan to a season-ending harm so the left deal with spot is one the Eagles ought to have the ability to exploit. Daley took over because the starter in Week 3 and has performed each snap defending Ryan Tannehill’s blindside however with shaky outcomes.

In accordance with PFF, Daley ranks because the No. 72 deal with within the NFL out of 76 certified gamers. Daley has given up 32 whole pressures and 6 sacks this season. And Daley has been equally as shaky within the run sport.

Sweat is usually the starter on the proper edge spot for the Eagles’ protection, which suggests he sees left tackles each week. That may be a troublesome job. However in the previous couple of weeks, Sweat has been making some performs. Within the final three video games, Sweat has 2 sacks, 3 QB hits, 2 TFLs and 9 tackles.

An essential word for the Titans: Middle Ben Jones is anticipated to return on this sport, which is a lift for Tennessee.

Jalen Hurts vs. Titans cross protection

Jalen Hurts had a masterful sport in opposition to the Packers in Week 12 however the spotlight was clearly his 157 yards on the bottom. This week, he’s going through a Titans’ cross protection that ranks thirty first within the NFL in passing yards. They’ve given up practically 3,000 already this season.

The Titans have some good gamers of their secondary however are younger on the cornerback spots:

CB Kristian Fulton: 24 years previous, third NFL season, 24 begins

CB Roger McCreary: 22 years previous, 1st NFL season, 11 begins

NCB: Elijah Molden: 23 years previous, 2nd NFL season, 8 begins

The Eagles really feel like they’ve a bonus with their wideouts nearly each week however this one feels legit. If Hurts has sufficient time within the pocket, he may have the ability to throw slightly bit to his savvy receivers in opposition to the Titans. McCreary (5-11, 190) isn’t very massive so it wouldn’t be a foul thought to attempt to goal him when he’s matched up in opposition to A.J. Brown, who will play his former staff for the primary time.

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