3 reasons Eagles wise to start Nick Foles over Carson Wentz in Week 1

3. Eagles’ defense can provide less pressure

Whether it was going to be Foles or Wentz for the opener, Doug Pederson felt confident enough in his defense providing less pressure for either quarterback by coming through with stellar play on their end. Jim Schwartz has done an unbelievable job putting together a solid defense for Philadelphia over the last couple of years, and if opponents thought the unit was scary last year, just wait until they see what 2018 has in store.

Thanks to players like Brandon Graham getting healthy along with key additions in Michael Bennett, the Eagles’ defense could end up hitting a whole new level while trying to defend their Super Bowl title. Keeping a high-powered offense like the Falcons in check with players like Matt Ryan and Julio Jones is never an easy task, but as last January showed for Philadelphia, they have what it takes to stop Atlanta.

Knowing what the defense was capable of most likely played a key factor in Pederson’s decision to start Foles, and make him feel even better about being able to hold off on Wentz in the mean time. An offense can only do so much on their own without the proper support of the defense, so it’s good to see the Eagles are in great shape in this department.