Philadelphia Eagles: Three keys to a Week 11 win over New Orleans Saints

Get off to a quick start

One of the biggest differences between last year’s Eagles team and this year’s team is how they start games. This season, the Eagles have scored only 21 first-quarter points, which ranks in the bottom of the NFL. Last year, it almost felt like a guarantee that the Eagles would put points up on their first drive.

There can be a lot of reasons for their lack of success early in games, but one of them has just been their inability to sustain drives. It is hard in this league to methodically march down the field on 12-13 play drives without being stopped. You need big plays to get downfield and score points.

That is where the Eagles have struggled this year, in the big play department, especially early in games. Not being able to run the ball consistently has added to that problem, and when you put it all together, it adds up to the Eagles’ slow starts in games.

On Sunday, if the Eagles want any chance, they need to come out fast. If they fall behind early, then they will have next to no chance of winning this game. The Saints have tons of firepower and will strike early and often. It is up to the Eagles to keep up.

Doug Pederson and Carson Wentz took a lot of heat for their slow starts and the team’s inability to execute on “scripted plays,” something they were so good at last year. On Sunday, if they want any chance, that has to change.