New Orleans Saints (1-3 SU, 2-2 ATS) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (1-3 SU, 1-3 ATS)
Week 5 NFL
Date/Time: Sunday, October 11, 2015 at 1PM EST
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
TV: Fox
By Loot, NFL Football Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Betting Odds: NO +5/PHIL -5
Over/Under Total: 49.5
The New Orleans Saints come to Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday to face the Philadelphia Eagles. Not many would have predicted that these teams would enter this game with a combined record of 2-6, but that's par for the course in a young NFL season where a lot of things haven't made the most sense. On Sunday, Philadelphia lost a tough one to the Redskins, 23-20. New Orleans, meanwhile, scored their first win of the season on Sunday night, with an overtime 26-20 win over the Cowboys.
It hasn't gone well for the Saints, needing to overcome a late Dallas touchdown and a missed 30-yard FG with no time left to win in overtime in the second play of the period. Drew Brees, whose return to the fold gave the Saints a big boost, connected with CJ Spiller on an 80-yard catch-and-run. For them to have fallen to 0-4 in such gut-wrenching fashion would have been a lot to overcome. The Saints can now move forward with a modicum of hope.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, looks to be in big trouble. It just hasn't worked out this season so far, with Chip Kelly's masterpiece turning into a nightmare. They came back from a 13-0 deficit against the Redskins on the road on Sunday to take a late 20-16 lead. With less than 30 seconds left, The Redskins finished off a touchdown drive to seal the win. The Eagles are now 1-3 and they could be 3-1. They should be. Or at least 2-2. Against both Atlanta and Washington, they were surging in the end and looked to be taking over, without actually winning either game. An optimist could point out that they could be 3-1. A realist would say they are 1-3 and have shown almost zero clutch this whole season whatsoever.
The problems with the Eagles are less about issues in individual areas, though some phases of this team have looked bad. It just seems like there were too many changes made to this team, without a premium being placed on chemistry. A lot of these players are very good, but when brought together, it just doesn't come off right for whatever reason. It's like how the best rock and roll bands aren't necessarily the best musicians, but guys who just play together well.
They have a lot of problems. Twice this season, the offense has briefly looked like something resembling what Chip Kelly had in mind when constructing this unit. But the optimism as to the long-term viability of their offensive line was not well-placed. With little depth, some injuries already have them scrambling to fill voids. They got rid of both starting guards from last season, and only center Jason Kelce and guard Allen Barbre have avoided the injury bug. Big-money free agent signing DeMarco Murray has 47 yards on 29 carries and is already complaining about not getting the ball enough. WR Jordan Matthews is a good receiver, but dicey as a number-one choice, with his mistakes having cost the team big so far in 2015. Suffice to say, they have a lot of outstanding issues.
New Orleans has their fair share of issues, as well, but winning their first game of the season should help lend some positivity to a team that hasn't had much this season. Losing to the Cardinals in week one was not a cause for alarm, but a home loss to Tampa in week two certainly was. Without Brees, they were moderately competitive against the Panthers in week 3, but on Sunday night, they finally got a win, albeit against a Romo-less Cowboys at home in a game they easily could have lost. When you're 0-3. it's not a time to be picky about winning a game. They got the win and that's what counts. And the play with Brees connecting to Spiller on an 80-yard was in fact electrifying and could get this New Orleans bunch pointed in the right direction.
Brees was big on Sunday, completing an impressive 33 of 41 balls for 359 yards and two touchdowns. The offense got a big boost from Mark Ingram's 77 yards on the ground and his 6 receptions. Rookie Willie Stead is stepping up and had a big game. Still, the offense has not shined thus far in 2015. They are consistently putting up about 20 points a game, not nearly good enough with a defense that can alternate between being OK and downright bad.
The fact is that even with Brees, they weren't looking all that great. So he won a game on Sunday night at home against a Cowboys team that really isn't the same without Romo and Bryant at the helm. That doesn't signal a revival. They are facing a tough road spot this week, despite Philly's early woes. This will give us a better idea of where the Saints stand heading into the meaty part of the season.
Early results in 2015 have these teams both looking like they were overrated coming into the season. The Saints are perceived as being a good team, despite needing week 4 to win their first game, with two of their last three seasons ending at 7-9. The roster changes that looked great on paper haven't resonated. And it's like people keep expecting the Eagles to snap out if it and maybe they will, but this could be who they are. There have been no indications based on this season's results that would justify them being a 5-point favorite. I'm taking New Orleans.
Loot's Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I'm betting on the New Orleans Saints plus 5 points.
