Eagles vs. Saints Gameday Thread: Week 3

After a thrilling Week 1 victory over the Green Bay Packers in Brazil and a disappointing loss in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons, the Philadelphia Eagles are now 1-1 as they head to New Orleans to take on the explosive Saints in Week 3. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.

Initially, the Eagles listed only two players, A.J. Brown and Johnny Wilson, on their injury report. However, they later added S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to the list, although he will still be active. With Brown unavailable for the second consecutive week, the Eagles will likely put a heavy emphasis on their running game. The Saints, on the other hand, have a significant number of players listed as inactive, including the versatile Taysom Hill. The Eagles’ and Saints’ inactives can be found here.

As we highlighted in our preview of the top matchups to watch, the Eagles will need to step up their game to contain the high-flying Saints offense, which has been dominant against its first two opponents. The Saints’ offense boasts a solid combination of agility with Alvin Kamara and power with Jamaal Williams and Taysom Hill in the running game. In the passing game, Derek Carr has been impressive in a new offensive system led by Klint Kubiak, targeting receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. The Eagles’ defense, however, has struggled in the first two weeks, resembling their disappointing performance to end the 2023 season.

On the offensive side for the Eagles, Jalen Hurts will need to elevate his game, especially with Brown sidelined. Along with focusing on the running game, Hurts will look to connect with DeVonta Smith and potentially involve Dallas Goedert more prominently.

Heading into this matchup, the Eagles are considered 2.5-point underdogs. Check out our staff picks for the game and find my Week 3 NFL picks for the gamblers out there.

Join the discussion about the game in the comments section below.