The Eagles head into a crucial game against the Bucs knowing that with the rest of the schedule containing some tough fixtures, they simply have to win before an already winding road becomes very rocky. There are some interesting matchups to watch out for on Sunday so we have decided to look at the most important.
Byron Maxwell vs Mike Evans
Maxwell’s performances have been improving every week. From covering Dez Bryant to shutting down Odell Beckham Jr, the former Seahawk looks to have finally found his stride. But just seven days after giving up his most yards since week 3, Maxwell has to face 6″5 wide receiver Mike Evans.
He may only have one touchdown this season, but with 662 yards to his name you cannot underestimate his presence. Swatting passes out of the air and excellent man-to-man coverage will be important here but Maxwell’s main weakness this season has been his inability to tackle or bring guys down. At 6″5 and 231 pounds, Maxwell is going to struggle at preventing some big YAC if he allows catches. This may be one of his toughest tests this season but if he prevails, it will certainly justify the extortionate amount of money spent to sign him.
Jason Kelce vs Gerald McCoy
Jason Kelce told the media after Sunday that he played the worst game of his career so far. If he is to bounce back from that, he has to hold Gerald McCoy back for an entire game. McCoy has 4.5 sacks this season and 19 tackles, making him a terror when rushing the Quarterback.
Sanchez is playing his first full game since 2014, if Kelce stumbles yet again, McCoy will make both Sanchez and Murray’s game a living nightmare. This isn’t only crucial for Kelce to rebound and find his confidence after a season of errors but Sanchez will need all the support he can get from a weak Offensive Line and if they fail to come through as they did against Miami, not only will the run game be stunted..but Sanchez will be put under a lot of unnecessary pressure, and we all know where that road goes..
Jordan Matthews vs Sterling Moore
It looked as though after the Cowboys game that Jordan Matthews would finally bounce back and put in consistent performances much closer to those he enjoyed last year. Instead he suffered the lowest amounts of targets he’s had all season.
But under Mark Sanchez, things may be different. We have entire article dedicated to why the bromance of #Sanchews could be set to flourish one more time but it will be needed. 6 of 8 touchdowns Matthews scored last season came from Sanchez and with Sterling Moore single handedly shutting down Dez Bryant, the cornerback is going to be more than just a problem for Matthews.
Since Moore has been moved into a starting role, the Buccaneers have given up just receiving plays of over 20 yards and none more than 24. Matthews has struggled all season to pick up yards after the catch and needs some help from Sanchez to break that curse against a corner who had four tackles against Dallas.
Bradford seemed reluctant to throw the ball down the field but with an opened up playbook and a new Quarterback that favors Jordan Matthews, this should be a fantastic matchup to watch. It’s do or die at this stage for Jordan Matthews and a big performance here against a formidable and underrated corner could provide the huge spark to support Sanchez that this Offense desperately needs.
