Playoff (In)experience

The Eagles are clear underdogs headed into New Orleans this weekend.  The early lines range from -4.5 to -6 for the Saints, but my guess is that settles more towards the high side by the end of the week.

The Eagles have been playing some good football recently, but the Saints have clearly been the better team this season.  I know they had a bad loss to the Redskins in December, but that was a clear letdown game in between blowouts of the Cowboys and the Giants.  Given the likely environment the Eagles will face in the Superdome, it's going to be one heck of a struggle.

But there is one factor that plays to the Eagles' favor.  I noticed, and I'm sure most everyone else did too, that the Eagles came out a little too pumped for yesterday's game with the Giants.  Garcia took a series or two to stop bouncing off the walls, while everyone else just looked a little bit jittery until they started to get into the flow.

Because the Eagles have spent so much time in the playoffs the last few seasons, I was surprised when the Inquirer pointed out that about half the team's starters had no playoff experience (which shows just how much Reid has rebuilt this roster over the past couple seasons, as well).  I was not surprised, however, by this:

"When the Eagles (10-6) host the New York Giants (8-8) ... 10 of their 22 starters will be making their first postseason appearance.

That is a high number for a team that has qualified for the playoffs in six of the last seven seasons.

And it's the second-highest number among the six NFC teams. Only New Orleans, which hasn't qualified for the postseason since 2000, has more first-timers. Among the Saints starters listed on their depth chart, 13 have not played in a playoff game."

I'd be willing to bet, as well, that the playoff experience for the nine "veterans" on the Saints' squad is a lot less recent than it was for the Philly guys.  And therein might be an opening for our team.

If the Eagles came out hyperventilating a bit last game, imagine how the Saints are going to be on Saturday.  This is a whole new experience for a great many of them, and they're going to be playing with a HUGE weight of national expectations.  "America's Team 2.0" will have all kinds of pressure on them, while our plucky Eagles are going to be playing with house money by that point.

What that means is that the Eagles may have an opportunity to jump on the Saints early while they still have an advantage and ride that wave to an upset win.  I'm not saying that's going to happen -- particularly given the Eagles' history as a bunch of slow starters -- but it's one possible scenario that will allow us to pull off a win.

Now we just need 10 more.

Comments

[Rob Ferrara]

Yeah, it's going to be a fight. Should be fun.

[Tom G]

I'm going to be in San Juan, Puerto Rico... Think I can find it anywhere?

[Emily]

Tom G: If you poke in and out of the hotels in Condado or Isla Verde, one of them will be bound to have a bar with a TV. The Radisson in Condado has a sports bar, according to its Web site. Also, if the place you're staying has cable, you'll get the game with no problem. Go Eagles!