Tampa Bay entered their Week 14 contest against the Eagles
with 18 sacks, the third-lowest total in the NFL. By the time 60 minutes had
passed, they had hauled Nick Foles to the turf six times, all on four-man
rushes.
That Philly’s offensive line has sieve-like properties is no
new discovery, but if the Bucs can be that disruptive, just imagine the devastation
the Bengals could unleash on Thursday night. Cincinnati leads the league in
sacks with 42.
Those who wish to see how Foles performs against stiffer
competition than Tampa’s 32nd-ranked passing defense will have that opportunity
only four days removed from his leading the Birds to a 23-21 victory in the
game’s final two seconds. In terms of yards allowed, the Bengals are 10th versus
the pass, 11th versus the run, and 7th overall.
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But where the rookie quarterback will really be put to the
test is in the pocket, which he navigated so well on Sunday despite the
constant pressure.
Cincinnati boasts the top interior pass rusher in pro
football this year in defensive tackle Geno Atkins. A fourth-round pick out of
Georgia in his third season, Atkins has already crossed the double-digit sack
threshold for the first time in his career with 10.5 (6th),
improving on last year’s total of 7.5. This guy is a star.
Dallas Reynolds and Jake Scott will have their hands full
with that match-up, and it could make life difficult for Foles. He was usually
able to climb the pocket against the Bucs, but we expect there is going to be a
lot of push coming from up the middle this time.
The Bengals front four can also bring pressure off of the
edge, specifically from defensive end Michael Johnson, a fourth-year player
from Georgia Tech who himself has reached the quarterback 8.5 times – another personal
best. However, Johnson is listed as questionable, so perhaps the Birds will get a slight reprieve.
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Neither of these sack artists was here when the Eagles played
Cincinnati to a 13-13 tie back in 2008.
As if that weren’t enough, defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer
likes to dial up additional pressure via the blitz, which has been successful. Apart
from the defensive line, an additional seven players have recorded sacks for
the Bengals this season, accounting for 19% of the club’s sacks.
How the Eagles handle those extra rushers remains to be
seen. The offense will be without Brent Celek, who would normally help in pass
protection, leaving one healthy tight end on the roster in Clay Harbor. Harbor
was one of the unsung heroes in Tampa Bay, catching five balls including a
touchdown during the fourth-quarter comeback, but we won’t be seeing much of
the two-tight end formations the Birds like to run you wouldn’t think.
All of which spells we might be seeing a more dialed-back
approach from Foles tonight. Chances are he’s not going to hang 380 on these
guys, but how he composes himself against a quality opponent could give us a better
idea of how far along he is in his development.
Given the circumstances, most would probably be pleased if
he simply continued to keep turnovers to a minimum – Cincinnati is 14th in
takeaways, while Foles has not committed a turnover in any of the last three games – and gives the Eagles a shot to win the game.
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