Falcons' chances will ride on Redman's right arm.


Matt Ryan is out, Chris Redman is in. Michael Turner is beat up and might not play, Jerious Norwood, his backup, is less than 100 percent, and this is a team that just barely pulled off a win against the one-win Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

So why isn't there a fan in the city of Philadelphia who feels like this will be the easy game that it should be on the surface?

It could be because that Redman has won and played well in the past, Turner -- even at only 50 percent -- is still a very good running back, Norwood is explosive and that defense can be extremely surprising in the big plays it's able to make as a unit.

The Eagles should win this game, and the fans will expect nothing less. So let's take a look at what the Eagles will have to do to make that happen.



Control the Falcons Ground Game -- Make Redman Beat Them

It's easier said than done, but the Eagles defense must be able to contain the running game and the duo of Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood. This will hinge on the play of the two big men in the middle, Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley, and the three linebackers, whomever that may be.

Akeem Jordan went through practice and ran with the scout-team defense, so his availability is still up in the air, but there's optimism to be found. If he plays, Will Witherspoon will most likely move back to the middle and Chris Gocong will stay at SAM.

Regardless of who's playing, the linebackers will have to do a much better job of flowing sideline to sideline and making plays at or behind the line of scrimmage. It seems like every week the linebackers are just a step too slow, turning a play that should have gained, at most, two yards into a five or six yard gain.

Patterson and Bunkley will have to get a push up the field to take the pressure off the linebackers, and the ends will have to prevent getting hooked by the offensive tackles. If everyone can keep their contain and the Eagles can get a good day out of Patterson and Bunkley, the Eagles defense should be able to contain the Falcons' explosive running game.

Once that happens, defensive coordinator Sean McDermott can dial up the blitz, rattle Redman, and put the game in the hands of the Eagles offense.



Establish a Running Game Early

This seems like a key to the game every week, but that could be because it is. Reid needs to establish a running game for this offense to open it up for this suddenly thin receiving core. This offense can't always rely on the big play, and now with DeSean Jackson most likely out Sunday, it becomes even more important to control the time of possession battle.

LeSean McCoy, Leonard Weaver, and Eldra Buckley all need to see carries. If they pound this Falcons defense by running the ball, it will open up big passing lanes for McNabb to hit Jeremy Maclin and Jason Avant for a few big plays that could wind up being the difference.

This game will certainly not be a shootout, so controlling the clock and running the football becomes paramount.



Don't Blow the Game on Special Teams

This seems rather obvious, but the Eagles have done it before. Now this week without Jackson returning punts, the duty goes to Maclin. Maclin has been incredibly unimpressive on special teams this season whether it's returning punts or kicks. He seems afraid of getting hit and likes to watch the coverage unit, which could result in a muffed punt.

If Maclin gives the ball up on a punt return, it could give the Falcons cheap points and some immense momentum that the Eagles may not be able to reverse.

On top of that, Sav Rocca is going to need to punt the ball much, much better than what he has over the past several weeks. It seems like all year his punts are not going very far, and when they do they're not anywhere near the spot he wanted them to hit.

What happened to the Rocca we had his first year over here? The first season he was in Philly he was booting the ball 65 yards on a consistent basis and his pooch-punts were unreal. It was almost a guarantee that if Rocca was punting from as far back as midfield that the return man would have no choice but to watch it roll to about the two-yard line before being touched down.

That's the punter the Eagles need back, but right now it's very far from what they're getting.