Falcons vs Eagles
X-Factor: Nick Foles
The season-ending injury to Carson Wentz toward the end of this season has kept the Eagles from presiding over the NFL as the league's best playoff team. In the seven weeks prior to Wentz's injury, the Eagles had gone 6-1, and had posted over 30 points in all six of their wins, with five of six of those wins coming by a double-digit margin. Foles has been able to rally the troops in his time filling in during weeks 15 and 16, but he hasn't done so in the same impressive fashion Wentz had prior. The outcome of this game will be tied to how well Nick Foles can manage the Eagles high-powered offense.
What do the Eagles need to do to win?
Get Jay Ajayi and Corey Clement heavily involved in the offense to cause the defense to put an emphasis on stopping the run, thus opening up more opportunities for Foles to find open receivers.
What do the Falcons need to do to win?
Their defense needs to force Nick Foles into difficult passing situations (3rd and longs, for example). On offense, they must be willing to take chances downfield. Their receivers are incredibly talented and their vertical passing game has not been as successful this year as it has in year's past.
Final Prediction: Eagles 21, Falcons 17