Eagles look for an edge at home as Atlanta visits
Having lost two in a row and four of their last five games, the Eagles are desperately looking forward to some home cooking.
Having lost two in a row and four of their last five games, the Eagles are desperately looking forward to some home cooking.
With every NFL team having played at least eight games, the Eagles are one of only four with an undefeated home record.
The Eagles are 3-0 this season at Lincoln Financial Field. The other unbeatens at home are Houston (5-0), Kansas City (4-0) and Seattle (4-0).
So when the Eagles (4-4) host the NFC South-leading Atlanta Falcons (6-3) on Sunday, they will look toward the Lincoln Financial Field faithful to give them that extra edge.
"It's a huge advantage for us," defensive end Connor Barwin said about playing at the Linc. "Crowd noise makes a huge difference on defense, making opposing teams go on a silent count."
Of course the home field wasn't so much of an advantage last season when the Eagles were 3-5 at the Linc.
Safety Malcolm Jenkins says it's up to the Eagles to keep the fans involved.
"The home field is what you make of it," Jenkins said. "When you give your fans something to cheer about, that is usually when the advantage comes out."
This year there has been plenty to cheer about at home, where the Eagles have outscored Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Minnesota, 84-23.
"For whatever reason, our defense has played really well this year at home and given the fans the opportunity to get behind the team," Jenkins said. "When the fans get really loud, it gives us that advantage, that momentum that we need sometimes."
The Eagles have trailed at home this year for a total of 13 seconds. That came in the second quarter when Minnesota took a 3-0 lead on Blair Walsh 48-yard field goal.
Josh Huff, who has since been released, returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown.
That immediately got the Eagles, not to mention the crowd, back into the game.
"I think a lot of [the home success] has a lot to do with our crowd and the way they fill the stands and the noise and making it hard for opponents to come in here and play," Eagles coach Doug Pederson said.
Jenkins said that when the Eagles get a lead and the fans' vocal cords hit the highest limit, he can see the impact it has on the opposition.
"When [the opponents] do make a mistake, they hear it, and they feel it a little more," Jenkins said. "You can almost feel that pressure, and it is not on us. It is on the other team, so it is definitely something psychologically that plays a big role in the game."
Despite this year's success, it won't be easy for the Eagles on Sunday. Atlanta is 4-1 on the road, losing, 26-24, at Seattle, where the Eagles have to play next week. The Falcons have won at Oakland, New Orleans, Denver and Tampa Bay, so they know what it's like to go to a difficult venue and come out on top.
Notes
Eagles offensive lineman Allen Barbre and safety Terrence Brooks are both out this week with hamstring injuries. It will be Barbre's second consecutive game being sidelined, while Brooks was hurt in last week's 28-23 loss to the New York Giants. . . . Linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill (hamstring) is doubtful. . . . The following Eagles are questionable: tight end Trey Burton (hamstring), tight end Brent Celek (rib), defensive tackle Taylor Hart (ankle), defensive tackle Bennie Logan (groin) and cornerback Leodis McKelvin (hamstring). . . . Burton, Hart and Logan were full participants in Friday's practice, while McKelvin, Celek and Grugier-Hill were limited. . . . Right guard Brandon Brooks was sent home in the morning with an illness, but Pederson says he will be fine for Sunday. . . . The Falcons list three players as out: running back Tevin Coleman, tight end Jacob Tamme and cornerback Desmond Trufant. . . . Cornerback Aaron Grymes has signed from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. The Eagles had a spot on the 53-man roster after releasing Huff last week. . . . Grymes, who played three seasons with the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos, was with the Eagles during the preseason and was re-signed to the practice squad Oc. 24. "I am ready to compete ready to get out there and put my best foot forward and make sure I am not too rusty, not too nervous when I get out on the field on Sunday," Grymes said. . . . The Eagles are hosting the fourth annual Philadelphia Eagles Tackle Hunger online healthy food drive throughout November to benefit the Coalition Against Hunger's Green Light Pantries. For more information: https://yougivegoods.com/eagles-healthyfooddrive-2016.
@sjnard