Bolstered by the emergence of Drew Brees as an All-Pro quarterback, an electric set of offensive skill players, and the spirit of a resurgent New Orleans city, the Saints enter the playoffs as the #2 seed in the NFC, having won four of their last five meaningful games (With the bye locked up in Week 17, Coach Sean Payton benched his starters early on en route to a 31-21 loss to Carolina). Brees clearly has stepped up his game this year after being outcast by the Chargers. Helped by a pair of talented RB’s Deuce McAllister and rookie sensation Reggie Bush, as well as young receiving targets, Marques Colston and Devery Henderson, the Saints will pose a threat to the talented Eagles secondary, which will be without Pro Bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard. On the Eagles side, Jeff Garcia has stepped into the right system in Andy Reid’s West Coast offense and has performed admirably. A savvy quarterback who improvises often, Garcia will look to get the ball to Reggie Brown and his speedy counterpart, Donte Stallworth. The key to this game will be ball control and the performance of star running back Brian Westbrook. He publicly stated his disappointment for not being selected to the Pro Bowl, and is looking to take out his aggression on anyone who stands in his way. If Westbrook gets his touches and the Eagles are able to control the ball primarily through the ground game and short passes, they will keep the Saints on their heels. Also, it is imperative that the Eagles don’t get off to a bad start. The Saints were only 4-4 in the regular season, but if they are able to go ahead early in this game, it is over. If the Eagles overcome the “Spirit of Katrina”, they will win this game.
Eagles win, 31-21
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