Each of the four NFC teams playing this weekend had its strengths. The Eagles, looking at the big picture, have to put together as strong a team as possible and then go out and match up in 2012 and win football games.
So, for the lack of anything happening at the moment in the world of the Eagles, let's take a peek at Green Bay, San Franciso, New Orleans and the Giants ...
GREEN BAY
One of the shames of this season is that the Eagles never had the chance to pit their very deep and talented group of cover cornerbacks against the Packers' dynamic passing game. No doubt, to hang with the Packers offense, the Eagles would have to devise a creative and effective pressure package against quarterback Aaron Rodgers and then try to slow down Greg Jennings, Jermichael Finley, Jordy Nelson and all of the receivers the Packers use when they spread the field.
In theory, playing Green Bay and matching up was a reason to stock up on all the good cornerbacks here. The shame of it is, of course, that we will never know how the defense would have looked against Rodgers and Co.
SAN FRANCISCO
The Eagles matched up great against the 49ers for a half in October, but that all fell apart in the stunning loss at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles blew a 23-3 advantage in that game, one the seemed to instill in the 49ers a real sense of confidence in their march to a No. 2 seed in the playoffs.
A couple of things stick out from that game. First, the Eagles didn't do a good job against Frank Gore and the 49ers running game. Gore carried 15 times for 127 yards (an 8.5-yard-per-carry average) and scored a touchdown. The Eagles were soft in that game. They didn't get after quarterback Alex Smith at all, and he ended up completing 21 of 33 passes with a pair of touchdowns.
Second, the Eagles didn't match up well with the San Francisco linebackers. The idea was to make the 49ers play coverage and keep Patrick Willis and his linebacker mates off the line of scrimmage, and what happened is that LeSean McCoy (18 rushing yards, 34 receiving yards) was a non-factor.
I had dreams late in the regular season that the Eagles would make the playoffs and get a second chance at the 49ers. Didn't happen. Too bad.
NEW ORLEANS
This would have been a great matchup against the genius that is quarterback Drew Brees. The Saints host the Eagles next year so maybe we will see a similar matchup, but I wanted to see what Juan Castillo had in mind against such a terrific offense that has so much balance.
The matchups to watch moving forward, as I see it, are two: How do the Eagles cover tight end Jimmy Graham, the dynamic pass catcher who has great size and the speed of a wide receiver? What will the Eagles do with him next season? Isn't that the guy you first strategize against, after Brees, of course?
And after that, the player to watch is running back Darren Sproles, who is simply a terror in the kick return game and at the line of scrimmage. He has an extraordinary burst with the ball in his hands. How will the Eagles deal with him next year in coverage? Do they think Brian Rolle can run with Sproles? Casey Matthews?
NEW YORK GIANTS
We know how the Eagles match up with New York. The answer is that the Eagles match up well when they aren't turning the ball over and missing tackles, as they did in the September loss in Philadelphia.
When the Eagles beat New York later the season, they overcame a bunch of mistakes from the offense because the defense dominated. An aggressive, in-your-face approach worked.
Looking at 2012, the obvious concern is the Giants' pass rush. Jason Pierre-Paul is a star player, but the key is that the Giants have multiple pass-rushing threats. My question is the interior of the Eagles offensive line and how that young group, including 2011 rookies Jason Kelce and Danny Watkins, improves in the offseason ahead. And, certainly, keeping left guard Evan Mathis would greatly aid the continuity of a line that could be something special next season.
