By no means did the Eagles expect to be here, holding only four wins through the first 12 games of the season. Following their 31-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks last Thursday night, the Eagles find themselves tied with the Washington Redskins at the bottom of the NFC East, three games behind the division-leading Dallas Cowboys. And yet, somehow the Eagles' playoff chances remain alive, though they will certainly need some outside help. Of course, in order to do the impossible, the Eagles will have to win their final four games, a road that begins with a difficult road game against one of the hottest teams in the league.
The Miami Dolphins began the season 0-7, but have won four of their last five games with the only loss coming by a single point to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. And they haven't been squeaking out victories either. Rather, the Dolphins have outscored their opponents an astounding 139-54 over their last five games, so the Eagles will have plenty of respect for their opponent under the South Florida Sun on Sunday. Tellingly, they've only turned the ball over three times over those five games while registering seven takeaways. Contrast that to the Eagles, who have forced six turnovers on defense over the last five games but committed 12 turnovers over that time – the Eagles rank tied for 30th with a -13 turnover differential on the season.
But there is hope for the Eagles as some reinforcements look on the way. Most importantly, quarterback Michael Vick is set to return after missing three games with two lower broken ribs. Joining the signal-caller and team leader on the return could be wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who has missed time with a shoulder and hamstring injury. Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha also looks likely to play despite suffering a concussion in the loss to the Seahawks. And yes, the odds are long, to put it mildly, that the Eagles are able to scratch their way back to playoff relevance, but that was the case back in 2008 as well. Finally, consider that in Andy Reid's tenure as head coach, the Eagles are 32-16 in the final quarter of the regular season for an impressive 67 percent winning percentage. This time, they'll need to be perfect.
Key Matchups
Dolphins LT Jake Long vs. Eagles RDE Trent Cole
Cole, the best player on the Eagles defense for the past few seasons and one of the more underappreciated stars in the league, has been somewhat hampered by a calf injury this season. Still, he has 6.0 sacks in 10 games and has formed a formidable pass-rush duo with Jason Babin. Long, meanwhile, is a former No. 1 overall draft pick (2008) and has been the blindside protector for the Dolphins ever since. While Long has been solid, he hasn't quite been the dominant player the Dolphins may have expected – he's given up five sacks already this season according to ProFootballFocus. If the Eagles can get in front of the Dolphins and make the home team's offense pass-heavy, look for Cole to do some damage on Matt Moore in the pocket.
Eagles Red-Zone Offense vs. Dolphins Red-Zone Defense
All season long, the Eagles have had trouble converting red-zone opportunities into points, let alone touchdowns. The team has turned the ball over in the red zone a debilitating eight times, four more than any other team in the league. In all, the team's red-zone conversion is 47 percent, 21st in the league. With Michael Vick likely back in the lineup, the offense will still have its hands full with a Dolphins defense that has excelled in the red zone, allowing touchdowns on only 37 percent of opponent trips – good for fourth-best in the league. Because the Eagles have lacked the explosive touchdowns this season, red-zone efficiency becomes paramount. Can the Eagles be precise when it matters? The answer will go a long way in determining Sunday's outcome.
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