Case Study #3

Anyone who watched an Eagles game this season should be familiar with the havoc that Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham, Philadelphia’s star defensive linemen, can wreak. They may not have been among the league leaders in sacks, but they were the key cogs in a defense that led the N.F.L. with 112 quarterback hits.

There is little relief behind the defensive line, as the Eagles have standout defenders on all three levels, especially the secondary, where Ronald Darby and Malcolm Jenkins are the stars but Jalen Mills and Rodney McLeod more than hold their own.

One of the things Philadelphia did best this season, according to statistics provided by Sportradar, was limit the effectiveness of throwing into coverage. Brady was one of the most aggressive quarterbacks in the N.F.L. this season at attempting passes to covered receivers, and that could be a serious problem against a team that allowed a 16.6 passer rating on passes in which a defender was within a yard of the receiver.

Brady is Brady, so he can be relied upon to find a way to move the ball, but tight end Rob Gronkowski’s health and effectiveness are in question after he sustained a concussion in the A.F.C. championship game. If Gronkowski is limited, Brady will try to move the ball downfield with Brandin Cooks, but will probably have to rely on running backs James White and Dion Lewis to provide a lot of his passing yardage on catch-and-runs.