Eagles vs. Saints 2019: Drew Brees In For Big Game Against Philadelphia In 2019 NFL Playoffs

The Philadelphia Eagles are the biggest underdogs in the 2019 NFL divisional playoffs, despite winning on the road against the Chicago Bears on Wild-Card Weekend. That’s because the defending champions face the unenviable task of taking on Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome.

New Orleans led the NFL with a 13-3 record, securing home-field advantage until the Super Bowl with a week remaining in the regular season. The Saints held their own on defense with a unit that ranked in the middle of the pack, but it’s their offense that truly makes them the best team in football.

At 39 years old, Brees arguably had his best season as a pro. The quarterback posted career-highs with a 115.7 passer rating, a 74.4 completion percentage and a 32:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Brees poses a bad matchup for any secondary. That’s especially the case against the Eagles. Both of Philadelphia’s starting cornerbacks are out with season-ending injuries. The team is relying on a pair of young players that have improved but could have a lot of trouble against an all-time quarterback in the midst of an MVP-caliber season.

Even though Chicago only scored 15 points in last week’s loss to Philadelphia, wide receiver Allen Robinson still caught 10 passes for 143 yards. Mitchell Trubisky had a decent game with 26 completions for 303 yards.

There is no better version of any quarterback in football than Drew Brees in New Orleans. The veteran put up historic numbers in seven home games in 2018, completing 76.3 percent of his passes for 21 touchdowns, one interception, 9.5 yards per attempt and a 133.3 passer rating. Brees averaged 321.6 passing yards per game at home, and he would’ve been the NFL passing leader had he done that over the course of 16 games.

Brees’ 103.2 passer rating against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16 was his worst rating at home in 2018. He posted a passer rating north of 111.0 in every other home game. New Orleans scored at least 31 points in six home games with Brees under center.

The Eagles were Brees’ victim in one of those seven contests. He completed 22 of 30 passes for 363 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in a 48-7 victory. Brees tied his season-high with a 153.2 passer rating—yes, he did that twice—and had a season-high 97.5 QBR.

This is a different Eagles’ team than the one that wasn’t competitive in New Orleans in Week 11. Nick Foles is starting at quarterback instead of Carson Wentz, who was picked off three times by the Saints. Philadelphia’s defense has played better during their four-game winning streak.

Those changes, however, might not make much of a difference when it comes to slowing down Brees. One of Philadelphia’s wins during their undefeated streak came against Josh Johnson and the Washington Redskins. In Week 16, Philadelphia allowed the Houston Texans to score 30 points behind 339 passing yards and a 114.5 passer rating from Deshaun Watson.

Foles can continue to make big throws when the Eagles need him to do so. It won’t matter if Brees plays the way he has at home all season long.