PHILADELPHIA — Remember after the Eagles won their season opener, scoring 33 points against the Redskins and everyone was hailing Chip Kelly and the high-octane college offense he brought with him from Oregon as the Next Big Thing?
Remember after the Eagles then lost their next three games and the guffaws and “I told you so’’ chorus kicked in, ridiculing the notion Kelly’s attack was so innovative and unstoppable?
Well, look who’s getting, if not the last laugh, certainly a post-New Year’s chuckle. Kelly took over a team that won just four games in 2012 and has the Eagles flying high as NFC East champions, ready to put the climate-controlled Saints into the deep freeze for Saturday night’s NFC wild-card playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field.
This is all new to the Eagles (10-6), who have not won a game in the postseason in four years, and it’s certainly foreign terrain for Kelly, who at this time a year ago was coming off a Fiesta Bowl victory over Kansas State. It’s certainly uncharted territory for Nick Foles, the second-year quarterback who replaced a hobbled Michael Vick and put up historic passing numbers. The Saints (11-5), with Sean Payton as head coach and Drew Brees at quarterback, have Super Bowl pedigrees.
“Depends on who wins, right?’’ Kelly said. “If we lose, we were inexperienced. If we win, then there will be another story.’’
Here’s a look inside the game:
MARQUEE MATCHUP: Saints LT Terron Armstead vs. Eagles OLB Trent Cole. Armstead, a rookie, was thrust into the lineup late in the season to replace struggling veteran Charles Brown. This will be Armstead’s third career start. He has to go against the savvy Cole, who has eight sacks and said Armstead is “very athletic but he’s got some weak spots.’’ The Saints no doubt will give Armstead plenty of help with extra blockers. “They’d better,’’ Cole warned.
ROAD WORRIERS: Until you’ve done it, you haven’t done it, and the Saints have never done it. They are 0-3 on the road in the playoffs in the Sean Payton/Drew Brees era and 0-5 on the road in the postseason in franchise history. Nothing indicates they are ready for a breakthrough, considering the Saints went 3-5 on the road this season — losing five of their last six. Their high-velocity offense is less than dominant on the road, averaging only 17.8 points this season (compared to 34 points a game in their cozy home dome).
“We’re certainly not sitting here overacting,’’ Brees said. “We understand the last three outings on the road have not been our best performance. At times you do have to kind of just change things up so that psychologically you say, ‘Hey, it’s going to be different this time around.’ I think our past history speaks for itself in regards to the road. But we know we’re about to break the seal.’’
Warning to the indoor-loving Saints: It is expected to be 24 degrees at kickoff and a wind-chill of 17, but no chance of snow.
NICK OF TIME: If you say you foresaw this, it’s a canard. Nick Foles is set to make his first career postseason start and the statuesque pocket passer has been nothing short of brilliant as the NFL’s greatest revelation. He led the league in passer rating (119.2) with an outrageous 27-to-2 touchdown-interception ratio, which is the best in league history.
SPREAD THE WEALTH: The term “matchup problem’’ wasn’t created for Jimmy Graham, but it might as well have been. The Saints tight end is coming off another prolific season (82 receptions, 1,215 yards, 16 TDs) and, with the body and athletic ability of an NBA power forward, he’s too swift for linebackers and too big for safeties. “He’s the No. 1 target they have and he’s been their most consistent target,’’ Eagles defensive coordinator Billy Davis said. “He’s a big, athletic tight end, catches everything thrown near him. They move him all over the place so it’s tough to practice and get a beat on how to help guys on him.’’
The problem with keying on Graham is the Saints are so darn deep. They are the first team in NFL history with four players with at least 70 receptions, as Brees not only has focused on Graham, but also running back Pierre Thomas (77 receptions) Marques Colston (75) and running back Darren Sproles (71). Thomas, though, won’t play because of a chest injury, a big loss to the New Orleans running and passing attack.
NO FAULT INSURANCE: Sure, the Saints are a different team on the road, but the blame can’t be put on Brees for the postseason failures. He’s 5-4 in nine playoff starts, but has completed 69 percent of his passes along with 22 touchdowns and only four interceptions. In playoff losses with the Saints in 2010 (at Seattle) and 2011 (at San Francisco) Brees threw for 866 yards with six TDs and two INTs and the Saints scored 32 and 36 points. His 103.9 quarterback rating in the postseason is the second-best mark in NFL history, behind only Bart Starr (104.8). Brees’ 67.0 completion percentage in the postseason is the highest mark ever.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
16 — Games each member of the Eagles offensive line has started, as their line has been injury-free and intact the entire season.
0 — The number of times before this season in NFL history one team had a quarterback with a 100-plus passer rating (Nick Foles, 119.2), a 1,600-yard rusher (LeSean McCoy, 1,607) and a 1,300-yard receiver (DeSean Jackson, 1,332).
2 — Pass defense ranking of the Saints, as coordinator Rob Ryan’s scheme helped in the pass rush (Cameron Jordan has 12 ¹/₂ sacks and Junior Galette has 12) to allow only 194.1 passing yards per game.
PAUL’S PICK: It might not be the scoring festival the track records indicate and the difference could be Eagles’ ability to grind out the tough yards on the ground. The Saints can rush the passer, but can they stop the pass from being completed over their heads? These Birds get to fly south next week. EAGLES 27, SAINTS 24.