INDIANAPOLIS − There is a lot at stake when the Eagles take on the Indianapolis Colts, starting with the Eagles trying to recover from their first loss of the season.
There’s a sentimental side to it, too, or perhaps a revenge factor for head coach Nick Sirianni.
But first, the Eagles’ two newest defensive tackles, Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph, will make their debuts during the game.
Joseph, 34, was signed Wednesday and went through two practices. Suh, 35, was signed a day later, and went through one practice. Neither had played for a team this season.
The Eagles will need them against Colts’ running back Jonathan Taylor, the NFL’s leading rusher last season. The Eagles have allowed an average of 160 yards per game on the ground the last two games without rookie Jordan Davis, who’s on injured reserve with an ankle injury.
For the Eagles, head coach Nick Sirianni served as the Colts’ offensive coordinator from 2018 until 2020, before taking the Eagles job. He worked for head coach Frank Reich, who was fired two weeks ago after the Colts got off to a 2-5-1 start. Reich was replaced by Jeff Saturday, a longtime Colts offensive who only had high school coaching experience and was serving as an ESPN analyst when he was hired.
The Colts won their first game under Saturday last Sunday.
While Sirianni didn’t go into his true feelings, he made it obvious how he felt when he said: “You know how I feel about Frank.”
No doubt, Sirianni and Reich talked this week about the Colts’ personnel.
Sirianni and several of Sirianni’s assistants from Indianapolis are on the Eagles’ staff. Saturday said that could be why the Eagles could have more insight on the Colts than Saturday’s staff would have on Sirianni’s coaching style.
“Nick is obviously very familiar with our offense and what we do,” Saturday said. “But we all know both teams have to execute. Whatever that looks like, whoever’s coaching, wherever it is, it all boils down to execution.”
There are more reunions. For the Eagles, wide receiver Zach Pascal spent the last four seasons in Indy. On the other side, the Colts have backup quarterback Nick Foles, offensive lineman Matt Pryor and safety Rodney McLeod.
When asked what McLeod, who played for the Eagles from 2016-21, brings to the Colts, Sirianni said: “Rodney brings a lot of leadership to any team that he’s on … Great leader, super smart.”
CBS will broadcast the Eagles’ game with Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn providing the coverage.
Eagles, Colts inactives
The Eagles listed QB Ian Book, CB Josh Jobe, RB Trey Sermon, G Josh Sills and G Sua Opeta as inactive. As for the Colts, both Pryor and Foles are among the inactives.
3 things to watch
- Watching the new guys: It’ll be interesting to see how much, or if, Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh end up playing. Neither have been on a team this season. Joseph went through two full practices and Suh went through one. Sirianni wouldn’t detail his plans for the two defensive tackles before the game. “One, there’s a little bit of an unknown,” Sirianni said. “And two, I don’t want the Colts to know anything.”
- Life without Goedert: We’ll get our first glance at how the Eagles plan to overcome the loss of star tight end Dallas Goedert, who was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Certainly, the remaining three tight ends in Jack Stoll, Grant Calcaterra and Tyree Jackson will get more opportunities. But the wide receivers and running backs will have to make up for Goedert’s absence, too.
- Rebounding from a loss: For the first time this season, the Eagles will have to recover from a loss. Throughout the week, there hasn’t been much panic after the Monday night loss to Washington. Rather, there has been a determination to correct the mistakes. It doesn’t take much to realize the four turnovers on offense − one more than the Eagles had through the first eight games − and the run defense were the main culprits.
Prediction: Eagles 27, Colts 23.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
