Game Three: 9/24 @ San Francisco

In my last entry, I noted that the previous week's game against the Giants is one of the more difficult games on the schedule to get a feel for. The third game of the season, however, seems about as predictable as a game can be nearly two months before it is played. We will get back to this in just a moment.

The Eagles will head to San Francisco for their third contest of the season to take on the 49ers. Mike Nolan's team struggled immensely last season, posting a record of 4-12. One of those losses came at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles prior to their mid-season tailspin, 42-3.

The feeling here is that Mike Nolan will eventually become a very good NFL Head Coach and turn around a 49ers franchise that has fallen on hard times in recent years. Nolan added offensive coordinator Norv Turner to his staff, whichfrom a scheme standpoint should improve the 49ers on that side of the ball.

At this point, the 49ers appear to have had one of the better drafts in April of the 32 NFL teams. They used their first-round draft choice (6th overall) to select TE Vernon Davis. The superior-talent out of Maryland should prove to be worthy of his high draft selection. He is a tight end with phenomenal speed, he can block, and will provide a big play threat for the 49ers offense from a position where it is uncommon to do so. San Francisco also upgraded their defensive line in the draft, using their second first-round draft choice (22nd overall) on former NC State DE Manny Lawson.

Notable free agent signings include former All-Pro Dallas offensive guard Larry Allen, who will be entering his 13th season as a pro. They also replaced wide receiver Brandon Lloyd, who departed for the Redskins, with underrated Antonio Bryant.

Still, while the final score will almost certainly not read with a 39-point discrepancy as it did in Week 2 of last season, the expectation here is that Philadelphia will knock off the 49ers for the second straight year. While the team doesn't have extra incentive to win this game like the season's first two contests, this one should play out favorably for Philadelphia based on talent alone.

Expect for the Eagles to go into San Francisco and throw the ball all over a talent-depleted defense and run the ball just as effectively, if they choose to do so. The Eagles offensive line has a clear advantage in this game and should have it's way with San Francisco's front four. The Eagles certianly do not possess the most lethal offense in the league, they have plenty of talent at the skill positions and at the line of scrimmage to put up somewhere in the neighborhood of 24-30 points.

On the other side of the ball, rookie Alex Smith, nor his offensive line, are not a match for a very much improved Eagles front four. Smith, the former first-pick overall in the 2005 draft, will be entering his second season and needs to play better immediately after struggling to show much in his rookie season. Frank Gore is a little-known running back, but by the end of the 2006 season the thought here is that the former University of Miami tailback will open some eyes around the league. Still, a very inexperienced offense such as San Fransisco's should struggle against Philadelphia's blend of youth and veteran experience on defense. Both the Eagles secondary and front four should have a clear advantage in this football game.

With that said, the expectation here is that the Eagles will win this game somewhere in the area of 7-13 points despite playing on the road, improving their record to 3-0.

At this point, you are probably wondering if I believe that the Eagles will run the table this season. The answer, in short, is no. This team will run into some problems as the season progresses, but at this point I see them heading into their October Monday Night Football showdown with the Packers undefeated.

Final Score 26-17

Up Next: Home Vs. the Green Bay Packers (Oct 2nd)