Who Picked the Eagles: Week 10

The Eagles take on the Dolphins at 1 p.m. today, their first 1:00 game in more than a month. Here’s how a few national writers see the game playing out.

Sports Illustrated’s Don Banks picks Sam Bradford and the Eagles to top the Dolphins with ease, 31-17.

Every time I’m ready to give up on Sam Bradford as the long-term answer at quarterback in Philadelphia, he does just enough to keep hope alive that he is the guy. But it’s really the Eagles running game that is getting the job done these days, averaging 151 yards rushing since Week 3.

Philly ran for 172 yards in its overtime win at Dallas last Sunday night, and that’s a good sign for this home date against Miami, whose run defense allowed a pair of 100-yard rushers in last week’s loss at Buffalo. It has taken until Week 10, but Chip Kelly’s up-and-down club will finally climb over .500 with a home win over the re-sinking Dolphins.

Elliot Harrison of NFL.com has a renewed faith in the Birds’ run game, picking the Eagles to win, 34-20.

It’s difficult to pick Philadelphia these days, as you’re never quite sure which version of the team is going to show up. That said, if the Eagles’ offense keeps up the momentum it showed late versus the Cowboys in Week 9, they should be fine against the Dolphins.

Philly running backs coach Duce Staley did a masterful job of rotating the backs (which is apparently his call, not Chip Kelly’s) on Sunday night. The ground game should present problems for a Miami defense that allowed not one but two Bills running backs to rush for over 100 yards last week.

FOX Sports’ Pete Schrager agrees with Harrison, taking the Eagles and their momentum over Miami, 34-20.

Don’t look now, but my preseason pick out of the NFC has now won four of their last six, and are looming large in the NFC playoff picture. After all that doom and gloom the first few weeks of the season, Chip Kelly’s Eagles are winning games, Jordan Matthews is emerging as a No. 1 wide receiver and that offensive line that appeared to be so doomed a few weeks back is playing extremely well. Meanwhile, the Dan Campbell Era was fun while it lasted, but appears to have hit the skids due to games that aren’t against the AFC South.

Everything’s coming up Birds over at Pro Football Talk, with varying degrees of confidence in Bradford.

MDS’s take: I’m still not sold on Sam Bradford as the right quarterback for Chip Kelly’s offense, but the running game seems to be on track and the defense is playing reasonably well, and that should be enough for the Eagles to beat a mediocre Dolphins team at home.

MDS’s pick: Eagles 20, Dolphins 17.

Florio’s take: The Eagles are moving in the right direction, with three wins in four games. The Dolphins aren’t. The only good news for Miami is that they can start looking for the next head coach.

Florio’s pick: Eagles 31, Dolphins 21.

DeMarco Murray and the Eagles’ recently rejuvenated run game are enough to convince SB Nation’s Alex Reimer.

The 4-4 Eagles are coming off a scintillating overtime victory against the woefully undermanned Dallas Cowboys. Sam Bradford connected with wide receiver Jordan Matthews in OT for the game winner. It’s been an up-and-down season for Bradford, who finally appears to be getting used to Chip Kelly’s offense. He’s posted quarterback ratings north of 88 on three occasions over the last five weeks, including a 103.4 rating last week.

But the real positive development with the Eagles has been the resurgence of their running game. DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews both had nice nights against Dallas, rushing for 83 yards and 67 yards, respectively. Murray also caught six passes for 78 yards out of the backfield and scored a touchdown as well.