Philadelphia Eagles bold predictions for Week 6 vs. Browns

Goodness, that game was a complete failure on Philly's part, with missed opportunities abound on offense, defense, and even special teams. Granted, there were some bright spots, like the blocked extra point and some late-game heroics to bring the score closer than the game appeared, but through it all, Nick Sirianni's team was outgunned across the board, and fans started talking crazy as Philly fans often do.

Have they made the correct moves during the bye week to get back on track? Will fans be treated with positive injury news, with Lane Johnson, AJ Browm, and DeVonta Smith all cleared to return to action? And what about the team's schematic screwups? Will they be fixed in time to welcome the Cleveland Browns to town?

While only time will tell, considering the Eagles drew an opponent with a 1-5 record on the season so far, Philadelphia might just have the ideal setup game for the back half of their season, as they have the pieces in place to really do damage against a familiar face in Week 6.

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1. Saquon Barkley dominates on the ground

If there's one area where the Eagles have dominated in 2024, it's been on the ground.

Sure, sometimes the Eagles' passing game has looked good, other times it's looked like 2023, and other times still it's sported a new shade of ugly unique to 2024, but through it all, Saquon Barkley has been like South Philly's north star, always leading the way even when things get cloudy.

Averaging an incredible 108.8 yards per game, by far the best mark of his career thus far, Barkley has only had two games in 2024 where he didn't rush for at least 100 yards, and in his Week 2 contest, he ran for a cool 95 while picking up more production through the air as a receiver. He's looked good on outside zones, been surprisingly effective on the inside, and has even put in work as a pass blocker, which has been a consistent issue for the Eagles in the Nick Sirianni era.

Outside of one dropped pass that would have sealed the team's record at 4-1, Barkley has clearly been the Eagles' 2024 MVP and should continue to succeed against the Browns in Week 6, as their run defense has been below average.

Ranking 25th overall in rushing yards allowed at 708, with eight rushing touchdowns allowed through the first five weeks, Jim Schwartz's defense has been as meh against the run as ever, with opposing rushers still finding success up the middle versus his Wide 9 front.

If the Eagles get some good news up front and all five of their usual starters can go on the offensive line, it will only spell good things for Barkley's production in Week 6. And if Johnson is still out? Well, Barkley still put up 84 yards on the ground on only ten carries and supplemented his numbers with 32 more yards as a receiver. Throw that all together and there really isn't much Barkley can't do in the Eagles' offense.

2. Jalen Hurts outduels Dashaun Watson

While Saquon Barkley should have a pretty clear path to the lead-rushing spot in Week 6 across both teams, as the Browns' lead rusher, Jerome Ford, is only averaging 50 yards per game, the passing duel should be much more interesting for fans to monitor.

In one corner, you have Jalen Hurts, the former MVP candidate who threw for 278 yards in Week 1 and 311 yards in Week 3 but was held below 200 in Weeks 2 and 4. He's completing 68.2 percent of his passes, which would be a career-high, but has already thrown four interceptions and put the ball on the ground five more times as a runner versus 42 rushing attempts. While Kellen Moore noted that he planned to make some changes during the bye week, including making Hurts into more of a distributing point guard than a gunslinger, it's worth wondering how much those adjustments will impact the final product, especially when the live bullets start to fly.

And in the other? Deshaun Watson is arguably the biggest disappointment of any QB in the NFL this season and a player fans have been demanding to be benched in favor of Jameis Winston, including former supporters like Stephen A. Smith. Watson is averaging just 170.4 yards per game and has already been sacked 26 times over five weeks, or once every 6.78 times he drops back to pass.

If the Eagles can sack Watson once for every seven times he drops back, they will be in seriously good shape in Week 6, as they don't have a game with that level of production with Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator. But even if they don't, Hurts should still win this battle easily, especially if he gets Brown and/or Smith back, as his team still believes in him as a leader, which might not be true for the Browns.

3. The Eagles finally get a win at home

So, if Barkley runs wild on the Eagles' old defensive coordinator and Hurts is able to outduel Watson on the way to another marquee passing outing, Philadelphia should leave Week 6 the victors, right?

Yes, after entering the bye week with a brutal loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Eagles have a chance to not only cheer up fans in Philadelphia at large but allow the fans who attend the game in person to leave Lincoln Financial Field with a smile on their face. Yes, technically, Week 1 was a home win, but that game was in Brazil and frankly doesn't count; a win at the Linc? Now, that would be a sweet way to start off October and prove that this new Eagles team is no joke.