7 Philadelphia Eagles who might be most important to beating the Falcons

Philadelphia Eagles’ Fletcher Cox reacts after a Oakland Raiders fumble during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 25, 2017, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

PHILADELPHIA — It’s common for members of an NFL team to spout about unity or the importance of widespread contributions, but the Philadelphia Eagles this week have leaned especially hard on those types of mantras.

 

And it’s not all that surprising, considering the Birds are entering the postseason without quarterback Carson Wentz (torn ACL).

 

After coach Doug Pederson and his coordinators set the tone in news conferences, player after player said the Eagles believe in each other. They’ve said they’ll need everyone on the field to rise to the challenge in order to beat the Falcons in Saturday’s NFC divisional round game. They’ve said winning in the playoffs is not about one or two people.

 

The Birds might believe all that. But when they line up across from Atlanta on Saturday, not every player will face the same task. So here’s a look at seven Eagles who could be especially crucial to the team in its first playoff game in four seasons:

To win a title, the Eagles would need their best players to make hefty impacts on each postseason game. With Wentz out of the fold, Cox is as dominant and as prominent as anyone in a midnight green jersey. And if the second-team all-pro could cause consistent havoc in the Falcons’ backfield to throw Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan out of rhythm Saturday, the Birds would like their chances of earning a win.

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