Tom Brady (12) and the New England Patriots. Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles gave up 90 points in their last two games, 15 touchdown passes in the last four games and have a 136.0 third-down passer rating in the last four games.
Now they must face the best quarterback on earth and counter with a wet-behind-the-ears rookie cornerback making his first NFL start.
“I don’t know how I’m going to feel out there this week,” Eric Rowe said as he prepared for Sunday’s game against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
“I know he’s going to come at me. I’m a rookie cornerback. I know he’s going to look my way first. I’ve got to be ready for it.”
Rowe, who had played only 106 defensive snaps in the Eagles’ first 10 games, was forced into action last week after starter Nolan Carroll suffered a season-ending broken ankle in a 45-14 Thanksgiving Day loss to the Detroit Lions.
He gave up two touchdown passes in the game to Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson. But he failed to get safety help on one of them, and the other was a perfectly executed back-shoulder fade that only a handful of NFL cornerbacks probably could have foiled.
“I learned a lot,” Rowe, the Eagles’ second-round pick out of Utah, said. “I learned how the best receiver in the game works, you know. That was a great learning experience for me.
“The extra time (after the Thanksgiving game) helped me recover and settle my mind and get ready for this week.
The Eagles need Rowe to grow up quickly. They are 4-7 and would be out of the playoff hunt if not for the fact that they reside in the awful NFC East.
But they have three tough games in front of them against the Patriots, the Buffalo Bills and the Arizona Cardinals. The Patriots game is the only one of those three that is on the road.
“It’s my opportunity to kind of show the world what I got,” said Rowe, who played safety most of his college career before being moved to cornerback before his final season.
“Show the coaching staff what I’ve been working so hard for. And just contribute to the defense and help them out.
SERIES HISTORY: 12th regular-season meeting. The Eagles lead the series, 6-5. The last meeting between the teams was in November of 2011 in Philadelphia. The Patriots won that game, 38-20. The Patriots’ most significant victory over the Eagles was a 24-21 victory in Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville in February of ’05.
GAMEPLAN: If the Eagles have any hope of upsetting the Patriots on Sunday, they must have success running the ball. The fact that the Patriots probably will be without linebacker Dont’a Hightower helps. But they must get some production out of running back DeMarco Murray, who is averaging just 3.5 yards per carry.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Eagles DL Fletcher Cox v. Patriots RG Josh Kline and C Bryan Stork.
Cox, the Eagles’ best defensive player, is the disruptive key to getting pressure on Brady.
–Eagles SCB E.J. Biggers v. Patriots SWR Danny Amendola.
Amendola sat out the Denver game with a knee injury. Assuming he can play, QB Tom Brady will target him a lot.
–Eagles RB DeMarco Murray v. Patriots LB Jerod Mayo and Jonathan Freeny.
Murray is averaging only 3.5 yards per carry. Mayo and Freeny need to pick up the slack v. run if Don’t’a Hightower can’t play.
