Matchups to Watch Week 11 vs. Eagles: Battle of the Trenches

Colts’ OL vs. Eagles’ front

The Eagles’ defensive front will be the most talented the Colts have faced this entire season, as they have plenty of productive players and can generate pressure from any area. Javon Hargrave, Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, Robert Quinn... the list goes on, and they also recently added defensive tackle Linval Joseph. After having a sort of “tune-up game” against the Raiders’ line, the Colts offensive line will now be put to a much tougher test to see wether the turnaround was for real or if it was just a mirage.

Colts’ Front vs. Eagles’ OL

The Eagles are the perfect embodiment of what the Colts tried to be, as they not only have an absurd amount of talent on their defensive line, but their offensive line is also rock solid. Blessed also with an impeccable bill of health, the Eagles have had the luxury of rolling out the same starting five on 8/9 games this season. Anchored by veteran center Jason Kelce, who is questionable for Sunday’s game, the weakest link of the line is tackle Jordan Mailata, so the Colts’ best hopes of disrupting the Eagles’ passing game rest on Yannick Ngakoue.

Gus Bradley vs. Jalen Hurts

Gus Bradley has been amazing as the Colts’ defensive coordinator this season, as even with the offense absolutely crumbling he has put up a top 5 defense even without their best player in Shaq Leonard. The unit will now face their toughest this season against the most talented all-around unit, and perhaps the best performing quarterback they will go up against. Hurts can hurt you with both his legs and his arm, something the Colts have not faced this season so far, so it will be a nice matchup to watch and see how real this defense actually is.

Stephon Gilmore / Isaiah Rodgers vs. A.J. Brown

Stephon Gilmore has been as good as advertised this season, and after last week’s game winning play one-on-one against Davante Adams, he now has two game winning moments this year, which is a lot for a cornerback. He will be matched up against Colts’ killer A.J. Brown, who torched Indy several times during his time with the Titans. Rodgers has taken a massive step forward this season and is among the most promising young players this defense has, so far he has responded to every single situation he was in, so hopefully he can keep that up against Brown.

Grover Stewart vs. Jason Kelce

Grover Stewart has established himself among the premier interior defensive linemen this season, being a force both against the run and making plays against the pass. The Eagles’ interior offensive line is as stout as they come, led by veteran Jason Kelce. It will be really entertaining watching Stewart go up against such a talented player like Kelce is, as a solid performance here would start putting him in the national spotlight.