Eagles’ Rooting Guide for 2021 NFL Draft Implications of Week 10

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Indianapolis Colts @ Jacksonville Jaguars (1 p.m. ET)

A week ago, this one wouldn’t even have been worth keeping tabs on. It didn’t look like the Jaguars were capable of even covering the spread against a good team. They had just been blown out 31-7 by Geno Smith and the Seahawks. 

Then they went on to beat one of the best teams in the AFC in the Buffalo Bills. 

So, yes, the Colts are only given a 21.6 percent chance of winning the game by ESPN’s FPI, but there is hope. 

That hope lies in the Jaguars’ defense that forced three turnovers against the Bills. Picking off Josh Allen twice and sacking him four times was instrumental in scoring the 9-6 win. They’ll have to have a similar effort against Wentz to help out the Eagles. 

Minnesota Vikings @ Los Angeles Chargers (4:05 p.m. ET)

Right now, the Vikings are five picks behind the Eagles in the first round, but in terms of record, they are only separated by half a game. They enter their contest with the Chargers at 3-5 and could leapfrog them if they lose and the Eagles win. 

Of the teams that are in close proximity on the draft board this week, the Vikings have the best shot at winning.

That’s because the Vikings have had horrible luck in one-score games to this point. While most teams win around 50 percent of their one-score games, the Vikes have gone 1-5, accounting for all of their losses on the season. 

That would indicate the Vikings are better than their record would indicate. The Chargers are 3-2 in one-score games, including the 27-24 win over the Eagles last week. They also have one of the league’s worst run defenses attempting to stop Dalvin Cook this week. 

That’s good news for Philly. 

Los Angeles Rams @ San Francisco 49ers (Monday Night, 8:15 p.m. ET)

The 49ers are another team lurking in the background that could eventually jump the Eagles. The Miami Dolphins own their pick, so the Niners have no reason to tank, though so that plays to their advantage. 

That’s why Eagles fans should tune into Monday Night Football with the hope that the NFC West team is going to show up and try to pull off an upset against a division rival. The Rams own one of the best records in the league, but they are coming off a loss against the Tennessee Titans without Derrick Henry. 

For the Niners, this is probably a do-or-die game. If they can find a way to beat the Rams after losing 31-17 to the Kyler Murray-less Cardinals, they can get right back in the playoff hunt. If they lose, things could get ugly fast. 

They have the Jaguars (who just beat the Bills), Vikings and Seahawks on deck. A San Francisco win would ensure the Eagles have a little more breathing room to retain the current top 10 status of their own pick.