After the Bye

Led by a new head coach and a new quarterback, the surprising Atlanta Falcons (4-2) visit Lincoln Financial Field Sunday to take on the Eagles (3-3), who are 9-0 after the bye week under head coach Andy Reid. Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan, who played his high school ball in Philadelphia, leads a Falcons team which has already matched its win total from a forgettable 2007 season.The No. 3 overall pick back in April, Ryan has completed 93 of 161 passes for 1,164 yards and five touchdowns. He had his first career 300-yard passing game in a come-from-behind win over the Bears on Oct. 12. Ryan has had the benefit of a potent ground game paced by Michael Turner, who ranks third in the NFC with 597 rushing yards and averages 99.5 yards per game. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan will be tested by an Eagles defense that ranks tied for second in the league with 21 sacks and likes disguising coverages and using multiple blitz packages. Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson is known for confusing young quarterbacks. In fact, under Johnson, the Eagles are 8-3 against rookie quarterbacks, including wins against Miami's John Beck and Buffalo's Trent Edwards last season. Ryan has demonstrated remarkable poise through his first six NFL games. He has been sacked just seven times this season, including twice in the last four games. Johnson, meanwhile, brings pressure from everywhere and he has done a great job at bringing it from all angles in 2008. Altogether, 11 different players have notched a sack, which is the highest total in the NFL.

The Eagles, meanwhile, will look to pick up where they left off in San Francisco, when they outscored the 49ers 23-0 in the fourth quarter. They should be aided by a healthier roster, as both Brian Westbrook and wide receiver Kevin Curtis, who hasn't played this season due to sports hernia surgery, are expected to return Sunday. Jim Johnson will look to put Ryan into obvious passing situations and unleash the blitzes. If the Falcons can't control the Eagles' blitzes this one could resemble the Eagles' win over the Steelers. For the better part of the last week the coaching staff went through the six previous games and discussed ways to improve what needed to be better and to talk about the things that went well. High on the list of conversation pieces was, no doubt, the offense in the red zone. The Eagles need this, obviously, to be improved. They have simply not scored enough touchdowns inside opponents' 20-yard lines, and they must turn opportunities to score into seven points, not three.

Donovan McNabb has 24 rushing touchdowns in his career, but zero since the 2006 campaign. Is it a coincidence that the red zone performance has been less effective since that time? Maybe, maybe not. But having the threat of McNabb tucking the ball away and scoring on a bootleg run has to give a defense pause, doesn't it? McNabb is plenty athletic enough to run the football if need be. I think the Eagles have to be as multi-dimensional as possible in the red zone. They can't allow defenses to tee off on one phase of the Eagles' scheme. In San Francisco, the Eagles were just 3 of 7 in the red zone. A touchdown late in the game, rather than a couple of David Akers field goals, would have salted away the victory. The Eagles must improve here.

In his brief playing time this season, Westbrook has six touchdowns on 68 touches. That is, really, an incredible ratio. Westbrook knows how to get into the end zone. He makes defenses account for where he is on every play. And whether the Eagles are first and 10 at the 18-yard line or first and goal at the 2-yard line, Westbrook is a likely candidate to get the football, and one that has been sorely missed since his injury. The Eagles can't shy away from Westbrook. Give him the ball in the red zone, both in the running game and in the passing game. Split him out wide. Use both Westbrook and Correll Buckhalter. Whatever it takes, get the ball in the hands of the dynamic Westbrook. The week off did wonderful things for Westbrook. He is as healthy now as he has been all season. That isn't going to last for long. The nature of this game is that it is brutal and unrelenting. But as long as Westbrook is on the field, he deserves the football.

The Eagles should be able to pull off the win this week esspecially if they follow these guidlines. They have to look at this and every game from now on as must win games. with that said, the matchups to watch this week are:

• Eagles LT Tra Thomas vs. Falcons DE John Abraham
• Eagles WR DeSean Jackson vs. Falcons CBs Brent Grimes and Chris Houston
• Eagles CB Asante Samuel vs. Falcons WR Roddy White
• Eagles Left end Juqua Parker vs. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan