The first play is Carson Wentz's first interception, which happened on the first play of the third possession. The Eagles actually got a first down on a penalty to start the drive but it doesn't count as an official play. The Eagles looked to take a shot downfield with a formation and personnel grouping, and route concept that's prevalent throughout the league. New Orleans' coverage was vulnerable to that play call. The Saints were in single-high coverage. The Eagles run a Post Cross combination attacking that single-high safety. There should have been room for a big play. The Post Cross forces the safety to choose whether to stay back and defend the potential big play over his head or step up to protect the crossing route in front of him.

If he steps up, someone has to take his place and that player was star cornerback Marshon Lattimore. The 2017 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year passed the crossing route from Alshon Jeffery off to the safety because the other routes didn't threaten him. He sprinted to the middle of the field, where he tracked this long throw from Wentz for a leaping interception. It was a beautiful play by Lattimore on a play where Wentz took a chance to try and put up a big play and get some points early in the game.

Later, the Eagles got the ball past midfield in a 10-point game late in the second quarter. It's third-and-3 in what was probably four-down territory. Pederson made an aggressive call with another downfield shot play. If you throw an incompletion, you're going to go for it on fourth down anyway. So, why not take a chance? The call is a three-vertical concept with two deep routes outside the numbers and tight end Zach Ertz working one-on-one against a defender in the middle of the field in wide open space. Ertz is going to break open against man coverage between the hashes for what would likely have been a 20-yard gain. But the ball never came his way. Why? Sheldon Rankins, one of the best players on that Saints defense, gets home for a sack.

Lined up against Stefen Wisniewski, Rankins stabs the center with both hands, and Wisniewski immediately turns to his right. Did Rankins force him to do it with that punch? Did Wiz believe that a stunt was coming from the other defensive tackle and was he trying to put himself in position to block for that? I'm not sure. But he opens up hips to the sideline and Rankins darts into the backfield for a sack. Isaac Seumalo, at left guard, had his eyes on a looping defender at the second level, so he was not in position to help the center, leaving Rankins unimpeded on his way to the quarterback. The Eagles take a sack and are forced to punt.

The Eagles did go for it on fourth down on their opening drive of the second half and a chance for a big play slipped through their grasp, literally. It's a 3x1 set with a bunch formation to the left. This will be a version of a three-level stretch play on that side of the field with routes hitting the deep, short, and intermediate areas of the secondary. Golden Tate would break wide open in that intermediate area. That's certainly where Wentz wants to go with the football. But the quarterback doesn't get the snap cleanly, as he juggles the ball. By the time he corrals it, he knows the timing is off with the three-level stretch and immediately goes to his backside safety route with Ertz. An errant throw forces a turnover on downs.