Don't try to convince Saints defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins that the Philadelphia Eagles are nothing less than a desperate team heading into Sunday's NFC clash in New Orleans.
"Don't let the record fool you," Saints defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins said about the Eagles, per Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune. "This is a damn good team with playmakers everywhere, and at this point, they're in a fight for their lives in their division. ... They're in a fight for their lives, so they're backed into a corner and they're going to bring the whole kitchen sink at us. It'd definitely be big to get this win."
Rankins is well aware the Saints can't afford to take the Eagles lightly even though New Orleans has been munching through NFC teams like a bucket of crawfish. Following their loss to the Dallas Cowboys last week, the Eagles could use an upset to get back on track. Despite losing four of their last six, they're still only two games behind the NFC East-leading Washington Redskins.
For the Saints, Sunday's matchup presents a viable chance to extend their winning streak to nine games. New Orleans' high-powered offense, which ranks first in scoring, will be a quite a challenge for the Eagles, who rank 16th overall in defense and 23rd against the pass. If Drew Brees has his way Sunday, the Saints could become the first team of the Super Bowl era to amass six 40-plus point games in the first 10 games of a season, per NFL Research.
"When we play the way we're supposed to play, we feel like we're hard to beat," Brees said.
Still, it seems no one on the Saints is underestimating the defending Super Bowl champs heading into what could be a make-or-break game for Philly's season.
