5 ways the Eagles are different (read better) since 48-7 loss to Saints in November

PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles haven't forgotten their last trip to New Orleans, when they were thoroughly embarrassed 48-7 by the Saints on Nov. 18.

They fell behind 17-0 early in the game, 31-7 early in the third quarter. They lost several players to injury.

It was a disaster in every way possible.

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As Eagles' defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz put it, "There were some good plays in there. They were hard to find."

By the time the game was over, the Eagles' record was 4-6. They were mired in third place in the NFC East, one game ahead of the last-place Giants. The possibility of a playoff rematch with the Saints, who improved to 9-1 with the win, was laughable.

Yet here the Eagles are. They have won 6 of 7 since that dreadful game at the Mercedes Benz Superdome, including a heart-stopping 16-15 win over the Chicago Bears in the NFC wildcard playoffs.

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So as they begin preparing for their divisional round game against the top-seeded Saints, here are five ways the Eagles are a different team than the one that faced the Saints nearly two months ago.

1. Nick Foles is the QB

Perhaps you have heard that Nick Foles has taken over for Carson Wentz at quarterback after Wentz was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his back. Foles has won all four of his starts since Wentz left the lineup.

Wentz had the worst game of his career in terms of passer rating, at 31.9, against New Orleans. He threw three interceptions, tying his career high for a game. And he threw for 156 yards, the third lowest of his career.

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It wasn't all Wentz's fault, of course.

Foles has been in sync with the offense, especially on third and fourth downs. In four games in those situations, Foles has completed 82.6 percent of his passes (38 of 46) for 431 yards, with five touchdowns, an interception and a 132.9 passer rating.

2. Tate is Golden now

Golden Tate was only in his second game with the Eagles back then, after the Eagles acquired him in a trade with the Detroit Lions on Oct. 30.

The Eagles were still trying to figure out how to use him, and he wasn't much of a factor against the Saints, with five catches for 48 yards.

While Tate had the same amount of catches for two fewer yards against the Bears, the receptions had a much bigger impact.

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He made a clutch 28-yard catch over the middle in the second quarter before getting slammed in the ribs. And there was that game-winning touchdown on fourth down from the Bears' 2 yard line.

"That's what we expected out of him and we have to do more of that," Eagles coach Doug Pederson said.

3. Secondary nowhere near primary

The Eagles' secondary came into the game without starting cornerbacks Ronald Darby and Jalen Mills, who were both injured in the previous two games. During the game, they lost three more cornerbacks to injury – Rasul Douglas (knee, ankle), Sidney Jones (hamstring) and Avonte Maddox (knee, ankle).

By the midway point of the third quarter, the three cornerbacks on the field with Malcolm Jenkins were Chandon Sullivan, De'Vante Bausby and Cre'Von LeBlanc. They were no match for Saints QB Drew Brees, who threw for 363 yards and 4 TDs and completed 76.7 percent of his passes.

Of the three, LeBlanc is the only one still on the 53-man roster (Sullivan is on the practice squad and Bausby was released). The game against the Saints was LeBlanc's first time playing on defense as an Eagle. 

Now, he's a vital player in the secondary.

"I don't know where we'd be without Cre'," Schwartz said, crediting the scouting department for claiming him off waivers Nov. 7. "That might have been the key to our season, putting the waiver claim in on him. I had never heard of Cre'Von LeBlanc before."

The Eagles have learned to adapt since then. Darby and Mills are on injured reserve, and Jones has missed eight of 11 games. But Douglas has become more comfortable and dependable at corner, and Maddox has played well on the other side.

Will that be good enough to contain Brees and star wide receiver Michael Thomas, who led the NFL with 125 catches? Maybe not, but at least the Eagles defensive backs have had time to adjust to their new reality.

4. Sproles is back

Darren Sproles was hamstrung in more ways than one back then. Sproles suffered the injury in practice after the season opener. He had returned to practice the week before the game against the Saints, only to re-injure it.

Sproles didn't play for another three weeks. He, too, has helped the Eagles' offense with his speed, his matchup problems and his leadership.

Sproles was a dimension the Saints didn't have to worry about in the first meeting. And yes, Sproles will be excited to play his first game back in New Orleans since he was traded to the Eagles in the spring of 2014.

5. So is the swagger

The Eagles were coming off a demoralizing loss to the Cowboys at home before playing the Saints. Center Jason Kelce was talking about accountability after that loss, saying they were making too many mistakes on offense in their slow starts and not taking advantage of opportunities.

They were reeling with injuries. In addition to the secondary, the defensive line was banged up too. 

Then the Saints exploited all of that.

It's completely different now, as Pederson pointed out. 

"This team believes in everything that we're doing," he said. "You saw it (Sunday), and we're different. It's a different mindset. It's a different football team."

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.