Eagles-Colts: Saturday Six Pack

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

The third week of preseason plays proves to be the most crucial for players trying to make the team as the NFL season prepares to begin. That makes the Eagles game all the more important against the Indianapolis Colts.

The first two weeks have shown continued struggled for the offense while the defense has shined against lesser talent. But in Week 3, the playing field should be leveled out with first-team players opposing one another for, more than likely, an entire half of football.

Here are six storylines to watch in Saturday's game.

Dorial Green-Beckham – The Eagles brought Green-Beckham in, not only to jump right into the wide receiver battle, but to put some heat on the other wide receivers. This is not only Green-Beckham's first chance to see significant playing time after a week's preparation with the rest of the offense, but also a chance to see if his presence at practice gets another other receivers to step up.

Stephen Tulloch – This is also the debut for newly-signed linebacker Stephen Tulloch. There are really no expectations on this one. Let's just see what the 11th-year veteran has left in the tank after going unsigned for the entire offseason.

Eagles Secondary – So far, so good for the Eagles secondary, who have been big players in the Eagles getting nine turnovers in two games, including six interceptions. That said, this is a chance to face some higher talent, and this will be Andrew Luck the Eagles are facing, not Landry Jones. This is as good a preseason test as this secondary will face.

Jim Schwartz's Defensive Scheme – Much like the secondary, so far, so good. Schwartz's scheme has shown signs of success, as the Eagles are forcing turnovers by pressuring the quarterback and getting mistakes. So by facing first-team players on offense, it's not just the secondary that gets its biggest test, it's the entire defense. 

Sam Bradford – In the third preseason game last season, Sam Bradford was a perfect 10-for-10 and that got everybody buzzing about the QB's presence in the offense. While another perfect night isn't a fair expectation by any means, similar consistency from Bradford would be a welcome sign in what will likely be among his final tuneups before the season begins.

Stefen Wisniewski – This would also have been the biggest test for rookie Isaac Seumalo, who has been getting starting time. But Seumalo is out with a pectoral injury, which opens the door for offseason acquisition Stefen Wisniewski to get some time with the first team. If he makes the most of the opportunity, it could turn into a key position battle as the preseason winds down.

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