The Eagles Are 6–2. But How Comfortable Should We Feel?
The 2024 Eagles are 6–2 — largely thanks to acrobatic one-handed catches from Devonta Smith, Saquon Barkley’s slicing, back-flipping, spinning, power running, Zach Baun’s bone-crushing hits, and a young secondary that is not playing like — well — rookies.
But is this team positioned for a Super Bowl run?
Generally speaking — when your NFL team begins a run to the Super Bowl — you know it. And granted, these Eagles have weathered adversity. They certainly have an opportunity to overtake the struggling Cowboys, injured 49ers, and can play with the NFC-best Lions. They’ve already beaten the Packers, should have beaten the Falcons, and would matchup well against the Vikings. But they also continued yet another chapter of being dominated by Todd Bowles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and lost a last minute game to the Atlanta Falcons.
Twenty years ago — when Andy Reid’s Eagles added Terrell Owens and Javon Kearse — it was clear that they were positioned to overcome past NFC Championship Game disasters and advance to the Super Bowl. In January of 2005, that is exactly what they did. In 1980, Dick Vermeil’s Eagles had been on the upswing — and were ready to make a run at the Championship. Philly was ready, too.
And in 2022–2023 — when a staunch Eagles defense was coupled with the addition of A.J. Brown on offense — a young Eagles offense that featured nearly 28.06 points per game fell only three points short in Super Bowl LVII.
Even last season, when a 10–1 Eagles team descended into late-season mediocrity — the looked less and less like a Super Bowl contender. And 2011’s Eagles team that Vince Young triumphantly proclaimed to be a “dream team” in Training Camp?
Let’s just say it turned into more of a nightmare.
The lone exception to the rule will also be 2018 — when the determination of Nick Foles, Doug Pederson, took the Eagles into unexpected euphoria. Can these Eagles make a run that would take them to NFC supremacy?
Absolutely. Will they do so?
Don’t bet the ranch on it. At least not yet.
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