Word to the wise: If you’re a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, leave your Super Bowl ring in its box at home.
Definitely don’t let Jalen Hurts, Jordan Mailata or Nick Sirianni catch you wearing it as you prepare for the new season. The Eagles may be in prime position to repeat as champions, but they refuse to even entertain that mindset[1].
“Whatever we did last year, that’s in the rearview mirror. We’re not defending nothing,” Mailata said this summer.[2] “We’re not the defending champs. We’re the 2024 world champions. That’s it. We’re not defending (expletive).”
Sirianni caught a lot of grief from his own fans early last year, but he has his players in the right frame of mind, an almost Belichickian insistence that they’re on to their next assignment.
“I think that when teams are trying so hard to repeat or trying so hard to recapture, there are two mistakes that they make,” Sirianni said. “They either are looking at their past accomplishments or they’re looking too far into the future of how do you do that again?”
If Philadelphia falls short of another Lombardi Trophy, mentality won’t be the culprit.
But there are two potential sore spots to watch if you root for the Birds.
Let’s start with the runner-up to the actual Achilles’ heel. The Eagles should have no trouble running the ball to begin the season. They still have perhaps the best line in football, and the signing of Saquon Barkley is what truly put them over the top last year.
You know how many running backs have had 2,000-yard seasons, now that Barkley has joined the club? Nine. You know how many have done it twice? None.
It would be foolish not to expect a slight dip in production for Barkley this year[3], even if a 1,600-yard rushing season would still be terrific. But the bigger concern is his wear and tear — and how he looks in Week 14 compared to Week 1.
The Eagles need Barkley fresh at the end of the season, when they face their chief division rival, the Washington Commanders, in Weeks 16 and 18 with a trip to Buffalo in between. And with No. 2 running back Kenneth Gainwell gone, the job of spelling Barkley falls to rookie Will Shipley and veteran A.J. Dillon, whose prime may already be behind him. Will they be effective?
But the offense isn’t the true concern. ESPN recently ranked every team’s positional groups, and the Eagles landed in the top 10 across the board on offense — besides tight end, which came in at No. 14.
One spot, though, stuck out like a sore thumb: edge rusher. Philadelphia ranked No. 31.
Getting to the quarterback is paramount in today’s NFL. The Eagles were fine last year, amassing 41 sacks, right around the league median. They added 16 more in the playoffs.
But leading sack artist Josh Sweat left in free agency, and veteran Brandon Graham retired, leaving them very young at the position. Besides Nolan Smith — who had 6.5 sacks in the regular season and four more in the playoffs — it’s unclear what they really have. Jalyx Hunt? Giants castoff Azeez Ojulari?
Philly has to face Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen this season, two of the hardest quarterbacks to bring down. Even the Giants nominally upgraded at the position with a still-somewhat-mobile Russell Wilson. The Eagles could use a true drive-killing cannonball off the edge.
This team doesn’t carry the same air of dynastic inevitability the Chiefs had earlier this decade. Maybe it’s all the faux doubt people still spew about Hurts.
Still, this is one of the best teams in the league for the fourth year in a row. But against a brutal schedule, a crack or two in the armor could be enough to end their hopes of repeating.
References
- ^ but they refuse to even entertain that mindset (deadspin.com)
- ^ Mailata said this summer. (www.cbssports.com)
- ^ expect a slight dip in production for Barkley this year (deadspin.com)