Week 12 of the electrifying NFL season has come to a close, and while fans have fallen in love with the Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens as prime Super Bowl contenders, there’s another team flying under the radar that deserves your attention. This team is currently on a seven-game winning streak and is leading the NFC East. When healthy, this team has dynamic players at every skilled position, and this team has been well-balanced on both sides of the ball. This team is the Philadelphia Eagles.
Why hasn’t there been much talk about the Eagles as legit Super Bowl contenders? The main reason could be the slow start of their season. The Eagles opened the season just 2-2 with losses to the Atlanta Falcons and a blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the first loss to the Falcons, the Eagles failed to execute late in the game when their superstar running back Saquon Barkley dropped a crucial short pass on third down that stopped the clock with 1:46 left and forced the Eagles to kick a field goal instead getting a first down that would’ve sealed the game. To make matters worse, the Eagles’ defense could not stop Kirk Cousins, who went 5 of 6 for 70 yards on the final drive that ended in a touchdown and an extra point, which gave the Falcons the game. In the Buccaneers game, the Eagles just looked awful offensively and defensively. They got off to a slow start and didn’t have an answer to anything the Bucc threw at them. Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers completed 30 of 47 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. In contrast, Jalen Hurts finished 18 of 30 for 158 yards and one touchdown.
In the first five games, the Eagles failed to score in the first quarter, marking a streak that hasn’t occurred since 1934. Head coach Nick Sirianni has identified poor execution as the primary reason for the team’s slow starts in these games.
“If there was something magic, we would be doing it,” Sirianni said. “We’ve got to put the guys in positions to succeed. We’ve got to be ready, and the guys have to go out and execute. It’s always going to be that.”
The poor starts to games continued for two more games, and the Eagles became the first team in NFL history to go eight games without scoring a single point in the first quarter, dating back to their last regular-season game against the New York Giants last season. However, the team has turned its season around, and despite their slow starts, they have won seven games in a row.
Now that the slow slump is over for the Eagles, here’s why people should talk about them as legit Super Bowl contenders. For one, when they’re healthy, they’re hard to beat. At the beginning of the season, their Pro Bowl receiver, A.J. Brown, was out because of a hamstring injury he suffered during week 2. During the games he missed, the team went 1-2 without him, but in the Tampa Bay game, the Eagles were without Brown and their No. 2 receiver DeVonta Smith.
Despite not having his team at full strength, Hurts took accountability for his team’s struggles. “I think overall I just have to play better,” said Hurts. “It starts with me in terms of getting into the end zone and leading drives. The only thing I can say, I’ve got to be better.”
Smith did not participate in the recent 37-20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. However, prior to that game, the wide receiver duo had played together in six of the seven games during their winning streak. Notably, the team remains undefeated this season when both players are in the lineup.
Another reason the Eagles are a force to be reckoned with this season is their exciting new addition, Saquon Barkley. This year, Barkley has positioned himself as one of the top running backs in the entire league. His dynamic play and electrifying skills will keep the Eagles in every game. All year Barkley has been a beast. He leads the league in total rushing yards with 1,392 and in yards per game with 126.5. In their most recent game against the Rams, Barkley made history with his 72-yard TD, which set a franchise record with 255 rushing yards. His historic performance broke LeSean McCoy’s single-game franchise rushing record. His 255 yards were the ninth-most in a single game in NFL history, and the most by an NFL player since Jonathan Taylor’s 253-yard outing against the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021.
Barkley’s incredible performance on the field has garnered him rave reviews from his teammates. Brown, in particular, didn’t hold back, declaring that not only is Barkley the best running back in the league, but he’s also the best player, period.
“You already the best running back in the world, I think you’re the best player in the world,” Brown said.
The last reason why people shouldn’t sleep on the Eagles is that their defense has dramatically improved. At the beginning of the season, the Eagles’ defense showed promise, but now they have truly stepped up, playing at an elite level and making a significant impact on the team’s success.
The Eagles have demonstrated impressive defensive prowess during their seven-game winning streak, leading the NFL with 27 sacks. Additionally, they have held seven consecutive opponents to 100 or fewer rushing yards, a feat that has not been accomplished by an Eagles defense since 1991. They’ve also gone seven straight games allowing fewer than 300 yards and allowed an average of just 222 yards and 12.6 points per game during that span.
Just when it seemed like the Detroit Lions were destined to take the NFC by storm, here come the Philadelphia Eagles, stealthily closing the gap! The Lions are indeed showcasing some incredible football, but they can’t afford a single misstep. With the Eagles just a game behind, the race for the top spot is heating up, and the tension is palpable! Will the Lions hold their ground, or will the Eagles swoop in for the lead? We will see as the season continues to unfold.
