In our NFL Week 13 recap, the Eagles did more than beat the Ravens relatively comfortably on the road. They proved a key point that the disaster that befell them in the final month of the 2023 season is unlikely to happen again.
They are a viable threat to derail the Detroit Lions’ seemingly unstoppable march to the Super Bowl.
Some reasons are obvious. Others are more understated.
The Star Running Back
If a running back amasses 107 yards on the ground, scores a touchdown, and elicits the reaction, “That’s all?” it means he’s having a tremendous, MVP-caliber year.
Such is the case with Saquon Barkley. In addition to his acquisition looking like one of the best free agent signings in NFL history, the Giants’ bad-mouthing him on the way out the door could give Philly the dual chuckle of taking a star player from their I-95 rivals and simultaneously getting New York’s general manager and head coach fired.
He was the primary addition giving the Eagles a home run threat every time he touches the ball, which they missed in previous years under head coach Nick Sirianni.
Speaking of Sirianni…
After their 2023 collapse, the easy move — some might even have said the obvious move — was to fire Sirianni.
One year ago today, Philadelphia was 10-1 after consecutive victories over two of the AFC’s best, Kansas City and Buffalo. But on Dec. 3, San Francisco blew them out 42-19. This was the start of a three-game losing streak. They defeated the Giants on Christmas Day, then lost the final two games of the regular season. Tampa Bay pushed them around in the Wild Card game, winning 32-9.
Sirianni is a good coach, but he argues with fans, behaves immaturely, and can be humorless. His front-running attitude rubbed off on his players. When adversity struck, they folded.
Instead of firing Sirianni, owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman hired new offensive and defensive coordinators, both of whom have vastly different personalities to the fiery and emotional (sometimes overly so) head coach.
Kellen Moore, known for his offensive innovations from his days with the Cowboys, was hired as the OC.
Veteran defensive mind Vic Fangio was hired as the DC. Fangio’s style is conservative aggression and it has paid dividends with one of the league’s toughest defenses as evidenced by Cooper DeJean’s crowd-silencing hit on the Ravens’ heretofore unstoppable force Derrick Henry.
NFL Week 13 Recap: The Eagles’ Path is Now Clear
Philadelphia’s schedule is favorable with games against Carolina, Washington, Dallas, and the Giants. If Detroit slips up and the teams end up tied, Philly could steal the one seed and perhaps the inside track to the Super Bowl.
The 24-19 win over Baltimore was not as close as the score suggests. Philadelphia was a 3-point underdog and won outright against a tough team on the road. It’s a great sign for their prospects when the playoffs get underway.
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