Redemption: Eagles Must Forget February, Focus On September -

After collapsing in the Super Bowl the Philadelphia Eagles need to bounce back quickly. Did they do enough in the offseason?

After leading 24-14 in the Super Bowl, the Philadelphia Eagles looked like they were about to cruise to a Lombardi, Barring a massive collapse on both sides of the ball. the Eagles could hold on. Yet, unfortunately, that is exactly what happened. In no way does this diminish what the Chiefs accomplished. The earned that championship, fair and square. However, how does a team that started so well, proceeded to falter, when it matters most? Additionally, how do the Eagles shake back and focus on the season ahead?

Remember The Run Game

During the 2022 season, Miles Sanders ran for 1269 yards. However, he carried the ball just seven times. Sanders departed for Carolina. Now, D’Andre Swift returns home to Philly, presumably as the lead back. Swift adds a dimension. He catches passes well and shows the route acumen to play all three downs. In addition, Swift still boasts plenty of tread on the tired with only 520 NFL touches. Fresh legs with a chip on the shoulder should see a new Swift. For different reason, free agent signee Rashaad Penny doesn’t show the the wear and tear. Penny suffers injuries that seem to last weeks and destroys his season. Despite the media’s preoccupation with Jalen Hurts’ squat strength, the Eagles need their running backs to carry the ball more, salting time away.

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by Full Press Coverage on May 27, 2023 at 7:49 pm

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Getting Home When It Counts

Granted, the Eagles notched seventy sacks in 2022. Yet, in the biggest game of the year, that pass rush looked stale, lifeless and passive. In the spring, Philly dratted Jalen Carter, and let Javon Hargrave walk in free agency. On the field, Carter flashed dominance. Off the field, Carter needs to mature quickly. Philadelphia is not the city to struggle with maturity. Meanwhile, Nolan Smith waits in the wings to start in subpackages. The rookie will watch Haason Reddick thrive in the rush role. At the same time, Smith’s athleticism could manifest itself by landing a starting spot on the weak side, No matter how you slice it, the Eagles must close games, not just regualr season affairs. The Super Bowl should leave a rotten taste in the defense’s mouth.

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Coordinator Footprints

if you ever wanted to see how much coordinators mean to a playoff team, watch how the team performs when they leave, First on offense, Brian Johnson takes over for Shane Steichen who left for Indianapolis. In Johnson’s favor, he tutored Jalen Hurts, as the quarterback coach. Under those circumstances, the offense and what Hurts feels most comfortable will continue. Continuity builds consistency. On the other side of the ball, Sean Desai takes over for Jonathan Gannon. Desai, a Vic Fangio disciple loves to get home without a heavy blitz, and zone behind him. On the surface, that feels like a backwards step. Yet, without heavy reliance on the blitz, those cavernous holes won’t allow teams to keep drives moving.

Mindset

The Philadelphia Eagles fell apart during the Super Bowl. In front of the planet, the team fell into the abyss and could not hold on. With that said, the past is just that, the past. Now, they need to erase the horrors of February and look towards September. Ignore the lingering questions, Forget the barbs from former teammates that want that fifteen minutes of airtime. While nothing is ever guaranteed., that big game failure needs to serve a motivation.