Posted November 22, 20231 yr Lucky vs Good Posted: November 22nd, 2023 | Author: Tommy Lawlor The Eagles have the best record in the NFL at 9-1. Plenty of analysts consider the Eagles the best team in the league. There are some who have questions, which I think is fair. Plenty of opposing fans see the Eagles as overrated. Great record? Yes, but some lucky wins in there. Nick Sirianni’s team knows how to win. No one can question that. What we haven’t seen from them is their A-game. The Eagles haven’t come out and blown the doords off another team for a full 60 minutes. They have had dominant stretches, but nothing matches what we’ve seen from Dallas or SF or Miami or Buffalo at their best. They have been dominant with a capital D. At times. Those teams also have at least three losses. When they aren’t clicking on all cylinders, they become vulnerable. That’s where the Eagles are different. They find a way to win. Sometimes it is the running game. Sometimes it is Jalen Hurts and the passing game. Sometimes the defense steals the show. The Eagles don’t panic when they fall behind. They trailed Washington by double-digits in both games, but also won both. The Eagles trailed by 10 on Monday night and came back to win. They just lock in and keep grinding. It isn’t always pretty, but aside from a miserable afternoon in New Jersey, they win. People wanting an extreme point of comparison have brought up last year’s Vikings. They went 13-4, winning a lot of games in odd fashion. The Vikings got to the playoffs and got handled by Daniel Jones and the Giants. They had a negative point differential for the season. DVOA had them ranked as one of the worst teams in the league despite their record. The Eagles have a point differential of +61 this year. DVOA doesn’t love the Birds. They’re only 10th. I think the lack of blowout wins affects that. But the Eagles do have some quality wins. They beat: 7-3 KC 7-3 DAL 7-3 MIA 6-5 MIN And the upcoming schedule (BUF, SF, DAL, SEA) leaves more opportunities for big wins. The Eagles are a good team. Anyone questioning that is an irrational fan or maybe Skip Bayless (or is he also an irrational fan?). The gauntlet will give us an idea just how good. Then there is the postseason, where you get a chance to erase any doubts and secure your place in history. I do think the Eagles ability to win games in different ways can serve them well in the postseason. Think about the Super Bowl team beating Atlanta in a tough, defensive game on a cold night. Then think about those same Eagles beating the Patriots in a shootout in a dome. ***** Some people might point out the Eagles as being lucky for winning last night when Marquez Valdes-Scantling dropped a potential game-winning pass. You can make that argument. But you can also point out that the Eagles took the lead after DeVonta Smith caught a 41-yard pass to set up a TD. Both teams had a chance to make a big play and win. The Eagles did that, KC didn’t. Is that luck or is that talent? DeVonta would immediately be the best WR on the Chiefs. They traded Tyreek Hill last year and have been trying to find someone to emerge. That hasn’t happened. Howie Roseman has a star QB in Jalen Hurts. He’s done a great job of surrounding Hurts with talented playmakers. Even a historically good QB like Patrick Mahomes needs guys who can make plays. ***** One big difference from last year to this year is upgrading from Jonathan Gannon to Sean Desai. That shows the ability to adjust during games. There were times when Gannon seemed to struggled adjusting within a season. The defense is still a work in progress thanks to all the changes in the secondary, but we’ve seen real progress from this team. This group has a chance to play well down the stretch. The front is dominant at times and the secondary has potential if they can just stay healthy. ***** The Colts cut LB Shaq Leonard. He was a big time playmaker from 2018-2021. He got injured last year and only played in three games. Leonard has started nine games this year, but hasn’t been the same level of player. I doubt the Eagles claim him with that salary, but they could talk to him if he goes unclaimed. Interesting player. http://igglesblitz.com/2023/11/lucky-vs-good/
November 23, 20231 yr Look if we were narrowly beating bad teams then it’s fair to question just how good we are. But we’ve beaten Dallas, Kansas, Miami (even their offense was red hot) and some teams very much in the play off hunt. We still don’t know how good we are. We still don’t know if this team has another level or whether what we’ve seen is as good as it is going to get. But it’s been good enough so far and good enough is all it takes.
November 27, 20231 yr On 11/23/2023 at 11:35 AM, UK_EaglesFan89 said: Look if we were narrowly beating bad teams then it’s fair to question just how good we are. But we’ve beaten Dallas, Kansas, Miami (even their offense was red hot) and some teams very much in the play off hunt. We still don’t know how good we are. We still don’t know if this team has another level or whether what we’ve seen is as good as it is going to get. But it’s been good enough so far and good enough is all it takes. We just saw the "other level" in the 2nd half vs the bills. 30 points. And the luck vs good argument is ridiculous. I've listened to that debate for years, and the fact is that football is a game of constant performance and that even the pros make mistakes, misreads and bad plays. If Valdez-Scandling or any other player drops a pass during a blowout, it's hardly mentioned....and it happens all the time. But do it when the game is on the line and obviously, it gets way more attention. The difference with this eagles team, is that they make mistakes, and are a little inconsistent......but they perform when the pressure is on.....they keep their heads and they do what needs to be done. THAT is the trait of a very good team. That is a trait that is essential for playoff success. They're a legitimate 10-1......and the biggest contender for the super bowl in the NFC right now.
November 27, 20231 yr 17 minutes ago, birdman#12 said: We just saw the "other level" in the 2nd half vs the bills. 30 points. I mean I can’t argue with that. I was going to say that they need to play a complete game to win these tough games but look they just beat Dallas, Kansas City and Buffalo so… They probably don’t.
November 28, 20231 yr Author 13 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said: I mean I can’t argue with that. I was going to say that they need to play a complete game to win these tough games but look they just beat Dallas, Kansas City and Buffalo so… They probably don’t. They've proven they don't need to ... but it sure would make it easier on the fans!
November 28, 20231 yr 7 hours ago, time2rock said: They've proven they don't need to ... but it sure would make it easier on the fans! Well they're probably moving a lot of blood pressure meds.
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