My greatest fear about the Eagles’ 2020 season

[UK_EaglesFan89]

My greatest fear about the Eagles’ 2020 season

 

For some, your worst fear has been realized: the Philadelphia Eagles are a bad football team. They’re actually THE worst team in the NFL by DVOA standards.

But is the way this season is unfolding actually the worst case scenario for the Birds?

I mean, it’s obviously not preferable. Ideally the Eagles would be 2-0 and Carson Wentz would be looking like an early MVP candidate.

That’s just not the reality, though.

Even if the Eagles do manage to rally from such a poor start, which can’t be ruled out, their ceiling is likely limited. They’ve made the playoffs just three out of the 17 years they’ve started 0-2. They’ve won exactly one playoff game during a season that began with two straight losses.

With that in mind, my worst fear about the 2020 Eagles isn’t that they’ll continue to lose and be a bad team. It’s that they’ll rally to around an 8-8 record (give or take a game, 7-9 or 9-7) and maybe make the playoffs as a seventh seed before going one-and-done.

I have reason to believe the Eagles haven’t been completely honest with themselves about how the past two seasons have gone. How they unconvincingly qualified for the postseason hasn’t mattered as much as the bottom line that they did make it. The feeling here is that’s dangerous and delusional results-over-process oriented thinking. And if the early 2020 season results are any indication, the proof is in the pudding: they clearly weren’t as close to contending as they thought they were.

So, it’s my belief that a wake-up call is in order. In the long run, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if the 2020 team bottomed out and the organization realized that significant changes need to be made.

I realize that not everyone’s going to be on board with this line of thinking. And if you’re not, well, I can’t blame you. You’re not ready to give up after just two games and you want the Eagles to win every week. I totally get it. I’m not saying you have to share my opinion; I’m merely expressing mine.

I’m just not seeing it with this group. There are many on-field concerns to go along with bad juju off the field. Their realistic best case scenario in 2020 alone could be their worst-case scenario for the long-term.

https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2020/9/24/21454575/eagles-2020-season-bgn-radio-podcast-preview-philadelphia-nfl-news-howie-roseman-carson-wentz

I'm with BLG... This team could find a way to rally and ultimately hurt itself in the long run.

[weko]

I really can't believe how bad our pass defense is.  Our LBs are brutally bad in coverage and our safeties aren't much better.  I can't see us winning that many games or coming close to the playoffs if we allow 350 yard passing every week.  It's not hard for these QBs to throw it down the field against us.  We just don't have any talent on D to stop it.  Slay will take out one WR.  Everyone else is in play for a big game.  I think the primary question is, exactly how bad will it be?  7-9, 6-10 or major crash and burn.

[UK_EaglesFan89]

Just now, weko said:

I really can't believe how bad our pass defense is.  Our LBs are brutally bad in coverage and our safeties aren't much better.  I can't see us winning that many games or coming close to the playoffs if we allow 350 yard passing every week.  It's not hard for these QBs to throw it down the field against us.  We just don't have any talent on D to stop it.  Slay will take out one WR.  Everyone else is in play for a big game.  I think the primary question is, exactly how bad will it be?  7-9, 6-10 or major crash and burn.

And this is just my issue. 

I was just talking to a close friend of mine and when I talk about it that's when it really blows my mind. 

He's a SF fan and when I told him that we were so far over the cap next year he couldn't quite believe it. Because... Where are the star players that justify the kind of cap?

[20dawk4life]

Trust the process? 

[20dawk4life]

11 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

And this is just my issue. 

I was just talking to a close friend of mine and when I talk about it that's when it really blows my mind. 

He's a SF fan and when I told him that we were so far over the cap next year he couldn't quite believe it. Because... Where are the star players that justify the kind of cap?

The problem is we are constantly making people the highest paid player in the league or history of the NFL. 

[DeathByEagle]

13 hours ago, weko said:

I really can't believe how bad our pass defense is. 

Not surprised at all. Ive said it over and over that Jim's defensive scheme puts the DBs and LBs in a no win situation if we do not get instant qb pressure. I said the signing of Coleman and the trade of Slay wont change that issue. Until Jim is gone, I dont expect a good pass defense at all. I will give it to Jim that he on avg does have a good run stopping defense but his scheme just give no help to the pass coverage. 14 more games to go till his contract is expired and change is upon us. 

[brkmsn]

This concept is incredibly absurd and I don't fully understand how anybody can buy into it. 

Right now, it's still September. A team can change a lot from now until January. You're not going to find an article saying the Eagles have looked good so far, but you'd be hard-pressed to find one that doesn't acknowledge they are underperforming. That means that pretty much everybody expects this team to look better than they have. The mistakes I'm seeing seem like the kind you would expect during a typical preseason. 

So what does this mean? It means that this team can correct stuff and start playing much better. We don't know if this will happen. I've seen teams over the years lose their way and come apart too. A team that does actually turn things around usually builds a strong locker room and trust in each other. A team like that can be tough to beat in January. 

As fans, you get behind your team and pull for them now. It makes absolutely no sense to root for the 2021 or 2022 team now, just 2 games into the 2020 season. I mean, get a grip ... grow a set ... man up ... stop crying ... Are we really afraid of a little adversity? What will happen in 2021 or 2022? We have no idea, but losing this year isn't going to "help." There are no guarantees whatsoever. That's why you never throw away a season. 

[DeathByEagle]

15 minutes ago, brkmsn said:

This concept is incredibly absurd and I don't fully understand how anybody can buy into it. 

Right now, it's still September. A team can change a lot from now until January. You're not going to find an article saying the Eagles have looked good so far, but you'd be hard-pressed to find one that doesn't acknowledge they are underperforming. That means that pretty much everybody expects this team to look better than they have. The mistakes I'm seeing seem like the kind you would expect during a typical preseason. 

So what does this mean? It means that this team can correct stuff and start playing much better. We don't know if this will happen. I've seen teams over the years lose their way and come apart too. A team that does actually turn things around usually builds a strong locker room and trust in each other. A team like that can be tough to beat in January. 

As fans, you get behind your team and pull for them now. It makes absolutely no sense to root for the 2021 or 2022 team now, just 2 games into the 2020 season. I mean, get a grip ... grow a set ... man up ... stop crying ... Are we really afraid of a little adversity? What will happen in 2021 or 2022? We have no idea, but losing this year isn't going to "help." There are no guarantees whatsoever. That's why you never throw away a season. 

You must not have read the record predictions before the season started. Many felt this team was not going to do well. Having a realistic view does not mean your crying. Yes you want the best for your team, but you also have to have realistic expectations. Ive been saying 7-9 or 8-8 since March. Funny that people said I was crazy, bt as the offseason went on and on, more and more now have those same expectations. I only gave us 7 wins cause the div was so bad. Honestly it could be worse but as you stated sometimes teams will grow and correct a few things which is why I went as high as 7 or 8 wins otherwise it would be less for me. 

[weko]

13 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

And this is just my issue. 

I was just talking to a close friend of mine and when I talk about it that's when it really blows my mind. 

He's a SF fan and when I told him that we were so far over the cap next year he couldn't quite believe it. Because... Where are the star players that justify the kind of cap?

It's the perfect storm of bad management finally hitting the product on the field.  You can only bandaid years of horrible drafting for so long.  Throw in bad schemes, unimaginative play calling and play design, poor coaching to go along with an aging roster mostly void of young talent and at some point it all falls apart.  I think that time is now.  We need a complete reboot.  Need to move Ertz & Cox at the deadline for two 2s, maybe a 3 & 4.  Barnett for a 3/4, Jackson for a 5/6, Mills a 6/7, 

[NOTW]

You don't play to lose the game or tank.  But this team typically believes its own hype and excuses, so scraping back (even against bad teams in a bad division) to get to .500 or win the division gives them a false sense that they're onto something, they just need to tweak this or that and not make major changes.

Part of this is because they won the SB which is great they finally won.  People warned of SB hangover and the next year they made the playoffs and won a game with yet again the backup QB.  The following year they had a lot of injuries, Carson was finally healthy the whole regular season and they managed to win the division and make the playoffs.  So they think they're not far off.

Listening to them this week they're all saying they have the talent and just need to fight, just need to keep working.  You don't get the sense that they need to adjust their scheme, change plays to suit Carson, run more to protect Wentz, change defensive strategy so WRs aren't wide open...

[brkmsn]

12 hours ago, NOTW said:

Listening to them this week they're all saying they have the talent and just need to fight, just need to keep working.  You don't get the sense that they need to adjust their scheme, change plays to suit Carson, run more to protect Wentz, change defensive strategy so WRs aren't wide open...

I don't think we witnessed their true "scheme" in action. I think the poor blocking and QB mistakes in week 1 derailed the "grand scheme" which forced them to compensate with a quick pass game last week (which is something they don't really want to do). I personally believe they tend to try to force things a bit (early on) when they are struggling in areas. I don't subscribe to the theory that you pass your way out of a passing funk. I would turn to the run a bit more. Also, instead of calling a designed screen (which everybody expects) after a 1st down sack, maybe pull that screen out on 1st down. At least try not to do what people expect (when you are struggling). You don't have to make it easy for defenses. 

Last week was a little weird. The plan was successful in preventing the sacks, but that style doesn't really suit Wentz. We could have run more, but they may have been trying not to do too much with Sanders in his first action back from injury. I expect to see something a little more Doug's style this week. 

[Madriver]

14 hours ago, brkmsn said:

This concept is incredibly absurd and I don't fully understand how anybody can buy into it. 

Right now, it's still September. A team can change a lot from now until January. You're not going to find an article saying the Eagles have looked good so far, but you'd be hard-pressed to find one that doesn't acknowledge they are underperforming. That means that pretty much everybody expects this team to look better than they have. The mistakes I'm seeing seem like the kind you would expect during a typical preseason. 

So what does this mean? It means that this team can correct stuff and start playing much better. We don't know if this will happen. I've seen teams over the years lose their way and come apart too. A team that does actually turn things around usually builds a strong locker room and trust in each other. A team like that can be tough to beat in January. 

As fans, you get behind your team and pull for them now. It makes absolutely no sense to root for the 2021 or 2022 team now, just 2 games into the 2020 season. I mean, get a grip ... grow a set ... man up ... stop crying ... Are we really afraid of a little adversity? What will happen in 2021 or 2022? We have no idea, but losing this year isn't going to "help." There are no guarantees whatsoever. That's why you never throw away a season. 

I have the exact same fear as the article states. Embracing mediocrity instead of pushing to excellence. What's more absurd IMO is that this team usually starts the season slow and rallies late, mostly because a few key players are up for contracts so they play harder...relies on the division staying weak...drafts poorly and refuses to solidify the coaching staff. Instead they tinker with this OC-by-committee nonsense where a lot of people have input but no one can take responsibility. And presto, you have a team that stomps a perennial loser like Washington for a half then all discipline vanishes and they destroy us.  That's what this team has become and major changes are needed, I don't care if they make the playoffs by a hair or not.

[brkmsn]

59 minutes ago, Madriver said:

What's more absurd IMO is that this team usually starts the season slow and rallies late, mostly because a few key players are up for contracts so they play harder

Like Agholor, Clement, Jernigan, Grugier-Hill, Darby, Sendejo, Peters, and Curry?

1 hour ago, Madriver said:

...relies on the division staying weak...

I suppose they could benefit from such a thing. I don't see how they can control it. That's 6 games out of 16.

1 hour ago, Madriver said:

drafts poorly and refuses to solidify the coaching staff. Instead they tinker with this OC-by-committee nonsense where a lot of people have input but no one can take responsibility. 

I think they "draft poorly" just to make you angry and mock you. Everybody wanted Groh fired and they did that. Everybody wanted Carson Walsh fired and they did that. Everybody wanted Cory Undlin gone and he surprisingly moved on to Detroit. I'll grant you that the offensive assistant titles are screwy. I'm not sure how it will play out. If things improve compared to last year, then I guess it's a good thing. So far, that hasn't happened. 

1 hour ago, Madriver said:

 That's what this team has become and major changes are needed, I don't care if they make the playoffs by a hair or not.

Major changes are why a couple teams in this division haven't done so well the last couple years. Sometimes changes can make you better. Sometimes they make you worse. 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

1 hour ago, brkmsn said:

Major changes are why a couple teams in this division haven't done so well the last couple years. Sometimes changes can make you better. Sometimes they make you worse. 

But if things continue the way they are going you can't stick with it just because changing it may not work out either? Howie has to go, that's the big major change that needs to happen. 

[brkmsn]

8 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

But if things continue the way they are going you can't stick with it just because changing it may not work out either? Howie has to go, that's the big major change that needs to happen. 

We won the Super Bowl in 2017 and made it into the postseason the following 2 years. You can downplay that as much as you want, but a team's first goal has to be making the postseason. You don't have to win every game before that. Fans will moan and groan if you don't, but that is just part of the entertainment value of professional sports. So in the NFL, just getting into the postseason puts you in the top 3rd of the league. We saw what happened in 2017, but we were still competitive in the postseasons of 2018 and 2019. Both of those seasons ended in games we were never really out of. Now ... here we are ... 2 games into 2020 sitting at 0-2, knowing we need to play better than we have in those 2 games. It's the job of the coaches to coach through this, make adjustments, make decisions, and get things right. It's up to the players to be accountable, motivate themselves and their teammates and rise to the challenge this season. It's Howie's job to be in communication with the coaches regarding players and help put together the best team we can now while also considering the future seasons. 

You pretend to already know the future. We only really know the past and try to use that to prognosticate. So you have this article (blog) in  which the author believes it's impossible to improve upon 2018 and 2019 --- so we must fail in 2020 in order to bring about change in the hope that the change will be positive in the future. I realize that's his opinion. My opinion is it always starts with getting to the postseason. If you're good enough to get there, you have a chance to win it all. The history of this league is filled with unlikely postseason upsets and that fans forget this is pretty strange.

I get that you, yourself, are very pessimistic and prefer to dwell on the negative. I'm not going to lie --- when watching Eagles games, we're probably thinking and saying the same things. Once the game is over and the "real-time" emotion of the moment passes, that's when you have to start analyzing the situation. If you dwell on the emotions you were feeling, you'll just come away with: "Howie must go..." / "Wentz peaked in 2017 and has regressed ever since..." / "We are the most injured team ever..." / "This player is too old..." / "Bench all the starters, tank the season, and get the backups some work..." All while ignoring there are still 14 games left in the regular season to play. Unless you have the gift of prophesy and know tomorrow's history today, it's extremely foolish to throw away the moment for a future unknown. Since we have consistently finished in the top 3rd of the league the last 3 seasons, the law of averages suggests that a change is more likely to go the other direction. Maybe ... just maybe ... there is something here that fans just don't appreciate. 

[time2rock]

^^^ This was actually a well thought out response.  I’m not for blowing it all up but in order to remain competitive I do think the team needs someone else in charge of talent evaluation/acquisition.  Howie has a poor track record when it comes to drafting, in particular certain position groups, and the lack of young talent in the pipeline due to so many swings and misses (especially with the high picks) is starting to catch up to us.  

[UK_EaglesFan89]

1 hour ago, brkmsn said:

I get that you, yourself, are very pessimistic and prefer to dwell on the negative. I'm not going to lie --- when watching Eagles games, we're probably thinking and saying the same things. Once the game is over and the "real-time" emotion of the moment passes, that's when you have to start analyzing the situation.

No. You're living in dream land. 

If you want to think I'm being negative fine. I'm not. I'm accepting and embracing the reality of where this team is at. 

They have been on a downward trajectory since the SB victory. That's not negative, that's not pretending I know what's going to happen that is fact! The year after the SB they won 1 play off game and lost a close one. Last year they lost a close one. Fact. 

This team is way over the cap yet lacks true star power. This team is an ageing team who simply aren't good enough. 

Every team goes through this cycle. Every team has to rebuild at some point. That's where this team is headed for. You can say we can't tell the future and sure we can't... but we can see the signs. 

[PoconoDon]

In the big picture, what's needed most is 3-5 stellar drafts in a row. Nothing short of that will make much of a difference.

[brkmsn]

1 hour ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

No. You're living in dream land. 

If you want to think I'm being negative fine. I'm not. I'm accepting and embracing the reality of where this team is at. 

Some of your posts just since Thursday:

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This team isn't making the play offs bud. And if it does then its through the wild card and is very likely one and done. 

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Well it seems pretty clear that JJAW doesn't have it. At all. 

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Losing Reagor is big. I mean they are one DeSean injury away, and let's be honest that's not that unlikely, from having zero deep threat once again...

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I'm with BLG... This team could find a way to rally and ultimately hurt itself in the long run.

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The real test was the draft every year for the last few years. They failed miserably there too.

Re: "Slay did his job."

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Maybe he did but there were still a couple of plays where he gave up easy completions for first downs. 

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This is a flawed team and a flawed roster that simply needs a rebuild. 

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I just don't see it bud. This team is playing bad football for a reason... Because sadly this is a pretty bad team. I hate to say that, I hate to admit that but I just think it is true. 

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If you're still putting hope in to this season then sure...

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I mean you're right bud and I do agree. But it's a horrible idea having Maddox on the outside. He's simply not good enough to play there and he's going to get exposed s lot this year. And I feel for the kid because to me he's being set up to fail there.

 

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How can this be anything other than a full rebuild? If they get a top 10 pick I'm sorry but this needs a full rebuild. In fact it needs a full rebuild almost no matter what.

 

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And this is exactly why I am embracing the pain and accepting that this team just isn't that good and is likely set for a season that ends in a high draft pick. It's time to rebuild. Getting in to the play offs through the back door just hurts our draft position to be honest. We need to rebuild this team and to do that we need higher draft picks (and of course to use those picks wisely).

Pessimists always claim to be "realists." You know you're on that road when your first reaction is always a negative spin. For example you're current take on Howie is "Howie needs to go." A balanced take on Howie would credit some good moves he's made, acknowledge the bad ones and evaluate the overall success of the franchise during his time here. I don't think it's unreasonable to root for any of "his draft picks" (weird how everybody thinks this is all Howie) to pan out and for him to make the best moves possible to solve cap issues weare facing. 

What's even more alerting is this is after being only 2 games into the season which many are already writing off. 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

1 hour ago, brkmsn said:

Some of your posts just since Thursday:

Re: "Slay did his job."

 

 

Pessimists always claim to be "realists." You know you're on that road when your first reaction is always a negative spin. For example you're current take on Howie is "Howie needs to go." A balanced take on Howie would credit some good moves he's made, acknowledge the bad ones and evaluate the overall success of the franchise during his time here. I don't think it's unreasonable to root for any of "his draft picks" (weird how everybody thinks this is all Howie) to pan out and for him to make the best moves possible to solve cap issues weare facing. 

What's even more alerting is this is after being only 2 games into the season which many are already writing off. 

Howie has very few moves and a lot of mad. You want to overlook that be my guest. He's terrible when it comes to draft talent. Oh and guess what? This cap genius? He's produced a roster that's staring a massive issue in the face that he's created. A roster without the necessary talent to go far this year. 

I'm not writing them off because of 2 games. I'm saying they aren't good enough and they weren't good enough coming in to the year. 

Again you want evidence? The two years since the SB is your evidence.

You want to ignore the obvious in front of you? Go ahead. You want to pretend like everyone else is being negative and you're just able to see past all that? Go ahead. You're deluding yourself. 

Even the Niners with all their history. Guess what? They sucked for a few years. That Cowboys franchise? They've sucked for a long long time. It happens to every single team. 

[hoosierdaddy]

On 9/25/2020 at 9:24 AM, NOTW said:

You don't play to lose the game or tank.  But this team typically believes its own hype and excuses, so scraping back (even against bad teams in a bad division) to get to .500 or win the division gives them a false sense that they're onto something, they just need to tweak this or that and not make major changes.

Part of this is because they won the SB which is great they finally won.  People warned of SB hangover and the next year they made the playoffs and won a game with yet again the backup QB.  The following year they had a lot of injuries, Carson was finally healthy the whole regular season and they managed to win the division and make the playoffs.  So they think they're not far off.

Listening to them this week they're all saying they have the talent and just need to fight, just need to keep working.  You don't get the sense that they need to adjust their scheme, change plays to suit Carson, run more to protect Wentz, change defensive strategy so WRs aren't wide open...

yep, Doug is a disciple of Andy and it was always the same under AR after 2004 (which was Andy's peak year with this team) as well. During our awful seasons we'd rattle off a few meaningless wins against bad teams convincing the powers that be that we were just a couple tweaks away from greatness, play ourselves out of a top 10 pick, and really never be as good as we thought we were.

[time2rock]

On 9/25/2020 at 9:24 AM, NOTW said:

You don't play to lose the game or tank.  But this team typically believes its own hype and excuses, so scraping back (even against bad teams in a bad division) to get to .500 or win the division gives them a false sense that they're onto something, they just need to tweak this or that and not make major changes.

Part of this is because they won the SB which is great they finally won.  People warned of SB hangover and the next year they made the playoffs and won a game with yet again the backup QB.  The following year they had a lot of injuries, Carson was finally healthy the whole regular season and they managed to win the division and make the playoffs.  So they think they're not far off.

Listening to them this week they're all saying they have the talent and just need to fight, just need to keep working.  You don't get the sense that they need to adjust their scheme, change plays to suit Carson, run more to protect Wentz, change defensive strategy so WRs aren't wide open...

They may have the talent now but in the not so distant future we're going to be without Peters and Kelce (we potentially have our LT for the foreseeable future already on the roster but obviously can't say with any level of certainty yet), DJax and Jeffery (nothing but question marks behind those 2 ... so like Dillard, TBD), Cox, Jackson, and Graham (we don't have much in the way of young talent in the pipeline on the DL ... Barnett thus far has been just OK - you'd hope for more than that for a high 1st rd pick, Sweat appears to be trending upward but it doesn't seem likely he is going to ever become a "difference maker"), McLeod is likely gone after this season - Mills could be a longer term fixture but that is TBD and we just drafted Wallace so TBD what he becomes). 

We just simply haven't added enough young talent in recent drafts to remain competitive once those aging vets either ride off into the sunset or are purged - that partly goes to having limited draft picks due to the Wentz acquisition but our success rate hasn't been nearly good enough with what picks we have had.  Sanders appears to be the only sure thing from last year's draft, Dillard as mentioned earlier is TBD, 2 of those picks aren't even on the roster anymore ... 1 year later!  From the 2018 class, Goedert was obviously a hit - the rest are still "works in progress" (I think Maddox is playing out of position - he could be a really good nickel corner and would make that a nice pick but playing outside hurts his value).  The rest are more "depth pieces" and not legitimate starters.  There are only 2 players remaining on the roster from the 8 man 2017 draft class - Barnett and Gerry.  Both are starters that are underwhelming but forced into starting roles because we have no one better (tallest midgets).  Anyway could go on and go but I think the point has been made, and is the reason why many of us want a change at the top in regard to those evaluating talent (that starts with Howie).  

[brkmsn]

17 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Howie has very few moves and a lot of mad. You want to overlook that be my guest. He's terrible when it comes to draft talent. Oh and guess what? This cap genius? He's produced a roster that's staring a massive issue in the face that he's created. A roster without the necessary talent to go far this year. 

I'm not writing them off because of 2 games. I'm saying they aren't good enough and they weren't good enough coming in to the year. 

Again you want evidence? The two years since the SB is your evidence.

You want to ignore the obvious in front of you? Go ahead. You want to pretend like everyone else is being negative and you're just able to see past all that? Go ahead. You're deluding yourself. 

Even the Niners with all their history. Guess what? They sucked for a few years. That Cowboys franchise? They've sucked for a long long time. It happens to every single team. 

Sometimes I feel people don't even understand the word "talent." The Eagles absolutely have the talent to go far. Virtually every team has the "talent." The critical factor is ALWAYS coming together and playing as a team. The NFL isn't about who has the "best" QB or who has the "best" D-Line or who has the "best" LB group --- this game is a team sport and it's always going to be about 11 guys on the field at a time doing their part. 

I've already addressed the two years since the SB. We finished in the top 3rd of the NFL just by getting there. We did that despite a lot of adversity (and you can remember most of those things). On top of that, we were competitive in those playoff games. Another things fans never consider is that there are 31 teams that begin each year with the same final goal. You can actually have a very good team that loses to another team that is very good or plays very well. 

You say I'm ignoring the obvious? How many examples of an "inferior" club beating a "superior" club do we need to be reminded that paper doesn't matter? Nobody expected the 1960 Eagles to be Champions, the 2017 team was the "underdog" in every game, The 1991 Giants went all the way with the backup QB and a washed-up, aged vet RB they picked up on a garbage heap, the 2007 Giants team toppled the "perfect team" in the biggest game ...

Also, I'm not pretending people are being negative. Just look at the predictions that are being put out there. They are indeed being negative. 

FYI, when I listed examples of your posts, I listed example of negative ones (ones where the reply didn't require having to post replies you were commenting about also) and you aren't completely negative about everything. I just wanted to show you what I see when I read your posts lately.

 

 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

16 minutes ago, brkmsn said:

Sometimes I feel people don't even understand the word "talent." The Eagles absolutely have the talent to go far. Virtually every team has the "talent." The critical factor is ALWAYS coming together and playing as a team. The NFL isn't about who has the "best" QB or who has the "best" D-Line or who has the "best" LB group --- this game is a team sport and it's always going to be about 11 guys on the field at a time doing their part. 

I've already addressed the two years since the SB. We finished in the top 3rd of the NFL just by getting there. We did that despite a lot of adversity (and you can remember most of those things). On top of that, we were competitive in those playoff games. Another things fans never consider is that there are 31 teams that begin each year with the same final goal. You can actually have a very good team that loses to another team that is very good or plays very well. 

You say I'm ignoring the obvious? How many examples of an "inferior" club beating a "superior" club do we need to be reminded that paper doesn't matter? Nobody expected the 1960 Eagles to be Champions, the 2017 team was the "underdog" in every game, The 1991 Giants went all the way with the backup QB and a washed-up, aged vet RB they picked up on a garbage heap, the 2007 Giants team toppled the "perfect team" in the biggest game ...

Also, I'm not pretending people are being negative. Just look at the predictions that are being put out there. They are indeed being negative. 

FYI, when I listed examples of your posts, I listed example of negative ones (ones where the reply didn't require having to post replies you were commenting about also) and you aren't completely negative about everything. I just wanted to show you what I see when I read your posts lately.

 

 

This Eagles roster is fundamentally flawed. You can surely see that? The DL is overpaid and not that good. The LB core is terrible and the secondary is patchy. So that covers the D.

The offense? The WRs are still young. The OL is battered and ageing and the QB is playing like ish. And let's not pretend this is a rarity for Wentz. At this point in his career this appears to be who he is. A talented QB capable of the extraordinary but also of big costly mistakes. 

You can say I'm being negative that's fine. I see it differently. I see it as being realistic. I see the flaws in this team. I know that this team doesn't have the talent to go deep in to the play offs because it'll be undone by one of those superior teams. And you know what? That's OK. Time to rebuild. Bring in some new young talent. And to do that maybe we need a down year or two rather than hurting ourselves by back dooring it in to the play offs and ending up with a draft pick near the 20s.

[brkmsn]

31 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

This Eagles roster is fundamentally flawed. You can surely see that? The DL is overpaid and not that good. The LB core is terrible and the secondary is patchy. So that covers the D.

The offense? The WRs are still young. The OL is battered and ageing and the QB is playing like ish. And let's not pretend this is a rarity for Wentz. At this point in his career this appears to be who he is. A talented QB capable of the extraordinary but also of big costly mistakes. 

You can say I'm being negative that's fine. I see it differently. I see it as being realistic. I see the flaws in this team. I know that this team doesn't have the talent to go deep in to the play offs because it'll be undone by one of those superior teams. And you know what? That's OK. Time to rebuild. Bring in some new young talent. And to do that maybe we need a down year or two rather than hurting ourselves by back dooring it in to the play offs and ending up with a draft pick near the 20s.

I stated earlier that pessimists always see themselves as realists. I don't wholeheartedly agree with your positional analysis. Our D-Line is very good and just needs to be out there together for a few games. The secondary is already better than it was in 2017. LB is a result of what happens when you let young, unproven guys, fight it out while also considering a defensive system that doesn't use traditional LBs. Personally, I don't agree with the philosophy the Eagles employ here, but we just have to watch and see if someone makes it work. Edwards hasn't looked bad to me so far. Gerry had a terrible week in coverage last week. So can Gerry correct his issues moving forward or does somebody take his spot along the way. 

As for Wentz, playing poorly is a rarity for him. You are grouping imperfect play with poor play and I won't do that --- sorry. Not all the WRs are young. Jackson and Jeffery actually figure to be the starters this year every week they are healthy. 

I'll continue to argue against the concept of bad years now = good years later. That might have worked before free agency, but that's an antiquated concept in today's NFL. Just look at those teams that year after year pick early and then look at the most successful team the last 15 years and where they typically draft. You don't have to be bad to stay good.