Enjoying the 2022 Eagles

Go Birds! Image from here

As I did last year for the Calgary Flames, today I reflect back on the 2022 Philadelphia Eagles and their amazing 2022 season. Yes, it is not over yet—and I hope they are Super Bowl-bound—but there are no guarantees, so I'll reflect now.

Last year, the Eagles were mired in mediocrity. A first-year coach (Nick Sirianni) and his staff showed glimpses of promise, but results were mixed. That team finished 9-8, lost in the first round of the playoffs, and faced an uncertain offseason.

This year's Eagles have been stellar in many respects. The stats are impressive. They set franchise records in wins (14), points (477), yards (1,496) and receptions (95) by a Wide Receiver, and probably other areas. They had three players (Miles Sanders, Devonta Smith, and A.J. Brown) go over 1,100 yards on the ground or in the air, and Jalen Hurts (and Dallas Goedert) may have joined them had they not missed time with injuries—they logged 700+ yards each. Defensively, they were the first team in NFL history to have four players (Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, Javon Hargrave, Brandon Graham) record 10+ sacks each in a season, and they are only the fourth team in the Super Bowl era with 70+ total sacks on the season.

It all started in the offseason. Some key moves:

- In free agency, they added defensive starters Haason Reddick, Kyzir White, and James Bradberry. 

- In the draft, they traded two of their three first-round picks, but still ended up with defensive stud Jordan Davis and offensive terror A.J Brown.

- After the draft, they traded with the Saints to acquire Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, completing their defensive transformation.

The result is a roster that is impressive across the board. Offensively, they have top talent at every position. Their offensive line is widely regarded as the best in the league. QB Jalen Hurts was an MVP candidate before his injury. Two amazing WRs, a great RB, and excellent TE give the offense many ways to beat you. Defensively, They have depth across the line, decent linebackers, and unrivaled secondary. Rounding out the team is a solid kicking duo of PK Jake Elliott and P Arryn Siposs (who got injured and has been replaced by the capable Brett Kern). It's no wonder they have 8 players named to the Pro Bowl and have 6 All-Pros. And ESPN had 12 of the Birds in the Top 100 players in the NFL:

There is strength and depth on both sides of the ball:

It was a wonderful year, and I hope the season continues. But there are clouds on the horizon . . . after starting 13–1, an injury to Jalen Hurts took some steam out of them. He came back in the final week to help the team win their last game, finish 14–3, and clinch the top seed (and first-round bye) in the NFC. But he's not fully healed, and I'm not sure a week off will be enough. Other players (Lane Johnson, Josh Sweat, Avonte Maddox) are in the same boat. I hope for the best, but health takes priority. 

As much as it pains me to say it, this might be the best Eagles team for a few years. They have several notable free agents, and you can't pay everyone. Some may retire. Their coaching staff is likely to change, too, as their coordinators already have head coaching interviews lined up. So we enjoy what we have, when we have it. Go Birds!