Striking While the Iron is Hot
Posted: November 1st, 2018 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 4 Comments »A couple of years ago the Raiders looked like Super Bowl contenders. Beyond that, they seemed to be set for years to come. There was optimism for the present and the future.
Oh how times have changed…
The 1-6 Raiders played the 1-7 Niners on Thursday night football. SF won 34-3. And they did that with their third string QB.
Ouch.
At the end of the 2016 season, the needle was pointed straight up. Derek Carr looked like a star in the making. The OL was physically dominant, especially in the run game. The Raiders ran for 17 TDs and had two RBs average more than 5 yards per carry. Amari Cooper was a terrific young receiver. Michael Crabtree was older, but also highly productive. The defense had arguably the best pass rusher in the league, Khalil Mack.
The Raiders went 12-4 that year, but Carr got hurt late in the season. They had to start a rookie QB in the playoffs and that was a 27-14 loss. Things really fell apart in 2017. There were a pair of 4-game losing streaks. Carr and Cooper took a step backward. The OL wasn’t the same. The team went 6-10. Coach Jack Del Rio was fired. That led to the Jon Gruden era and the chaos of 2018.
I mention all of this because it isn’t rare. We see all sorts of teams that look to be on the verge of greatness, only to fall apart. Some don’t fall apart, but never manage to breakthrough and become the great team they were capable of.
Last year’s Eagles were one of the rare teams that went all the way in their breakthrough season. I think we sometimes overlook how special that was.
NFL coaches used to talk about a four or five-year plan. Bill Walsh won the Super Bowl in his third year. Jimmy Johnson won it in his fourth year. Mike Holmgren won it in his fifth year. Andy Reid never won the big game. He did get there in his sixth season.
Doug Pederson won the Super Bowl in his second season.
I don’t think anyone in the organization had realistic Super Bowl expectations in August or even September of last year. At the same time, there was no talk of a long plan. The Eagles traded for Ronald Darby in the preseason. They signed an older player like Corey Graham to be a band-aid. Older players like Jason Peters, Darren Sproles, Donnie Jones and Brent Celek were still very much welcome.
There was the midseason trade for Jay Ajayi. By the time winter rolled around, the Eagles weren’t excited to be winning games. They had bigger plans on their mind.
The Eagles made the most of their great season by playing their best football in the postseason. They won the friggin’ Super Bowl.
Eagles fans can look back to the Reid era to see plenty of wasted opportunities. The 2001 team played really good defense. They didn’t give up more than 21 points in any game during the regular season. Then Troy Vincent got hurt in January and the Eagles couldn’t beat the high-flying Rams. The 2002 team had great OL play, great defense and great overall chemistry. They ran into the Bucs and one of the greatest defenses of all time. The 2003 team had to deal with a lot of injuries, but saw Brian Westbrook emerge as a star. Then he got hurt in the season finale and the team lost in the NFC title game for the third straight year.
The 2017 Eagles overcame injuries. They overcame facing a great Vikings defense in the NFC title game. They overcame Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in the Super Bowl.
That really was a special team.
*****
I’m really curious to see how things go in the second half of this season. There are still a lot of players and coaches around from last year.
I have to think they still have some big wins left in them.
*****
It helps to know there is another playmaker in the mix.
Here's every Golden Tate touchdown since 2016. Get the ball in his hands. pic.twitter.com/bBErjB1K5I
— James Simpson (@JS_Football) November 1, 2018
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[…] Striking While the Iron is Hot – Iggles BlitzEagles fans can look back to the Reid era to see plenty of wasted opportunities. The 2001 team played really good defense. They didn’t give up more than 21 points in any game during the regular season. Then Troy Vincent got hurt in January and the Eagles couldn’t beat the high-flying Rams. The 2002 team had great OL play, great defense and great overall chemistry. They ran into the Bucs and one of the greatest defenses of all time. The 2003 team had to deal with a lot of injuries, but saw Brian Westbrook emerge as a star. Then he got hurt in the season finale and the team lost in the NFC title game for the third straight year. The 2017 Eagles overcame injuries. They overcame facing a great Vikings defense in the NFC title game. They overcame Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in the Super Bowl. That really was a special team. […]
[…] Striking While the Iron is Hot – Iggles BlitzEagles fans can look back to the Reid era to see plenty of wasted opportunities. The 2001 team played really good defense. They didn’t give up more than 21 points in any game during the regular season. Then Troy Vincent got hurt in January and the Eagles couldn’t beat the high-flying Rams. The 2002 team had great OL play, great defense and great overall chemistry. They ran into the Bucs and one of the greatest defenses of all time. The 2003 team had to deal with a lot of injuries, but saw Brian Westbrook emerge as a star. Then he got hurt in the season finale and the team lost in the NFC title game for the third straight year. The 2017 Eagles overcame injuries. They overcame facing a great Vikings defense in the NFC title game. They overcame Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in the Super Bowl. That really was a special team. […]
[…] Striking While the Iron is Hot – Iggles BlitzEagles fans can look back to the Reid era to see plenty of wasted opportunities. The 2001 team played really good defense. They didn’t give up more than 21 points in any game during the regular season. Then Troy Vincent got hurt in January and the Eagles couldn’t beat the high-flying Rams. The 2002 team had great OL play, great defense and great overall chemistry. They ran into the Bucs and one of the greatest defenses of all time. The 2003 team had to deal with a lot of injuries, but saw Brian Westbrook emerge as a star. Then he got hurt in the season finale and the team lost in the NFC title game for the third straight year. The 2017 Eagles overcame injuries. They overcame facing a great Vikings defense in the NFC title game. They overcame Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in the Super Bowl. That really was a special team. […]
[…] Striking While the Iron is Hot – Iggles BlitzEagles fans can look back to the Reid era to see plenty of wasted opportunities. The 2001 team played really good defense. They didn’t give up more than 21 points in any game during the regular season. Then Troy Vincent got hurt in January and the Eagles couldn’t beat the high-flying Rams. The 2002 team had great OL play, great defense and great overall chemistry. They ran into the Bucs and one of the greatest defenses of all time. The 2003 team had to deal with a lot of injuries, but saw Brian Westbrook emerge as a star. Then he got hurt in the season finale and the team lost in the NFC title game for the third straight year. The 2017 Eagles overcame injuries. They overcame facing a great Vikings defense in the NFC title game. They overcame Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in the Super Bowl. That really was a special team. […]