Yesterday & Today

We love to talk about the past. That’s one of the best parts of sports. We love to compare the current team to those from the past, especially looking for reasons to be optimistic.

This has been one odd season. It doesn’t feel quite like any other, but it did hit me that there are some similarities to 2003. Let’s revisit that awkwardly magical season for those who didn’t experience it or those who don’t remember.

The Eagles started 0-2. The offense put up 10 points in the first two games combined. Ouch. Things got better for the next three weeks, with the Eagles going 2-1 and scoring some points. Still, the offense wasn’t good. McNabb was hurt and it affected his play.

For some reason, Eagles WRs fell apart. James Thrash and Todd Pinkston showed a lot of promise in 2002, but struggled all year long in 2003. They combined for 85 catches and 3 TDs. They couldn’t get open on a regular basis. Drops were an issue. Freddie Mitchell proved to be solid in the slot, but he wasn’t much of a playmaker.

Week 7 was rock bottom for the offense. The Giants held the Eagles to 134 yards. It was beyond painful to watch. Luckily the Eagles defense did their part and kept the game close. That set up this amazing moment in team history.

Heavenly.

McNabb got healthy and the offense woke up. Andy Reid and his staff knew they had to make some schematic adjustments. They made the RBs the key to the offense and gave us the 3-headed monster of Duce Staley, Correll Buckhalter and Brian Westbrook. The offense got on a roll.

I loved the 2003 offense. Reid used a lot of 2-TE sets and was great with screen passes. Westbrook proved to be a revelation out of the backfield.

The defense suffered a ton of injuries and had different lineups all year long. They gave up yards, but were tough to score on. They also had a knack for making big plays and coming up with takeaways.

The Eagles started 2-3 and then had a 9-game winning streak. They won the NFC East. You remember the legendary 4th & 26 play that helped them win a playoff game over the Packers. The ride came to an end the next week vs the Panthers.

Clearly the 2019 Eagles are not going to go on a 9-game winning streak. But seeing the offense come alive due to the RBs in the last couple of weeks reminded me of 2003. And certainly the WR struggles are like that season. Both teams did have a good slot receiver wearing #84. But boy, Mitchell and Greg Ward are complete opposites beyond that. 1st rounder vs UDFA. Jackass vs loveable underdog.

Reid had to adjust his offense and Doug Pederson has done the same thing. Once the coaches, QB and skill players all got on the same page and into a rhythm, the offense came alive.

Part of that winning streak was a showdown with Dallas. The Cowboys brought the #1 defense in the league to The Linc and lost 36-10. The Eagles piled up 403 yards, with 175 coming on the ground. That game essentially gave the NFC East to the Eagles.

We’ll see how things go this week, with Dallas bringing the #1 offense to The Linc. Will history repeat itself? A win would put the Eagles in control of the NFC East and give them a 3-game winning streak.

No two seasons are exactly alike, but it is fun to connect some dots and wonder how things will turn out.

*****

This doesn’t sound good.

Nelson Agholor’s right knee is very swollen. Like twice the normal size. The visual contradicts any thought that he’s not legit injured.

— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) December 19, 2019

J.J. Arcega-Whiteside is also banged up. The Eagles might need to make another move at WR before the weekend.

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