2018 vs 2023

The Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2017. They brought back a lot of key pieces so we expected 2018 to be a big year and thought the team might go on a nice run. Instead the Eagles went 9-7, 9-7 and 4-11-1. They only won a single playoff game after the SB and that was when they beat Mitch Trubisky 16-15. And even that required a blocked FG that went double-doink. The Eagles never again got close to greatness. They needed strong finishes in 2018 and 2019 just to get to 9 wins.

The team is coming off another Super Bowl appearance. Expectations are sky high. Will 2023 be different than 2018?

We have the luxury of hindsight when examining 2018. Let’s look at some of what went wrong.

Wentz/Foles – We had no idea just how impactful the Foles playoff run would be. Carson Wentz was never the same player after watching Foles lead the Eagles to the Lombardi Trophy. Wentz always had too much “hero ball” in him, but it felt like he tried to win the Super Bowl every week. He missed too many layups, while jacking up 3-pointers like Trae Young. He made enough to win games, but not get back to the level he played at in 2017.  Foles relationships with his teammates also got affected and the tight bond of 2017 wasn’t there in future years. He still had some close friends, but the overall vibe with the team wasn’t the same.

Role Players Struggling – Corey Clement had 108 total yards and a TD in the SB. We thought he would build on that. Clement had 451 yards and 2 TDs in 11 games in 2018. The clutch playmaker became just another role player. Corey Graham was a key depth piece at DB for the title team. He became a starter in 2018 and made some crucial mistakes. The Eagles kept him a year too long.

Young Players Didn’t Deliver – Look at the draft class of 2017.

• 1 – DE Derek Barnett
• 2 – CB Sidney Jones
• 3 – CB Rasul Douglas
• 4 – WR Mack Hollins
• 4 – RB Donnel Pumphrey
• 5 – WR Shelton Gibson
• 5 – LB Nate Gerry
• 6 – DT Elijah Qualls

Several from that group contributed to the SB team. They were expected to take a step forward in 2018 and either start or become key role players. The Eagles got 19 starts from the whole group. Barnett had 2.5 sacks in 6 starts before getting hurt.  Douglas started 7 games and showed playmaking potential, but also got burned more than you’d like. The sophomore class didn’t come through as hoped.

Previous draftees also had issues. Isaac Seumalo struggled early on and only started 9 games for the year. Nelson Agholor made key plays in 2017 and key mistakes in 2018. It was torturous at times.

Some veterans struggled. Brandon Graham only had 4 sacks and 11 QB hits. The secondary gave up too many big plays overall. Golden Tate came over in a mid-season trade and struggled as an Eagle.

Injuries – Wentz got hurt late in the season. Barnett only played 6 games. Jay Ajayi only played 4 games. Darren Sproles only played in 6 games. Ronald Darby only played in 9 games. Mike Wallace was signed to take the place of Torrey Smith. Wallace broke his leg and only played in 2 games.

The Run Game – The Eagles ran for 2115 yards in 2017. They had a dynamic rushing attack. In 2018 they didn’t even average 100 yards per game, finishing the season with 1570 yards. RBs either got hurt or failed to step up. UDFA Josh Adams led the team in rushing. The lack of a run game affected the passing game and big plays were tougher to come by.

Coaching – The Eagles lost Frank Reich and John DeFilippo. They promoted Mike Groh from WRs coach to OC. That hurt the Eagles at both positions and both suffered because of that.

Wow, that was a depressing trip down memory lane. Still it was better than watching the third quarter debacle the Sixers gave us on Sunday. Yikes, that was dreadful.

It feels like the Eagles are in better shape to play at a high level again this year than they were in 2018.

QB – There is no controversy. Jalen Hurts is coming off an amazing year and just signed a long extension. He’s healthy and should play at a high level again this season. He’s got the potential to be even better. The Eagles have a good backup in Marcus Mariota and a couple of young guys battling for the #3 spot. There is talent and harmony.

Offensive Playmakers – AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith are a dynamic duo. Dallas Goedert is one of the best TEs in the league. Rashad Penny and D’Andre Swift form a good 1-2 punch at RB, with Kenny Gainwell coming on strong. Hurts has weapons to work with.

Outstanding OL – Those playmakers don’t do you any good if there aren’t some big boys ready to protect the QB and open holes for the runners. The Eagles have 4 of 5 starters back, with a couple of talented youngsters competing for the final spot. There are also key backups like Jack Driscoll and Sua Opeta. As important as the players, Jeff Stoutland is still running the show and has his group performing at an elite level.

Young Players – The Eagles need draft picks from 2021-2023 to step up. Javon Hargrave will be replaced by Milton Williams (2021) or Jalen Carter (2023). Williams has the experience, while Carter has special talent. Cam Jurgens (2022) will battle Tyler Steen (2023) for the RG spot. Reed Blankenship (2022) and Sydney Brown (2023) will battle for a starting job. It is possible both could earn a starting role. The team needs Nakobe Dean (2022) to step up at LB. Jordan Davis (2022) will be expected to be a key player this year.

We don’t know how the young players will do. The players who have played have shown good ability. They need to show they can start and perform at a high level. The rookies have good talent so no one is being asked to perform above their ability.

Dominant Pass Rush – The Eagles had 70 sacks last year. They did lose some key guys, but brought back three players who delivered 10 or more sacks. They have several  young pass rushers ready to step up and now Nolan Smith is thrown into the mix. I don’t see another 70 sacks, but I could see this group performing at a very high level.

Coaching – The Eagles once again lost some key pieces. Jonathan Gannon, Shane Steichen, Dennard Wilson and Nick Rallis all played key roles in helping the team reach the Super Bowl. Brian Johnson was promoted to run the offense. Sean Desai was brought in to run the defense. I certainly trust Johnson more than I did Groh when he was promoted to OC. Desai could prove to be an upgrade on Gannon, but there’s no guarantee.

Injuries – The ultimate X-factor. The team has done a great job of resting players and avoiding minor injuries in the last couple of years. Keep your fingers crossed that they can have another one of those seasons.

You should feel good about the upcoming season and the future in general, but 2018 was a lesson that things can change quickly in the NFL. The Eagles went from the top of the mountain to a sea of mediocrity in a hurry.

I think the presence of Nick Sirianni is one huge difference. With all due respect to Doug Pederson, I think Sirianni is the better coach. He doesn’t have the ring, but he’s shown an ability to build a team and get it to play at a high level. He’s gotten stars to play like stars and the surrounding pieces to do their part. He’s a great teacher and communicator. Pederson caught lightning in a bottle. It feels like Sirianni has something that can last.

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