Glad It’s Over

2022 was a magical season where almost everything went right. The bill came due for all that happiness, as 2023 was one of the most frustrating seasons I’ve experienced in almost 35 years of watching the Eagles. Watching them lose the wild card game in Tampa didn’t bother me. I was ready for the season to be over.

I’m not ready to jump into offseason topics. Honestly, I’d almost like a week to not have to think about this team. They frustrated me that much, players and coaches. A lot of change needs to happen this offseason. There is plenty that needs to be fixed.

My biggest takeaway from this weekend of football…hungry teams had success. Think about young teams like Houston and Green Bay. Think about the Lions. Think about the Bills. These teams had an edge to them.

Teams that were soft got sent packing. Dallas, Miami…Philly. I’m talking about mentally, physically and emotionally soft. The Eagles didn’t face adversity in 2022. When it hit them this season, they melted like butter. James Bradberry tackled like he was in a preseason game tonight. Only it was the postseason. Jalen Hurts took a safety on a play where he’s got to throw the ball away. He’s too smart to do that, but he did it.

Soft.

The Eagles kept thinking they could flip the switch at the end of the season. Uh, they couldn’t even find the switch. They had no answers. None. This is a talented roster. They have talent in a lot of key spots. It is crazy to think about them going 1-5 to close the regular season and then losing 32-9 to the Bucs in the playoffs. Disappointing doesn’t begin to describe that.

This is not a happy man.

Jeffrey Lurie — not pleased. #Eagles pic.twitter.com/TOxPOZ7GLz

— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) January 16, 2024

Nor should he be.

The Eagles underachieved. If the roster just wasn’t good enough, you can live with that. If there are weird circumstances, you can rationalize that. The Eagles just fell apart. If you get an old pack of Topps baseball cards and put the gum in your mouth, it just starts dissolving. That’s the 2023 Eagles. Old gum.

I don’t hate all the players and coaches. I don’t want everyone fired immediately. I’m more interested in solutions. How is this team going to get fixed, for 2024 and the future? Anyone who isn’t part of the solution, hit the bricks, pal.

The 2023 fat cat Eagles didn’t bring us a lot of joy even when they were 10-1. That should have been a sign that there were some fatal flaws in this bunch.

Let’s hope the 2024 season is a lot more fun.

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