Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Coulda Shoulda Woulda

Posted June 19th, 2025 | 3 Comments »

History is filled with teams that did memorable things and had amazing seasons, only to come up short when it mattered most. There is nothing worse than having to think about what might have been. It is the curse of a lot of sports fans.

The 2007 Patriots were on their way to NFL immortality. They went 16-0 in the regular season and then advanced to the Super Bowl. One more win and they would be the first modern team to go undefeated. They ran into the Giants, who pulled off the stunning upset 17-14. So much for a chance at greatness.

The 1998 Vikings went 15-1, with only a three-point loss. They won their initial playoff game by 20 points. The Vikings were the highest scoring team in NFL history (since passed). They got to the NFC Championship and were tied late in the game with Atlanta. Minnesota missed a FG. The Falcons kicked one in overtime and advanced to the Super Bowl. The Vikings never scored less than 24 points in any game. Instead of making history, they choked.

Buffalo went to four straight Super Bowls (1990-93) and lost them all. There was one nail-biter (20-19). The other three were a bit more hopeless. The Vikings went to four Super Bowls between 1969 and 1976. They had the Purple People Eaters DL, one of the best in NFL history. The defense had Paul Krause at safety. He holds the NFL record for career INTs. The offense had some great players as well. They some how lost all four of their Super Bowls.

Think about some of the great individual seasons. Peyton Manning put up insane numbers in 2013, throwing for 55 TDs. His Broncos did make it to the Super Bowl, but got blown out by Seattle. Eric Dickerson ran for more than 1,800 yards in three of his first four seasons. Those Rams teams won a single playoff game.

We can look just at Eagles history for disappointment. The Gang Green defense of 1991 is one of the best in league history. Shockingly, that team didn’t even make the playoffs. Randall Cunningham was a special player who did things we hadn’t seen before. He won a single playoff game in his time with the Eagles. The 2004 Eagles won 9 games by double digits. They won both NFC playoff games by at least 13 points. The Eagles came up short in the Super Bowl.

We can go play the What If game with a lot of Eagles seasons. What if TO didn’t get hurt in 2004? That injury affected the 2004 season and also future years. What if Brian Westbrook didn’t get hurt in 2003? The Eagles offense only put up three points in the NFC title game. With Westbrook as a key part of the lineup, the Eagles were a Top 10 scoring team during the season.

What if Alshon Jeffrey didn’t drop the pass in 2018 against the Saints? What if the fumble didn’t get overturned in 1990? What if Correll Buckhalter didn’t get hurt in 2001?

I’ve gone through all of this to help you appreciate what the 2024 Eagles did. When they had a chance for greatness, they took advantage of it. They won the Super Bowl. They carved out their piece of NFL history.

Saquon Barkley had one of the greatest seasons by a RB in football history. I could throw a bunch of numbers at you, but you’d probably rather watch this video.

Can you imagine if that moment was wasted in a non-championship year?

The Eagles had the #1 defense in the league. Zack Baun went from backup edge rusher to All Pro linebacker. He made a ton of plays, starting with the season opener and going right through the Super Bowl.

Baun topped off a great season by making a huge play that just about put the game away. He came up big in the biggest moment.

As much as we obsess over the moments when things went wrong, we need to celebrate the moments when things go right. Winning the Super Bowl takes a special team. The Eagles had an incredibly talented roster. But they have had talented rosters in the past. Championship teams have that little something extra that helps them get the job done.

The 2024 Eagles had the rare combination of special talent and that X-factor that helps teams come up big in key situations. That is what made them such a juggernaut. It will be interesting to see what the 2025 teams does in their own pursuit of history. There is plenty of talent still in place. We don’t know about how they will do in critical moments. That is what makes sports so fun.

Or torturous.

_

3 Comments on “Coulda Shoulda Woulda”

  1. 1 The Linc - List of NFL bold predictions has the Eagles breaking one of longest-running streaks in the league - SportSourcio said at 11:03 AM on June 21st, 2025:

    […] Coulda Shoulda Woulda – Iggles BlitzWe can go play the What If game with a lot of Eagles seasons. What if TO didn’t get hurt in 2004? That injury affected the 2004 season and also future years. What if Brian Westbrook didn’t get hurt in 2003? The Eagles offense only put up three points in the NFC title game. With Westbrook as a key part of the lineup, the Eagles were a Top 10 scoring team during the season. What if Alshon Jeffrey didn’t drop the pass in 2018 against the Saints? What if the fumble didn’t get overturned in 1990? What if Correll Buckhalter didn’t get hurt in 2001? I’ve gone through all of this to help you appreciate what the 2024 Eagles did. When they had a chance for greatness, they took advantage of it. They won the Super Bowl. They carved out their piece of NFL history. Saquon Barkley had one of the greatest seasons by a RB in football history. I could throw a bunch of numbers at you, but you’d probably rather watch this video. […]

  2. 2 The Linc -running streaks in the league – Over View – Your Daily News Source said at 12:32 PM on June 21st, 2025:

    […] Coulda Shoulda Woulda – Iggles BlitzWe can go play the What If game with a lot of Eagles seasons. What if TO didn’t get hurt in 2004? That injury affected the 2004 season and also future years. What if Brian Westbrook didn’t get hurt in 2003? The Eagles offense only put up three points in the NFC title game. With Westbrook as a key part of the lineup, the Eagles were a Top 10 scoring team during the season. What if Alshon Jeffrey didn’t drop the pass in 2018 against the Saints? What if the fumble didn’t get overturned in 1990? What if Correll Buckhalter didn’t get hurt in 2001? I’ve gone through all of this to help you appreciate what the 2024 Eagles did. When they had a chance for greatness, they took advantage of it. They won the Super Bowl. They carved out their piece of NFL history. Saquon Barkley had one of the greatest seasons by a RB in football history. I could throw a bunch of numbers at you, but you’d probably rather watch this video. […]

  3. 3 Eagles News: List of NFL bold predictions has Philadelphia breaking one of longest-running streaks in the league - KeplerBox said at 5:09 PM on June 21st, 2025:

    […] Coulda Shoulda Woulda – Iggles BlitzWe can go play the What If game with a lot of Eagles seasons. What if TO didn’t get hurt in 2004? That injury affected the 2004 season and also future years. What if Brian Westbrook didn’t get hurt in 2003? The Eagles offense only put up three points in the NFC title game. With Westbrook as a key part of the lineup, the Eagles were a Top 10 scoring team during the season. What if Alshon Jeffrey didn’t drop the pass in 2018 against the Saints? What if the fumble didn’t get overturned in 1990? What if Correll Buckhalter didn’t get hurt in 2001? I’ve gone through all of this to help you appreciate what the 2024 Eagles did. When they had a chance for greatness, they took advantage of it. They won the Super Bowl. They carved out their piece of NFL history. Saquon Barkley had one of the greatest seasons by a RB in football history. I could throw a bunch of numbers at you, but you’d probably rather watch this video. […]