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Philadelphia Eagles Can Learn From Super Bowl

By Nick Takacs

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Feb 1, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; a view of the Lombardi Trophy mural on the stadium prior to the start of the game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Even though they didn’t play in the game, the Philadelphia Eagles can learn a lot from this year’s Super Bowl. The New England Patriots picked up their 4th Super Bowl championship over the Seattle Seahawks in a down-to-the-wire game. It was a game that featured a great prototypical quarterback, an up-and-coming hybrid-style quarterback, a great defense, a receiver core without a clear “star”, and an unbelievable ending that could have gone either way. For the Eagles looking on from the outside, the Super Bowl raised some questions and provided some answers on how to move forward.

Winning a Super Bowl requires an “ELITE” quarterback?

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. He’s had some down times throughout his career, but his ability to surgically dissect a defense, and do it with a corp of decent but not elite receivers further proves that. He managed to make enough plays against arguably the best defense in the NFL, and did it on the biggest stage. The Eagles, with their incumbent quarterback Nick Foles, don’t have that elite QB yet. Foles could shock us all and grow into a great signal-caller. However, barring another 27-2 touchdown-interception season, the Eagles need to evaluate talent at this position.

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Winning a Super Bowl requires a high-ranked defense?

Just ask any Seattle fan how that all worked out, with their #1 ranked defense losing in the Super Bowl. For their sake, the defense kept their team in the game, and made Brady work for every point. However, when it mattered most, Brady made the plays and came out victorious. For the Eagles, the lack of a competent secondary will remain front and center on their list of weaknesses. When the Birds’ defense is being carved up by the likes of San Francisco 49er’s quarterback Colin Kaepernick, that’s not a good sign. The Eagles D just doesn’t have the talent currently to make stops when they need to.

Winning a Super Bowl requires a team to get hot at the right time?

This one probably holds the most truth. Both the Patriots and Seahawks got hotter as the season went on. Early in the year, when the Eagles were racking up wins, these two other teams were making fans shake their heads with losses and questions swirling all over the place. At the end of the season, well, the final game says it all. The Eagles went the opposite direction. Every team will go through ups and down (save the 1972 Miami Dolphins), but the Eagles need to learn how to peak late in the season when the games matter most. The first year under head coach Chip Kelly, they ended the regular season strong, but then sputtered in the playoffs. Getting back to a peak form late is critical.

Winning a Super Bowl requires… ?

So what is the magic formula that helps a team get to the final dance. For the Eagles, the answer might be a lot more complicated. Back in 2005, quarterback Donovan McNabb got them to the final game without the services of wide receiver Terrell Owens. The star receiver came back for the final game, but they couldn’t quite get it done against the same New England Patriots. For the Birds today looking at the 2015 season, they need to focus on getting back into the playoffs and doing some damage. This next season might not be “the” season, or it could turn into the kind of Cinderella season that brought the division-rival New York Giants two Lombardi trophies.

Most of the talk today centers around the Eagles making a big splash or one big change that will shift the tides in their favor. Philadelphia has become a “win now” town, with fans craving a championship. Kelly has shown an ability to win at the college level, and he has seen success at the pro level. Now it’s time for him to take the next step if he wants to cement his pro-league credentials. Having never won a National Championship, he can’t afford to fall into the Andy Reid “great but not championship-caliber” philosophy that frustrated Eagles’ fan for over a decade. The Philadelphia Eagles need to learn from this Super Bowl, make the right changes, and peak at the right time. Easier said than done.

Next: Chip Kelly Winning May Be Eagles Worst Enemy

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