Philadelphia Eagles debate table: Why isn’t anyone discussing the Saints?

The Eagles’ road to Minneapolis may not be as foregone a conclusion as everyone keeps suggesting it is. The Saints may play a big role in determining who wins the NFC.

There’s a surprise team just about every season isn’t it? The 2017 NFL season has been no exception. The back-and-forth discussions surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles have evolved into bona fide Super Bowl aspirations. With each victory, the talk gets a little louder, but what may have gotten lost in the growing hysteria that has been the Eagles’ 8-1 start is the fact that there’s a team improving in the South that no one seems to be talking about.

That team isn’t the Carolina Panthers or the Atlanta Falcons, as many believed it would be at this season’s start. Don’t look now, but the New Orleans Saints are 6-2 and nipping at the heels of this Eagles team. Some are beginning to wonder if this is the team that might stand in the way of an Eagles march to U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis (Super Bowl 52’s location).

Here’s an argument for and against the Saints.

Philadelphia Eagles

After an 0-2 start to the season, the Saints have rattled off six wins in a row. The natural reaction to these types of things is to pull up the schedule. When you do that, you see two losses to two very good teams, the New England Patriots and the Minnesota Vikings. After that, there are wins against teams who haven’t exactly distanced themselves from the rest of the pack. It’s hard to get excited about wins over the Miami Dolphins and a Green Bay Packers team that was missing Aaron Rodgers.

This is the NFL though, and wins are hard to come by regardless of who you’re playing. The Saints are in first place in the NFC South and could, honestly, pose a problem for the Eagles in the playoffs if that’s how things turn out. They have one of the best head coaches in professional football. They have a future NFL Hall of Fame quarterback. Still, when the discussion turns to the Eagles’ historic run, the Saints don’t come up. 94 WIP-FM’s Morning Show even ran a poll to determine who fans thought was the biggest obstacle in Philly’s hopes to still be playing football in February.

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As of 10 AM on Tuesday morning, the Saints weren’t even close to being a factor in that poll.

Take a look.

Let’s make long stories short.

The Saints’ most recent draft class has paid huge dividends. They’re playing as though they belong in the NFL, and this may be one of those draft classes we look back on if their success continues for years to come. Still, it’s hard to ignore the schedule. Some would say they haven’t played anyone. When you look at that team in purple and that team in Los Angeles, it’s hard not to wonder if the Eagles have a clear path to the Super Bowl. When you think back to the Eagles last playoff appearance and loss, it’s hard not to wonder if the Eagles’ Super Bowl talk is premature.

It would be wise not to count the Saints out.