Eagles set new franchise record despite an ugly loss versus Saints

Somewhere in football heaven, Buddy Ryan, Jim Johnson, and Bud Carson are probably hanging out together. They’re ticked off by what they’ve seen from the 2022-2023 Philadelphia Eagles these past two weeks, but they’re smiling because of what they saw from the defense.

With seven sacks today, this year’s Eagles have etched their names into the franchise’s history books. They do so in a losing cause, but if you’re searching for silver linings in dark clouds, here’s one.

Philly has never beaten a team led by Andy Dalton, but they can add his name to their body count. They’re the owners of 68 quarterback takedowns, and the tab is still running. They are now the first team in NFL history to field four players with ten or more sacks. They also pass the mark set by one of the greatest defenses Birds fans have ever seen, Buddy’s 1989 squad. Can you believe that Jeff Fisher was the defensive coordinator on that squad?

Despite the frustration, we tip our cap to the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense.

The Philadelphia Eagles have bigger goals in mind, but let’s take a moment and congratulate Jonathan Gannon and his squad. Sure, things haven’t been perfect. Arguments can be made that his guys tend to struggle when they face better quarterbacks, but entering Week 17, no team in the NFL had given up fewer yards in the passing game.

They entered Week 17 with 16 interceptions on the season, and they were tied with the New England Patriots for the NFL’s second-highest total. Josiah Scott added another to Philly’s total, but the Pats added two which means Philly is now third.

With 68 sacks and counting on the campaign, they’re comfortably ahead of the rest of the NFL in that category. Dallas is in second place in that category with 51 sacks.

Wins are what’s most important though, and though the defense played well enough to give Philly a shot, the Birds ultimately didn’t get the job done. The NFC East’s crown and home-field advantage throughout the postseason will have to wait. There’s one more game to be played, and in a one-week-at-a-time league, Philadelphia can still lock up a divisional crown and home-field advantage throughout the postseason. That alone is a reason to smile.