And, just like that, we're knee-deep in another playoff quest for the Philadelphia Eagles and 13 other NFL franchises. Where did the time go? Days pass, and we bounce back and forth between two thoughts. Both seemingly contradict one another.
It feels like that first game vs. the Green Bay Packers was two years ago. Then, there are also times when it feels like it was yesterday. That's just how football works in general though. Everything births conflicted emotions. All you have to do is ask a Birds fan, and they will tell you.
For instance, we could also say we're torn about Philly's offense. They're loaded with stars for Heaven's sake. They notched 463 points on the season. They fielded the first player in the history of this great franchise to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season.
Saquon is also the fourth player in NFL history to stack 2,000 all-purpose yards in a single season for two different franchises.
So, why do so many of us complain so much?
Did the slow starts affect us too much? Are we simply adoring fans who want to see our Birds reach their full potential? Or, are we fearful because we watched one of the greatest Eagles teams assembled fall short of the prize two years ago?
Grading every Eagles offensive unit
Trust us on this. No one is harder on the Eagles than the Eagles are on themselves. They're aware of the slow starts and missed opportunities. Our man of a million catchphrases, Jalen Hurts, would refer to what we have often seen as "leaving money on the table".
Jalen didn't coin that phrase, but Saquon did run to the trademark office to patent '2K SA' AND '2KSA'. Good for him! We hope he drops some cool gear and he cashes in because the Birds have cashed in on him all season.
Quarterbacks - B+ trending toward an A-
Jalen Hurts is special. We stand by that. No one has defended him more often than this platform has, nor has anyone criticized him more than when he deserved that. As mentioned earlier, two statements that seemingly contradict one another can both be accurate.
Jalen is one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL. He is also flawed. He IS NOT above criticism.
He doesn't turn the ball over, but he also struggles in anticipating throws. Pro QBs must anticipate receivers breaking free before they do so. Often Jalen must see the receiver open before he launches, but by then, it's too late...
His backups aren't perfect, but they're steady and do some nice things. The third-stringer, however, Tanner McKee is better than the backup option, Kenny Pickett.
Running backs - A+
Yes, this unit gets a huge boost because Saquon Barkley is a member, but Kenneth Gainwell has proven he's better than he is often given credit for being. Will Shipley is also talented.
The latter suffered a concussion vs. the Washington Commanders in Week 16 and missed Philly's Week 17 game vs. the Dallas Cowboys, but he and Kenny G do what they are asked to do on special teams and in this offense. Neither has fumbled on a combined 125 offensive touches of the football.
Kenny scored a rushing TD this season, and Will would have added one of his own had it not been called back because of a penalty.
Wide Receivers - A
Though this group isn't deep, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are so good that they mask that there isn't a consistent enough threat behind them. Jalen doesn't seem to trust Jahan Dotson for some reason, but Dotson proved there's something there as he led all Eagles in receptions (7) and receiving yards (94) during Tanner McKee's Week 18 start.
Ainias Smith scored his first career TD in the finale. Fellow 2024 NFL draftee Johnny Wilson might receive too many targets. Sure, he's big and Philly hopes he can become a red zone threat and possession receiver, but he has only hauled in five of 15 targets this season.
He just hasn't learned how to use his six-foot-six, 228-pound frame yet. He has scored an NFL TD this season though.
Tight Ends - B+
Dallas Goedert is good but doesn't get the ball enough. He gets hurt a lot. He misses multiple games every season, but he's one of few NFL talents at his position who block and catch the ball with equal proficiency. He'll be back for the postseason run.
Grant Calcaterra has come on. We always knew he could do it. He could improve as a blocker though. Like Smith, he scored his first NFL TD (and on his first career reception no less), but we aren't quite ready to say he's ready for primetime.
If Goedert gets hurt, as we mentioned happens frequently, this unit becomes very average in a hurry.
Offensive Line - A+
Well, we already knew this unit would receive passing grades, right? They sent three starters to the Pro Bowl (Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, and Lane Johnson). The other two starters we good enough to gain mention but were snubbed.
Come on. What does Jordan Mailata have to do? He's been Pro Football Focus's highest-graded tackle all season, but he gets punished by voters because they don't want to send too many Eagles to the Pro Bowl.
That has to be the reason why he gets ignored every year. Nothing else makes any sense.
But, if we want to talk about X's and O's with the NFL's best offensive line, that's easy to do. They don't make many mistakes, and even if they do, we're never worried because we know they will bounce back because we have ALWAYS seen them follow the occasional lackluster moments with above-average play.
Jeff Stoutland University continues to do wonders.