3 dream scenarios for the Eagles in 2023 NFL season
By Jake Beckman
![DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Eagles v Washington Commanders DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Eagles v Washington Commanders](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4848,h_2727,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/57/01h32a8zenxmq9w6qjdb.jpg)
No one really anticipated how great the Philadelphia Eagles’ 2022 campaign turned out to be. Sure, we all had high hopes during the offseason, but the Birds exceeded them. Now, we all are dealing with something a little different, expectations.
Last time around, we hoped that Jalen Hurts would progress and take the next step. BAM. It happened. Last season we hoped that Haason Reddick would be the sack machine. BAM. It happened. Hell, last year, we hoped that Miles Sanders would actually score a touchdown. BAM. He had the best season of his career. Now that we know that our hopes and dreams can be realized with this team. It’s time to manifest some more memories.
Our fingers are crossed. Here are a few dream scenarios for the coming Eagles season.
The Eagles run the table in the NFC East.
In 2022, the NFC East was the most dominant division in the NFL with all four teams finishing above .500. Sure, the other three teams fell bass-ackwards when it mattered most, but success is still success.
The Dallas Cowboys have a quarterback who’s just getting older and throwing more interceptions. The New York Giants have their star running back threatening to hold out and they’ll definitely regress to who they really are. The Washington Commanders do nothing more than exist as the fourth team in the division.
Is there any reason the Eagles shouldn’t run the table against three teams that regularly and actively hurt themselves?
DeVonta Smith enjoys his first Pro Bowl season.
A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are both phenomenal. The former is a two-time Pro Bowler. The latter will enjoy his first nod in year three. DeVonta isn't just coming onto his own. He's becoming a star, and this year, we expect him to dominate, maybe even more so than A.J.
We're looking for the same level of dominance that we saw from him in college. We're looking at a guy on the verge of breaking out from being a Dude, into being THE Dude.
There's a legitimate possibility now that Jalen Hurts has gotten the bag. He might not be running the ball as much. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. QB1 can spin it with the best of them. Knowing that, why wouldn't we expect fireworks from Smith?
Star wide receivers often earn their titles in their third seasons. Tyreek Hill, Michael Thomas, DeAndre Hopkins, and Cooper Kupp have all had their breakouts in their 3rd seasons. We know that DeVonta is, and is going to be, a star wide receiver. It’s his third season. You do the math.
The Eagles defensive line matches their sack total from last year.
70 sacks is a high number... obviously. Having four players notch double-digit sacks is a tough ask. The facts are the facts. Here comes the boldest of predictions.
Here’s the deal, Jonathan Gannon was a complete moron at times, but the bad man is gone now. We have to assume when Nick Sirianni and the gang hired Sean Desai, part of their thought process involved determining whether or not Sean was a total idiot like his predecessor.
An easy way to figure that out is to show Desai two hoodies: a regular one that normal people wear, and the stupid astronaut spacesuit hoodie that Gannon never took off. Then, you ask him which one doesn't look ridiculous. If he answers with the normal one, then he's leagues above Gannon.
If Desai is even remotely smarter than Gannon, which we believe he is, he should be able to run a defense that can use an elite defensive line much closer to its fullest potential. Yeah, Javon Hargrave is gone, but the Eagles have reloaded with elite young talent during the NFL Draft. Is there a reason why Jalen Carter can’t also produce at an extremely high level? The answer: Nope. Expect big numbers and 70 sacks from the Eagles in 2023.
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