If history is any indication, the Philadelphia Eagles have a wonderful opportunity to qualify for a Super Bowl appearance this year. Something about the way things are shaking out feels familiar.
Philly has rattled off 10 straight wins since their bye week. That's a franchise record. They are now 12-2 with three regular-season games remaining. This is the fourth time they've started 12-2 or better. The other three times they did so, they played their way into the big game.
The Eagles are the NFL's best well-rounded team. Fans should be excited for what's to come. Some might scoff at predictive pieces and worry about a jinx, but there are so many reasons to be optimistic.
Jalen Hurts' has proven he can play the game at an elite level.
Say what you will (the media already does), but Jalen Hurts wins games. With a 37-9 record as a starting quarterback, his record speaks for itself. He is one of the winningest QBs the league has seen.
With a strict leadership style, there's one priority, winning. His champion's mentality pushes his team to do better — a clear parallel to Philly's gritty outlook.
Quarterbacks in NFL history with three or more separate 10+ game winning streaks (regular season) in their career:
— Deniz Selman (@denizselman33) December 16, 2024
John Elway
Peyton Manning
Tom Brady
Patrick Mahomes
Jalen Hurts#Eagles
He's quick on this feet and deadly as a passer once he gets on a roll. Last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he played one of his best games.
He threw for 290 yards while highlighting his dynamic duo at wide receiver. So far, this season, Hurts leads the the league in rushing touchdowns. He guarantees this offense will score points.
The Eagles offense is an arsenal of weapons...and they're all loaded.
It's obvious that Saquon Barkley is superhuman. Leading the league with 1,688 rushing yards, he's 417 yards away from claiming the NFL's single-season rushing record as his own. He has gained more yardage on the ground than the totals produced by 19 different franchises.
Then, there's A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Despite only having 56 receptions (which ties the 35th-highest total), Brown ranks 10th league-wide in receiving yards. He's not only always open, but he's always making big plays, and his counterpart is equally as impressive.
Smith played his best game of the season last week, and maybe the best of his career. He notched 109 receiving yards and one touchdown. His 11 receptions were a career-best. Smith's agility has made it difficult for opposing defenses to stop him.
This is a championship-level defense.
The Eagles defense is ridiculous this season. We mean that in a good way, of course. Vic Fangio always has his guys ready to play.
With veteran experience and rookies who play like seasoned athletes, the Eagles enter Week 16 ranked first in yards allowed per game and points allowed per game. Over their 10-game winning streak, they've given up less than 14 points a game — the best in the NFL.
Not to mention, they've also had the fewest penalties and yards per penalty. Pretty good for a defense loaded with newbies.
Quinyon Mitchell, who is now the favorite to win the NFL's Rookie Defensive Player of the Year Award, still has his head on straight. Ask him. He cares more about winning the Super Bowl. In one-on-one situations, he has held his opponents to 26 yards per contest or fewer since the bye week. The best part is he still has growth opportunities.
Nick Sirianni is one of the best coaches in Eagles' history.
Remember when Nick Sirianni offered us that speech about growth and compared it to flowers? Remember when we laughed at him? Well, as crazy as it sounds, he is now 46-19 as Philadelphia's head coach. That currently doubles as the fifth-best winning percentage in league history.
In five seasons, Coach Sirianni has led the Eagles to the postseason during each of his first four seasons. He led Philly to within four points of winning a Super Bowl in year two. This Eagles team will give him an opportunity to go back and win.
He also has an insane support staff behind him. Kellen Moore, Jeff Stoutland, and Vic Fangio have assembled an almost seamless team. After the Eagles' loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a week off to refocus, Philly has been completely revitalized.
Three games remain, and all are winnable. The Eagles are vying for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. That's great, but all fans care about is the Super Bowl, right? You're in luck. We think we'll see Philadelphia there.