The 2023 Philadelphia Eagles season ended bitterly. However that was final yr. That is this yr. Why can the Eagles bounce again in an enormous means in 2024?
The Eagles teaching employees is best
Philly’s play-callers final yr had been lifeless weight. Offensive coordinator Brian Johnson was in over his head, defensive coordinator Sean Desai obtained benched in the course of the season, and substitute Matt Patricia was Matt Patricia. Competency could be an improve over what the Eagles coordinators dropped at the desk final yr.
The Eagles did higher than mere competency. Vic Fangio on protection and Kellen Moore on offense had been the very best hires the workforce might make.
Moore received’t give his prime operating again simply two touches in a recreation. He understands that the principles enable a large receiver to maneuver from one a part of the sector to a different earlier than the ball is snapped. With 5 years of play-calling expertise, Moore received’t want the coaching wheels that Johnson wanted however lacked.
Simply as importantly, Moore and his lieutenants — Doug Nussmeier and Kyle Valero — are contemporary voices. Over 2022 and 2023, the Eagles solely employed one offensive coach from exterior the group; Marcus Brady, who had beforehand labored with Nick Sirianni. Moore and his employees are a lot wanted new views for an offense that had gone stale.
In the meantime, reasonably than attempt to use one other copy of the Vic Fangio protection, the workforce went and employed the real article. They didn’t simply herald Fangio, they rebuilt the protection in his imaginative and prescient. Vangio is more likely to have at the very least 5 new starters by the free company additions of Bryce Huff, Zack Baun, Devin White, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, together with draft picks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. The workforce additionally drafted Jalyx Hunt, reportedly a private favourite of Fangio.
What was a weak point in 2023 ought to be a energy in 2024.
The Eagles secondary is proficient and deep
For the primary time in what seems like ceaselessly, the Eagles have honest-to-goodness depth within the secondary. The depth comes with a caveat: a lot of the gamers didn’t play final yr. Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean are rookies, Isaiah Rodgers was suspended for all of 2023, and Keele Ringo solely performed six video games on protection.
However the expertise is there, what has been a handicap in recent times ought to be an asset. Vic Fangio isn’t any stranger to enjoying younger gamers or to rotating his secondary, so they need to all get an opportunity to contribute. Gardner-Johnson, DeJean, and Avante Maddox have positional versatility that ought to assist when accidents occur. Final season, too many apply squad gamers had been compelled into motion within the secondary. That shouldn’t be a difficulty this yr.
Philadelphia’s offense is just too good to fail
The 2024 Eagles will go so far as their offense takes them. Happily, it ought to be probably the greatest within the league. Regardless of every little thing that went flawed final yr, they nonetheless completed fifth in EPA per play, sixth in success fee, seventh in scoring, eighth in yards, and tenth in DVOA. The Eagles don’t want to steer the league in scoring and just one workforce previously decade has had the highest scoring offense and received the Tremendous Bowl. They simply have to be constant and dynamic.
The Eagles nonetheless have an amazing line even with out Jason Kelce they usually have an elite WR duo. The addition of Saquon Barkley and a wholesome Jalen Hurts, who spent a lot of the 2023 season enjoying by a knee damage, ought to see the run recreation return to dominance. The items for an elite offense are there, and Kellen Moore has proven that he can get a proficient offense producing. His offenses have completed 1st, 4th, and sixth in factors; 1st in yards twice; and 2nd and sixth in DVOA.
Philadelphia has pleasure
The final seven-game stretch of the 2023 season was some of the depressing endings in franchise historical past. There are solely two responses the workforce can need to that bitter ending: struggle or flight. Throughout the season they selected flight, however issues have modified.
New key voices on the teaching employees on either side of the ball aren’t neophytes. There are veteran additions at each place that weren’t right here for the slide, together with CJGJ and Devin White bringing some a lot wanted perspective.
And the coach and the quarterback have a historical past of rebounding. Nick Sirianni’s first season was a bounce again for the workforce after the depressing 2020 season. After some course corrections halfway by 2021, the workforce completed 7-3 to succeed in the playoffs. This yr, the course correction occurred within the offseason.
Then there’s the quarterback. Jalen Hurts has a historical past of bouncing again from low factors in his profession. Don’t guess in opposition to him.
