NFL: Philadelphia Season Recap
The Good: The Philadelphia Eagles won their first Super Bowl ever, and the franchise's first title since 1960. It was quite a ride for the organization as they were underdogs in all three of their playoff games, despite being the top seed in the AFC. Philadelphia captured the coveted title with a 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots. Nick Foles led the way with an outstanding performance in the biggest game of his entire life. He threw for 343 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. He also caught a touchdown to extend the lead to 22-12. Zach Ertz, who caught the game-winning score, ended the season with 74 catches and 824 yards.
The Bad: Not much went wrong for the Eagles this season, as they went 13-3, tied for the best record in the league, along with the Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, and Pittsburgh Steelers. However, there three losses were to the Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, and Dallas Cowboys, none of whom advanced past the Wild Card. The lowest point of the season came in Week 14 when likely NFL MVP Carson Wentz went down with a torn ACL in a 43-35 win over the Los Angeles Rams. Many people thought the Eagles season was over at that point. Wentz still had a stellar sophomore season, though, totaling 3,296 yards and 33 touchdowns.
The Unanswered: The biggest question mark heading into the offseason is what the Eagles will do at QB. Wentz is obviously going to be the starter given how effective he was and how young he still is. Also, he only had seven interceptions! This guy was the best player in the league until he went down. But should they trade Foles? His value is at an all-time high right now. They could offer Foles to the Denver Broncos or the New York Jets for a high draft pick. For now, the Eagles have a pair of impressive signal callers. Not a bad place to be. Also, we'll see who Philly takes in the NFL Draft. We have them selecting Kolton Miller out of UCLA.
The Future: After going 5-1 in the division, the Eagles are looking good for next season. Expect the Cowboys and New York Giants to improve, but Philadelphia will rightfully open as NFC East favorites. With guys like LeGarrette Blount (776 Yards), Jay Ajayi (5.8 YPC), Corey Clement (4 TD), and Alshon Jeffrey (789 Yards) all returning, they'll be set on offense. The defense should be fine for the next couple of years, too. Malcolm Jenkins (2 INT), Brandon Graham (9.5 Sacks), and Derek Barnett (5 Tackles For Loss) should all be back, as will others. All in all, the present and future looks pretty good for Doug Pederson's team.
Photo Credit: Heavy.
