The Philadelphia Eagles regressed during the 2023 campaign. A lackluster season ended in extreme disappointment with an embarrassing blowout defeat in the wild-card round. This season, the Eagles will attempt to recapture their 2022 campaign magic when they represented the NFC in Super Bowl LVII.
Expectations were extremely sizable going into 2023. The Eagles won a league-high 14 contests in 2022, clinching a first-round bye and the top overall seed in the NFC. They were ultimately defeated 38-35 by the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, falling painfully short of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
The Eagles planned on repeating those efforts, and initially, they appeared to be right on track after beginning the campaign with a dominant 10-1 record. The wheels began coming off as they neared the conclusion of the regular-season campaign with Nick Sirianni’s squad dropping five of their final six contests.
In case you needed the reminder, @DeVontaSmith_6 is the smoothest route runner in the league 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/n24XlRAz3T
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 13, 2024
Those string of defeats featured blowout losses to the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. As a result, the Cowboys overtook Philadelphia for the NFC East title. In Week 17, they lost 35-31 to the lowly Arizona Cardinals.
The defense allowed an astounding 30.3 points per game in the season's final six games. There was confusion over who was calling the defense, with senior defensive assistant Matt Patricia replacing DC Sean Desai as the play-caller. It didn't help. Their struggles carried over into the postseason as they were swiftly eliminated, losing 32-9 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild-card round.
General manager Howie Roseman made massive changes to the coaching staff and personnel this offseason. Legendary defensive coach Vic Fangio was named the new defensive coordinator, replacing both Desai and Patricia. Sirianni even fired his trusted offensive coordinator Brian Johnson and appointed former Cowboys OC Kellen Moore in his place.
Massive developments have occurred on both sides of the ball. Starting center Jason Kelce announced his retirement after 13 illustrious seasons. Last year's starting right guard Cam Jurgens is sliding over to center, and the Eagles are holding a competition at his former position between Tyler Steen and Mekhi Becton to determine the new starter.
The biggest offensive change occurred at running back. Roseman paid a premium to attract elite running back Saquon Barkley to the City of Brotherly Love. Barkley and starting quarterback Jalen Hurts should form one of the league's scariest backfield duos in the league this season.
Just a little preview for ya...@JalenHurts | @saquon | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/aAFi1TvU7g
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 13, 2024
Even more changes have occurred on defense. A pass rush that recorded a 19th-ranked 43 sacks last season (after having a historic 70 in 2022) has been boosted by the arrival of Bryce Huff. There are new starters at off-ball linebacker in Zack Baun and reclamation project Devin White. The defensive line is also expecting steps forward from Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis following Fletcher Cox’s retirement.
The secondary has received a much-needed makeover. C.J. Gardner-Johnson reunites with the team after playing for them in 2022, and Roseman used his first two 2024 NFL Draft picks on Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Sophomore cornerback Kelee Ringo should also play a bigger role.
The Eagles responded to 2023's disappointment by making sweeping changes to personnel and staff. The roster is talented enough to spearhead a bounce-back campaign. A successful 2024 Eagles season means legitimate Super Bowl contention atop the NFC.
