A Bird’s Eye View: The 2022-23 Philadelphia Eagles
Bill Streicher - USA Today Sports
The Eagle Eye
Less than a week away from the NFL’s opening weekend, the Philadelphia Eagles hype train keeps on chugging. The team seems laser-focused on making a serious playoff run, building off the Wild Card exit from last season. The pieces of the puzzle are there on paper, but how will they fare?
Only time will tell, but first impressions go a long way. On Sunday, the team will travel to Detroit to take on the Lions, a game they should win barring any massive mistakes. After that game, the birds will stay in the NFC North and take on the Vikings in a rematch of the 2017 NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field. In that matchup, they will see an old friend in Jalen Reagor, who they traded to the Vikings in late August.
The rest of the schedule includes the Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers, Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears, and New Orleans Saints. The familiar division rivals in the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders have some former birds themselves, with Jason Peters providing offensive line depth in Dallas and Carson Wentz at the helm in Washington.
With challenging games on the docket, the Eagles have to rely on the offseason additions to bolster the team. A.J. Brown looks to be the number one receiver on a team with weapons like Devonta Smith, who broke the franchise rookie receiving yards record last season with 916, and Dallas Goedert, who recorded over 800 yards and 4 touchdowns in that same campaign.
On the defensive side of the ball, the recently acquired C.J. Gardner-Johnson looks to be an impact player in the secondary for a team searching for answers at the safety spot. Linebackers Kyzir White, rookie Nakobe Dean, and Haason Reddick are poised to stuff the run, clog up passing lanes, and give opposing quarterbacks fits. James Bradberry should provide a good second cornerback pairing with Darius Slay that locks down receivers across the league.
First-round draft pick and former Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis has impressed in camp and preseason games. With comparisons to Aaron Donald in terms of size and strength, it is easy to see why the team and fans are excited for him to take the field. The list of impact players in Philadelphia goes on and on, but he could be the breakout star for an already star-studded defensive line.
In the end, all of these men are chasing more than just the NFC East Division title. The real difference maker lies in their quarterback and captain, Jalen Hurts. Can he make the big leap from last season and bring this team to new heights? Only his play this year will dictate that, but with all the playmakers around him, the sky is the limit for the young signal caller.
A Super Season
It is too early to think about the playoff possibilities for a team filled with this many superstars. However, the murmurs of a new “Dream Team” have floated around, both conjuring up a positive outlook on the team and negative memories of the ill-fated 2011 season. The birds are hoping to soar to victory this year, but that is easier said than done. Games are won on the field, not on paper, and this talented roster needs to swoop down on their prey in order to have a successful 2022-23 campaign.