The Philadelphia Eagles secured their most important victory of head coach Nick Sirianni’s short tenure with a blowout win over the Detroit Lions yesterday afternoon.
The lowly Lions fell to 0-8, and the victory shouldn’t convince anyone that the Lombardi Trophy will come back to Philadelphia anytime soon. However, former Eagles head coach Andy Reid once said, “Don’t worry about it; enjoy the win, man.” The quote became better known as a sound drop on 97.5 The Fanatic. Eagles fans haven’t had much to cheer about this season, but they should listen to the words of the franchise’s all-time leader in wins.
Eagles Take One Step in Right Direction
Concerns about the future of the franchise peaked last week after the Las Vegas Raiders effortlessly took care of the Eagles 33-22 in their Week 7 matchup. Fans and media questioned Sirianni’s credibility after a bizarre analogy about his team’s progress. Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon came under fire for his lack of creativity. Jalen Hurts gave fans very little reason to be optimistic.
The team responded as well as they could have in Detroit. They posted a final score of 44-6 that should remind fans of an epic moment in franchise history against the Dallas Cowboys. They showed strengths in areas that have consistently been weaknesses throughout the season.
Sirianni called an unprecedented amount of designed running plays. The Eagles finished with 246 yards on the ground thanks to the efforts of Hurts and reserve backs Boston Scott and Jordan Howard. The defense strayed from their previously passive approach, showing signs of life with six sacks and a defensive touchdown. The team only committed two penalties.
One NFL Sunday to Enjoy
Watching a game on an NFL Sunday is supposed to be enjoyable. That unfortunately hasn’t always been the case for Eagles fans recently, and that might continue at some points for the remainder of the 2021 season.
Blowing out the winless Lions shouldn’t convince anyone that the season is saved, but it’s a nice break for Eagles fans from the endless droning about the incompetence of the organization and the negative outlook on Hurts as the long-term answer at quarterback.
Fans don’t have to focus on the fact that the Eagles beat a team that’ll be in the mix for the first-overall pick. Worrying about draft positioning is no way to go through a season, especially when less than half of it is complete.
If fans have eyes on the NFL Draft, they should focus on Week 8 losses by Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts. The Dolphins will likely give the Eagles a top-five pick in April, and the Colts are currently meeting the conditions that would send their first-round pick to Philadelphia.
Carson Wentz blew one for the Colts yesterday. The FOX announcers for their game against the Tennessee Titans twice referred to him as “resilient” during the broadcast because of how things ended in Philadelphia. The formerly anointed franchise quarterback made them regret their misguided words by throwing a pick-six in the fourth quarter and another interception in overtime that set up Tennessee’s game-winning drive. The turnovers gave Eagles fans even more to enjoy.
Eagles Outlook Moving Forward
The Eagles sit at 3-5 in second place in the NFC East. According to FiveThirtyEight.com, they have a surprisingly substantial 21% chance to make the playoffs.
Their issues aren’t fixed, and their playoff hopes still seem extremely lofty. However, their toughest opponents are behind them. They could finish with a respectable record considering the weakening schedule in the second half of the season.
The Los Angeles Chargers will be slight favorites when they visit Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, but they shouldn’t strike anyone as a daunting opponent after losing at home to the New England Patriots yesterday. A home game and a nice tailgate atmosphere should be something to look forward to in Philadelphia at this time of year.
For one week, Eagles fans can look optimistically with excitement for an upcoming game.
Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire
