The Philadelphia Eagles utilize clips from the iconic “Rocky” and “Creed” movie series during the team’s pregame hype video at Lincoln Financial Field. While there are several memorable quotes from the iconic movie series, there is one that fits perfectly when analyzing the team’s struggles last season and their resiliency in 2024.
“The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it,” Rocky said to his son Robert in the 2006 film, Rocky Balboa.
“You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!“
Last season, the Eagles were on top of the world at 10-1 before hosting the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13. The 49ers walked into Lincoln Financial Field and disrespected the Eagles both on and off the field, ultimately winning by a final score of 42-19.
It was a humbling beatdown that sent the Eagles into a downward spiral. Despite a promising 10-1 start to the regular season, Philadelphia would finish with a 10-7 record before being embarrassed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the playoffs. It was a fitting end to a disappointing and awkward season for the Eagles.
The Eagles were forced to deal with plenty of controversy throughout 2023, including a sudden change at defensive coordinator, star wide receiver A.J. Brown avoiding the media and plenty of concerning rumors about the team following the end of Philadelphia’s season.
It felt as though Nick Sirianni’s tenure as head coach of the Eagles was coming to an end, as he appeared to lose his grasp on the team during the second half of the season. Yet Sirianni took Balboa’s advice and kept pushing forward into 2024, despite how hard he was hit by the disappointments of last season.
Sirianni got off to a rocky start in 2024, no pun intended. He was essentially stripped of all responsibilities on offense, as the Eagles hired offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to run the show. While veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was hired to bring much-needed stability to Philadelphia’s underperforming defense.
Following a 2-2 start to the regular season, many began to call for Sirianni’s job, as it appeared as though last season’s struggles had carried over into 2024. Yet Philadelphia’s head coach wasn’t going to let the Eagles spiral out of control once again, as he utilized the early bye week in Week 5 to rally the troops and save the team’s season.
Sirianni reportedly met with several veteran leaders, including star quarterback Jalen Hurts, in an effort to turn things around in Philadelphia. Following the bye week, the Eagles embraced a run-first approach on offense and rode star running back Saquon Barkley to 10 consecutive victories to improve to their regular season record to 12-2.
Despite winning 10 consecutive games, there was some head scratching drama that the Eagles had to deal with along the way. Yet unlike last season, Philadelphia learned from their mistakes and addressed the issues rather quickly.
In Week 14, the Eagles escaped with a 22-16 victory over the Carolina Panthers, which resulted in Brown calling Philadelphia’s passing offense into question. Many believed Brown’s comments were a direct shot at Hurts, despite the 26-year-old quarterback being the godfather of Brown’s daughter, Jersee.
The controversy surrounding Brown’s response was only made worse by Eagles veteran edge rusher Brandon Graham, who uncharacteristically commented on the relationship between Philadelphia’s star duo during an appearance 94 WIP.
From the outside looking in, it felt like Graham’s comments presented a moment that could fracture the locker room, similar to what reportedly happened during last season’s collapse. Yet Sirianni used the controversy as a way to galvanize his team ahead of a massive matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15.
While Sirianni has relied on his five core values since his arrival in Philadelphia, he issued a new message following the controversy involving Brown, Hurts and Graham. Leading up to the Eagles’ matchup with the Steelers, Sirianni publicly and privately emphasized three words: Tough. Detailed. Together.
Despite all of the outside noise throughout the week, Sirianni’s message was heard loud and clear throughout Philadelphia’s locker room. Several key players on the Eagles echoed Sirianni’s message during their interactions with the media throughout the week, showcasing the team’s newfound focus that they were lacking in 2023.
The Eagles silenced all of the outside noise with a dominant 27-13 victory over the Steelers in Week 15. Hurts and Brown showcased their relationship is just fine as well, connecting on eight receptions for 110 yards and one touchdown.
Yet following another victory, there appeared to be more potential drama on the rise in Philadelphia. Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reported that Graham and Eagles chief security officer Dom DiSandro visited Hurts at his house during the team’s bye week to suggest that he needs to connect with his teammates more.
While Glazer presented the report in a positive light, showcasing Hurts’ ability to change and be receptive to his teammates, many Eagles’ fans began to panic about more potential off-field drama in Philadelphia. Yet Graham quickly disputed the report in a comment on Instagram and Hurts also denied the report during his recent press conference.
Unlike last season, the Eagles are no longer letting issues fester inside the locker room and then addressing it in the offseason. They are comfortable talking each other, either publicly or privately, and working through their issues for the betterment of the team.
Now that the Eagles have put the drama behind them, they’ll continue to keep moving forward. After all, that is how Rocky Balboa said winning is done, right?
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
