Since when was successful within the NFL an issue? Maybe while you develop into so used to successful, it turns into in regards to the method wherein you’re successful.
No group typifies that sentiment this season fairly just like the Philadelphia Eagles, who stay one of the best at successful whereas wanting about as cohesive and as charming as a Christmas Day dinner between in-laws.
The Tremendous Bowl champions are in turmoil… if you’re to purchase into social media impatience, a divided fan-base, perfection-hungry analysts and the need of 1 or two disgruntled gamers to be the centre of consideration.
The offense is sputtering, there’s a rigidity within the constructing, uneasy experiences are rising and an ice-cold quarterback who solely is aware of how you can win is drawing criticism. However the matter of truth is Nick Sirianni’s reigning Lombardi Trophy-holders boast a tied NFC-best report of 8-2, having all-but definitely received their division.
They’ve crushed Tremendous Bowl contenders within the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Inexperienced Bay Packers (whose credentials have admittedly been dented of late) and, on Sunday night time, the Detroit Lions, whose prolific offense was restricted to only 9 factors.
True, ice-cold champions win on their dangerous days. And they’re a successful machine, with the strongest roster in soccer. So why the lengthy faces?
“I think we take a lot of pride in just winning, period,” stated Sirianni stated. “As I watched soccer at the moment [around the league], I really feel like I noticed a variety of groups ready to lose.
“Our team’s waiting to win because they know how to win. There’s something to be said for knowing how to win and knowing how to figure out ways to win.”
In some ways, it makes them the scariest group within the NFL. They’ve barely come near hitting the high-powered stride anticipated of them, and but it is troublesome to see any rival dethroning them within the NFC on the best way to a second-straight Tremendous Bowl look.
The highlight and scrutiny has naturally turned to the face of the franchise in Hurts on the coronary heart of an offense struggling to search out rhythm or incite a concern issue below first-year coordinator Kevin Patullo, whose failure to persistently scheme star weapons open and his predictable system has been under-utilising an assault with all of the weapons for which a quarterback may ask.
He and Hurts have been questioned for taking part in too conservatively and with diminished aggression in favour of ball safety and eradicating adverse performs. It has seen Hurts throw for below 200 yards in six video games this season, together with 135 towards the Lions with a completion proportion of simply 50, and for no less than 300 simply as soon as, sitting nineteenth in complete passing yards throughout the league and with a Twenty second-ranked 180 completions.
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Ndamukong Suh talks in regards to the Philadelphia Eagles’ struggles and believes one thing within the organisation is a matter
It leaves Philly’s offense ranked fifth-worst within the passing recreation and twenty fifth total in complete yards per recreation, in addition to being fourth-worst in third-down conversion charge.
He has additionally, although, thrown only one interception to go together with his 16 touchdowns, and his deep ball abilities, which may be among the many finest within the league, see him sit fifth in completion proportion on passes 20 yards or extra. They only aren’t seeing it sufficient.
Patullo’s unit is devoid of creativeness and struggling to maneuver the ball. Even Saquon Barkley is but to come back to life with 662 speeding yards (14th) for 4 touchdowns and only one 100-yard recreation, having led the NFL with 2,283 scrimmage yards in 2024, whereas AJ Brown has been sad all 12 months with simply 38 receptions from 65 targets for 457 yards and three touchdowns – 130 yards of which got here throughout two video games.
He turned to a bible verse to subtly trace at his lack of utilization earlier within the 12 months, and lately inspired fantasy soccer gamers to take him out of their group.
“You can’t just keep slapping a Band-Aid over that and you expect to win later in the year,” he stated.
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The very best of the motion from Tremendous Bowl 59 because the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs took on the Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans
If you end up the Eagles, possibly you possibly can. For it feels all too acquainted a case of deja vu for a group that weathered late-season hiccups and uninspiring offense earlier than later dismantling the Chiefs on the Tremendous Bowl. As of late, their marketing campaign would not actually start till January, and it’s on essentially the most daunting of levels the place Hurts turns it up a notch as a coveted killer on the large event.
Hurts is 31-15 towards groups with a successful report in his profession, placing him among the many highest of such charges within the final 75 years. Oh, and he has labored with 10 totally different play-callers since 2016. Nothing actually fazes him, and that ought to embody the surface noise.
Chatting with Sky Sports activities NFL in the summertime, Sirianni labelled the controversy over Hurts’ expertise ‘hilarious’. He hasn’t an oz. of concern over his quarterback.
Experiences emerged from the US final week suggesting there have been gamers contained in the Eagles locker room who had develop into pissed off with Hurts. Left deal with Jordan Mailata brushed the notion off.
“It’s kinda crazy that someone inside the organization would do that,” Mailata stated. “But then again, we ain’t gonna worry about that. Tell you what I am going to worry about, doing my damn job. Got enough problems there.”
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Highlights from the Week 10 matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Inexperienced Bay Packers throughout the 2025 NFL season
The place the Eagles’ energy has so typically lied is in its depth throughout the board and a game-changer-rich roster on each side of the ball. As Hurts and his offense endured a tricky day towards Detroit, Vic Fangio’s protection arose to ship considered one of its most completed performances of the season towards an offense that hasn’t been held to single-digit factors since October 2023 and that has scored essentially the most factors within the NFL because the begin of 2022.
They posted 20 quarterback pressures, seven quarterback hits and two sacks to show Jared Goff right into a skittish and suffocated pumpkin within the pocket, whereas limiting the Lions to only three of 13 third-down conversions and nil of 5 fourth-down conversions.
Lately-acquired commerce addition Jaelan Phillips led his group with six quarterback pressures every week after recording seven pressures, six tackles, two quarterback hits and a deal with for loss on debut towards the Packers. And within the secondary star nook Quinyon Mitchell didn’t permit a single catch from any of the six passes thrown in his course and has now allowed a 41.9 completion proportion this 12 months, the bottom by any participant since 2018; he allowed Amon-Ra St Brown simply two catches from 12 targets.
From Phillips’ arrival to the return of Nolan Smith Jr and the unretired Brandon Graham, Fangio has one of many fiercest items within the league at his disposal.
“The defense was playing lights-out; it was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen,” stated Hurts. “So a really, really big-time game on that side of the ball.”
They win how they should. Incomes a Tremendous Bowl ring earns a group that proper. Hurts remains to be one of many coolest prospects in high-pressure conditions, one of many league’s most gifted weapons rooms remains to be to be unleashed and the protection is brimming with disruptors.
It’s the most rickety of NFL seasons with numerous inquiries to be answered and vacation twists to come back. Now could be no time for alarm-bell doubts over an Eagles group that carries a way of inevitability at instances.
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