It’s such weird emotions on this Super Bowl loss.
A lot of us knew the Eagles were going to be better than preseason expectations, but nobody was talking about the Super Bowl. Once they got rolling, though, it was apparent this was a special year. Expectations rose, and losing to the Chiefs felt like a big missed opportunity. But that isn’t what bugs me about this loss.
It isn’t anger at the Bradberry penalty, I love Bradberry and that isn’t why the Eagles lost. It isn’t the Chiefs – they are an easy team to respect and, as I said in my pre-Super Bowl article, if the Eagles lost it would be because it was the first time they were beaten this year. And they were.
It’s because this team was so likable.
The Eagles have long been one of the better teams in the league in terms of culture and character. But even by this standard, the 2022 team may be the most likable sports team I have ever cheered for.
I so wanted Jalen to get his ring. And DeVonta… and A.J… and Darius and Landon and Jordan and Haason and Sweat and Dallas all to get their first ring. And Kelce and BG and Fletch and Lane to get another before their time is done. More than a missed opportunity, I wanted these players to win.
That’s what sticks with me after this loss. And why this one felt different than past seasons.
2004: The gut punch
The 2004 loss to the Patriots was tough because we had never won. Most fans either weren’t born or weren’t old enough to even remember the last time the Eagles were there.
Prior to 2004, the Eagles were so close. 2003 was the crushing loss to Tampa Bay in the NFC Championship Game after all the “Tampa Bay has never won in a game below 32 degrees” nonsense.
But in 2004 the Eagles finally made it back to the Super Bowl, but lost to the hated Patriots, turning the ball over four times. Still in it late, McNabb – at the time the Eagles’ greatest QB – famously puked and never fully recovered with fans.
The winning was short-lived as the Eagles went first-to-worst the next season, finishing 6-10. The honeymoon with T.O. ended quickly and badly, a contract dispute stretched on with fan-favorite Brian Westbrook, and injuries roiled the Eagles in the 2005 season.
2017: How did we win?
The 2017 win was indescribable. Partly because we finally made it, but also because of how we did it. After consecutive 7-9 seasons, the stars aligned in 2017.
For the first time since McNabb, the Eagles finally had their guy in Carson Wentz. It was cruel when he went down in the middle of an MVP-caliber season because in the pass-heavy, must-have-a-franchise-QB league, you aren’t supposed to win with your backup.
And it wasn’t just losing Wentz. The Eagles also lost protector Jason Peters, defensive centerpiece Jordan Hicks, and unguardable weapon Darren Sproles and somehow still beat the best team in the world.
It wasn’t supposed to happen, which made it even more meaningful. I was ecstatic for the team and the city, but I think 2017 was more personal – we were all happy for ourselves. It was vindication and we no longer had to listen to the rest of the NFC East about never winning one.
The “new normal”…
The Super Bowl win was proclaimed to be the start of the “new normal” where the Eagles were expected to compete year in and year out. A new dynasty to rival the Patriots.
I hated that term just like I hated the “Dream Team”. There is nothing guaranteed or easy in the NFL and nothing you say matters. As Kelce says, “you are what your record is.” With how the league is designed for parity with the salary cap, free agency, and how difficult it is to consistently draft well, there should be no expectation of staying on top.
A double-doink partly kept the hope alive for a year, but that post-Super Bowl “new normal” was wishful thinking as Wentz imploded and the roster deteriorated.
They emptied the cupboard to get their franchise QB, leaving them 30th in the league in available draft capital between 2017-2019. They drafted okay, but because of so few picks, particularly high ones, they were 30th in the league in draft value and just could not restock.
In an attempt to keep it together and make up for the lack of starters from the draft, Howie gave out bad contracts to an aging roster. This “new normal” couldn’t stay healthy and they couldn’t afford to bring in the talent they needed.
Here is where the Eagles ranked in adjusted games lost (AGL) due to injury and who their big free agent signings were in the years after the Super Bowl:
| Year | AGL (Rank) | Top Free Agent Signings |
| 2018 | 117.0 (32nd) | WR Mike Wallace – $4.0M DT Haloti Ngata – $3.0M WR Markus Wheaton – $0.9M |
| 2019 | 84.4 (21st) | DE Malik Jackson – $30.0M DE Vinny Curry – $2.2M QB Josh McCown – $2.0M |
| 2020 | 128.1 (30th) | S Will Parks – $1.5M CB Nickell Robey-Coleman – $1.3M LB Jatavis Brown – $1.0M |
Just awful.
For the “salary cap isn’t real” crowd, it became very, very real when the Eagles continually had $20-30M of cap dedicated to injured or long-gone players like Malik Jackson, Alshon Jeffrey, and Desean Jackson.
Do you know what the 2022 offseason – rightly viewed as a masterful offseason by Howie – cost? Howie filled every major question mark on the roster with Haason Reddick, James Bradberry, Kyzir White, Zach Pascal, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson for a $15M 2022 cap hit and $32M of average annual value.
The 2022 offseason cost less than the dead cap they were carrying in the “new normal” era. That’s why the “new normal” was a mirage.
2022 and beyond
Yes, losing sucked. And we all hope – and expect – to see them back in the Super Bowl again.
They have a franchise quarterback. The league demands a mobile quarterback and Hurts is just about the best in the league at it. He is clutch. He has improved on every weakness. And he has every intangible you could ask for.
They finally have three legitimate offensive weapons that rival any offensive unit in the league.
They have drafted well and have youth on both offense and defense. And unlike after the last Super Bowl, they have plenty of draft capital with two 1st round picks this year and an extra 2nd next year.
The Eagles front office is one of the best in the league. They are one of the most advanced analytics teams. They have one of the best pro scouting groups.
They are set up to compete annually and this is what all of Philly is expecting. But rent will be due as Hurts says. Plenty of great QBs and teams never make it back and the Eagles have a lot of work ahead of them.
They don’t have a lot of cap flexibility
The Eagles are right around middle of the league in effective cap space for the 2023 season at just $2.8M of free space, but are actually last in the league in potential cap flexibility. If they restructured everything possible, they are 32nd with just $34.7M in space.
They can’t hold on to players
Whether it was loyalty or just limited options because of their cap space, Howie wrongly held on to players like Jason Peters and Alshon Jeffrey too long after 2017. We will see who stays and goes but there are some big and loved names who probably should have played their final game with the Eagles.
The trenches will need investment to remain a strength
They have 9 free agents on the lines, 6 on the DL and 3 on the OL, including fixtures Hargrave, BG, Fletch, Kelce, and Seumalo. Maybe some come back on a one-year, friendly deal, but this is the first time in a while where the Eagles are staring at a lot of turnover on the lines.
They will need to get cheaper in areas
It’s a great problem to have to have to pay your franchise QB because most teams either never find one or overpay a bad one. Howie will push money out and the Eagles still have one cheap year on Hurts’ rookie deal, but this means the Eagles have to start making other areas cheaper. And there are really only three places to look – the lines, the receivers, and the secondary. The Eagles will have the most expensive secondary in the league in 2023 and that is WITHOUT James Bradberry and CJGJ. This is where they most likely need to look and start investing.
As hard as it is to return to the Super Bowl, more teams have done it than most think. Excluding the Patriots, since 2000 six teams have made it back within 5 years – the Chiefs (3 trips), Rams who did it twice, Seattle, Denver, Indy, and the Steelers.
Howie and the Eagles have a lot of work to do but they have consistently shown they can do it. And unlike our past teams, this one has a ton going for it to make it back.
Thank you Eagles for such a great season.
Fly Eagles fly.
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