We are incredibly thankful for the engagement, community, and friends we have here. 2023 saw a big increase in new readers and we wanted to wrap 2023 with our 10 favorite articles from the year.
Happy New Year to you, your families, and friends. And… Go Birds!
The Super Bowl…
Losing the Super Bowl hurt not because of the loss, but because of how special this team is and how much we wanted Kelce and Lane and Mailata and BG and on and on to win. And no matter how much we believe in the “new normal”, it’s tough to repeat in the NFL.
On to the off-season and how Hurts has changed the fortunes of the team
The progression of Jalen Hurts didn’t just convince a fan base, it changed retirement plans and how much money some players were willing to play for to be a part of the team as they move forward.
Inside the mind of Howie – investing in the draft for future, not immediate, needs
As the off-season moved on and we led up to the draft where the Eagles still had two 1st rounders, we looked at history – and inside the mind of Howie Roseman – to see why our mocks are always wrong. Ignore immediate needs – Howie invests ahead of needs. And happy to say what we thought this meant for the 2023 draft hit almost exactly right.
A look at the Eagles historic pass rush
The Eagles would be counting on some new faces and a few new metrics to keep up with the ever-growing analytical side of the game.
One more ride – maybe the final one – with the Eagles core four
They would also be relying on their veteran players to provide leadership and tutelage, 4 of whom could be playing their last year together.
Some special moments and players in the 2023 season
After the week 4 overtime win against Washington, I dug into what the analytics community considers a “success” and how it misses actual football context. This dive then turned into a look at Jake Elliott, who I found is the best in league history when kicking to tie or take the lead. Little did I know seven weeks later he would out-do his own best with the kick in Buffalo.
Lost in the recent losing streak and concern on the team is just how good Jalen Hurts is. If you look at which QBs in history hit the most improbable passes at the most important moments – coming up biggest when the team needs it – Hurts already has 2 of the top 5 QB seasons.
Injuries have taken their toll a lot more than they did last season and the Eagles have had to use a few rookies to stay afloat.
And one first-year starter playing in a new position.
We still have business to attend to, but looking ahead to the off-season
We got a jump on the off-season with a full off-season mock including who Howie should extend, cut, sign in free agency, and go after in the draft. Personally this was probably the most fun I had researching and writing an article.
No matter how this season turns out, let’s look forward to the playoff run with this special team.
Go Birds!
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