It happened, it finally happened: the Philadelphia Eagles have figured it out.
Now granted, the team has looked good since returning from the bye, securing a fun Week 6 win over the Cleveland Browns and a dominant W over the New York Giants the week after that, but those wins were against bad teams and were somewhat flukey. How often will the Eagles get to face off against an opponent who puts up less than 250 total yards, let alone one who gets outgained by their former running back, Saquon Barkley, all by himself?
Throw the Eagles against a legitimate opponent, and what would happen? Would the team continue to impress, or would they instead look like they were playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers all over again, looking underprepared and overmatched on both sides of the ball?
Well, in Week 8, Eagles fans got the closest thing to an answer they could ask for when the Eagles secured a commanding win over the Cincinnati Bengals in a true three-phase routing of Joe Burrow's squad.
The offense was efficient, with Nick Sirianni remaining committed to running the ball even when Barkley wasn't earning a massive average, and when the big plays started coming, both in the passing and rushing game, it was like a dagger through the heart of the Bengals who effectively gave up on the game after fumbling away their best chance at a comeback in the fourth.
Will the Bengals be in the playoffs later this year? Maybe yes, maybe no, but if the Eagles play the way they did in Week 8, it's hard to see a world where they don't finish the season with double-digit wins and potentially even represent the NFC East in the playoffs once more. Why? Because Sirianni has found a winning strategy that is built for long-term success.
1. The Eagles' have found the perfect mix of run-pass efficiency
Over the first month of the 2024 NFL season, the Eagles' offense looked disjointed. They – still – didn't throw to the middle of the field, took unnecessarily risky shots down the sidelines, and ultimately turned the ball over at a clip that the defense didn't match.
Sure, they entered the bye week with a 2-2 record and easily could have been 3-1 if it wasn't for a single drop from Barkley, but the Buccaneers showed the offense was flawed, and if Kellen Moore and company didn't come up with a creative solution to get things back on track, chances are they would get exposed in a big way down the stretch.
Fortunately, the Eagles did just that and have figured out a way to remain effective in both the passing and rushing game without forcing things too much one way or the other.
They've controlled the clock with their strong rushing offense – even if the Browns technically had the ball for two minutes longer because of their turnover issues – and have used Barkley's reputation as a big-league slugger to force opposing teams to stack the box to keep him in check. This, understandably, has created more one-on-one opportunities for players like AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith on the outside, who both had 80 yards against the Bengals in Week 8, while still keeping Barkley's big play threat alive, all the while producing underneath options for tight ends like Dallas Gedert and Grant Calcaterra.
Goodness, even Hurts has benefitted from the Eagles' new offensive identity, as he hasn't thrown a pick in three weeks, is completing a high percentage of his passes, and has been able to run the ball effectively to the outside, where there is much less traffic due to Barkley's gravity.
Throw that all together, maybe with an extra piece added to the offense for good measure – be that the return of Goedert or an outside addition – and what do you have? A winning strategy that should spell plenty of success for the Eagles moving forward.
2. The young guys have Vic Fangio's defense humming
Over the first month of the season, the Eagles' defense was very up and down, looking good against the Packers, bad against the Falcons, okay against the Saints, and then downright ugly against the Buccaneers in a real turning point of the season so far.
Since then, however, the Eagles have made some subtle changes that have seriously impacted the season, from locking in Cooper DeJean as a near-every-down slot cornerback, to giving more weight to Nolan Smith on the edge, and rotating in Moro Ojomo more as a 3-4 defensive end on passing downs. Avonte Maddox went from a regular in the slot to a deep reserve, the backup cornerbacks who have been forced into action as Darious Slay has recovered from injuries have held up well, with Isaiah Rodgers setting up the CJ Gardner-Johnson pick in Week 8, and when Sydney Brown eventually joins the rotation, the Eagles' effectiveness will only continue to grow.
And best of all? The team is really forming a defensive identity.
Sure, some of the team's players aren't working out how some expected, with Devin White already released, Bryce Huff looking like a mistake, and Oren Burks just playing 13 defensive snaps in 2024. But the players who are clicking? From Nakobe Dean and Zack Baun at linebacker, to Quinyon Mitchell at CB2 – really CB1 – and Jalen Carter at defensive tackle? Throw that together and the Eagles really look like they have something special.
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3. Howie Roseman still has moves to make at the trade deadline
And last but not least, the Eagles are legit because they technically aren't a finished product, with the potential to add even more firepower before the 2024 trade deadline.
Now granted, plenty of top talents are already off the board, from Diontae Johnson going to the Ravens to Joshua Uche being traded to the Chiefs, but considering both Fangio and Moore came from outside systems and have connections to players who have never stepped suited up in midnight green before, the market could be fruitful for Philadelphia.
Do the Eagles want another wide receiver? Well, the Chargers have multiple interesting options who aren't really shining in 2024, like Quinton Johnson, who Moore made his special project in 2023 to little avail. While the Jahan Dotson deal hasn't quite worked out in anyone's favor in 2024, maybe Moore could bring in Johnson for a Day 3 pick and find creative ways to use him, as the TCU product already knows his offense.
On the opposite side of the ball, the Dolphins have fewer wins than there are Terrifier moves and will have to struggle mightily just to earn a wildcard spot in 2024. Considering the Eagles' lack of pressure up front – minus the Giants game – and the uncertain future of some of their players, maybe Roseman would be able to bring in a player like Emmanuel Ogbah or Zach Sieler, who really shined under Fangio in Miami.
Alternatively, Shelby Harris had some great seasons under Fangio in Denver; considering where the Browns are, maybe it would be an option down the stretch.
Throw that all together, and what do you have? A chance for the Eagles to get one more meaningful piece to really put themselves over the top and shoot for the stars in 2024.
