How Eagles rebounded from regarding begin en path to Tremendous Bowl 2025
The Eagles are within the Tremendous Bowl for the second time in three years, nevertheless it’s arduous to ascertain a extra circuitous route for a staff to have a lot success in a brief time frame.
Philadelphia adopted up its loss to Kansas Metropolis two years in the past by beginning final season 10-1, solely to lose six of its final seven video games — together with a wild-card loss to Tampa Bay.
Then, they began this yr 2-2, with head coach Nick Sirianni’s job believed to be in jeopardy — and issues hardly acquired higher following a slim dwelling win over hapless Cleveland that was instantly adopted by Sirianni arguing with a fan close to the staff’s bench late within the sport.
However that win turned out to be the primary of 10 consecutive victories for the Eagles, who’ve gained 15 of their final 16 video games heading into subsequent weekend’s Tremendous Bowl rematch in opposition to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Right here’s a have a look at what modified in Philadelphia to deliver them again from the abyss and as an alternative on their strategy to New Orleans:
— Jalen Hurts went from common to wonderful.
By way of the staff’s first 4 video games, Hurts threw for 930 yards, however had simply 4 landing passes to associate with 4 interceptions.
He additionally had been sacked 13 instances and had rushed 42 instances for 163 yards (3.8 yards per carry), two TDs and three misplaced fumbles. It added as much as a QB score of 85.7.
In every of the primary 4 video games, Hurts threw not less than 30 passes.
After the Eagles got here again from their bye week, he’s completed so simply as soon as.
Hurts began the following 10 video games after the bye, and although he didn’t throw for a similar quantity of yardage, nearly every part else improved.
In these 10 video games — all wins — Hurts threw for 14 TDs and only one interception.
He was sacked simply 25 instances and he ran for 4.06 yards per carry, in addition to a dozen touchdowns, to associate with solely a pair of misplaced fumbles for a score of 114.
Hurts’ streak ended when he was knocked out of Philadelphia’s loss to Washington in Week 15 with a concussion, an harm that sidelined him for the remainder of the common season.
Since coming back from the concussion, he’s been almost pretty much as good, with 505 yards within the Eagles’ three playoff wins, to associate with three landing passes and no turnovers for a QB score of 105. He has been sacked 11 instances, essentially the most within the postseason.
— Saquon Barkley went from good to nice.
In contrast to Hurts, Barkley didn’t actually battle early on, however he in all probability wasn’t making John Mara lose any sleep but.
After a tough Week 5 in a win over Cleveland, Barkley had rushed for 482 yards and 4 touchdowns.
At almost 100 yards per sport, most groups and working backs would join that.
Nevertheless it wasn’t till a Week 6 win in opposition to — you guessed it — the Giants that Barkley actually took off and the Eagles started to make use of him extra to take some strain off Hurts.
In that 28-3 rout on the Meadowlands, Barkley rushed for a then-season-high 176 yards on simply 17 carries, in addition to a TD. That opened an 11-game stretch through which Barkley rushed for a mean of 138.4 yards earlier than he sat out the regular-season finale with Eric Dickerson’s speeding report in sight.
In three postseason video games, Barkley has extra rush makes an attempt (66), yards (442) and speeding TDs (5) than anybody else within the league.
— A.J. Brown acquired wholesome. After catching 5 passes for 119 yards and a landing in a 34-29 Week 1 win over Inexperienced Bay, Brown missed the following three video games with a hamstring harm.
Not surprisingly, the offense suffered because the Eagles misplaced two of these video games and averaged 17.3 factors.
He returned in a Week 5 win over the Browns with six catches, 116 yards and a TD.
And although he didn’t must do a lot in playoff wins over the Packers and Rams, Brown had 96 receiving yards and a TD within the NFC Championship in opposition to Washington.
— On protection, they gave up 237 passing yards per sport, in addition to seven passing touchdowns in opposition to simply two interceptions and a 93.1 QB score, in addition to 5.0 yards per carry via their first 4 video games.
During the last 13 weeks of the common season, Vic Fangio’s protection stiffened and allowed simply 154.8 passing yards, 15 TDs and 11 INTs for a score of 79.0, all whereas limiting the run sport to 4.0 yards per carry.
— Their schedule lightened up. Following the Week 4 loss to the Buccaneers, the Eagles confronted groups that missed the playoffs for 5 straight weeks (the Browns, Giants, Bengals, Jaguars and Cowboys) and gained every sport.
By the point they performed one other postseason-bound staff, Washington in Week 11, they have been 7-2.
— Although Sirianni was again after final yr’s collapse, lots of his coaches weren’t, together with each the offensive and defensive coordinators.
It shouldn’t come as a shock that gamers on either side of the ball would develop into extra comfy below new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio following the primary handful of video games — in addition to the bye week.
