Philadelphia Eagles: A fan’s perspective on a roller coaster season

After a season preview full of Super Bowl aspirations, the Philadelphia Eagles soon found themselves battling for the division title and a .500 record going into Week 17.

Does anyone remember Week 1 of this Philadelphia Eagles‘ season?

High hopes from fans, nearly 70,000 fans filled a sold-out Lincoln Financial Field, and a Desean Jackson 51-yard touchdown opened up scoring for the Birds is what I remember.

The road to the Super Bowl was ready to go through South Philly. However, week 17 rolled around, and the birds were battling the New York Giants to win the NFC East with a lackluster 9-7 record.

So you’re probably wondering how we got here.

Let’s recap:

Injuries early on

• Pro-Bowler Malik Jackson (remember him?) missed the entire season with a Lisfranc injury he suffered during the opener
• Jackson, the same guy who caught two 50+ yard touchdowns in week one was quickly out for the rest of the season after suffering an abdominal injury in week two.
• Super Bowl 52 hero Corey Clement suffered a lingering shoulder injury in week two, landing him on IR.
• Darren Sproles missed the majority of the season with a torn right hip flexor muscle, landing him on IR
• The rest of the season, including must-win weeks to wind the season down, the likings of Nelson Agholor, Lane Johnson, Alshon Jeffrey, Jordan Howard, Zach Ertz, Jalen Mills, Ronald Darby, Kamu Grugier-Hill, and MANY more found themselves missing some time.

Rolling into the final three weeks, where the Eagles’ playoff hopes lied, Philadelphia rolled out a receiving core of Greg Ward, J.J. Arcega Whiteside, and Robert Davis.

Angry fans express their emotions on Twitter week-in and week-out. Why does this only seem to happen to the Eagles? What’s wrong with this training staff?

Roller Coaster Ride

Each week, it almost seemed to be a different storyline for the Eagles. After a fairly dominant win in week 1, the Eagles fell flat to the Falcons and Lions in the following weeks. Then, they rattled off a couple of huge wins against Green Bay and the New York Jets, which brought life back to the fan base.

This pattern continued, and the Eagles got demolished by the Vikings and Cowboys, which they then followed up with dominating wins over the Bills and Bears.

The best way to respond to two big wins? Lose three straight, of course, with one of the losses being to the Dolphins. Dropped passes and game-winning touchdowns ran galore, and fans were ready to riot in South Philadelphia. The playoffs suddenly seemed to be a dream after Super Bowl aspirations were in the air going into the season.

Enter: Carson Wentz

Wentz soon showed the doubters why he got paid. He took over the last three weeks, single-handedly winning four straight games against the Giants (2x), Redskins, and the Cowboys. In the fourth quarter alone in Weeks 14, 15, and 16, Wentz completed 34 of 42 passes (81%), while throwing four touchdowns and no interceptions en route to two fourth-quarter comebacks. Wentz set the Eagles single-season passing yards record, passing Donovan McNabb during week 17.

And suddenly, the Eagles were playing to win the NFC East during week 17 against the Giants. Boston Scott soon played hero to the Eagles season. I mean, this guy scored three touchdowns in a win-and-you’re-in game during week 17. Totally expected.

Dallas Goedert found himself carrying the offense in weeks 16 and 17. Just like everyone anticipated to start the season, right?

The Eagles did not have a stable receiving core the entire season. By the end of the season, they were utilizing guys beyond the depth chart. However, Wentz was the first 4,000-yard passer in Eagles’ history. Just crazy. 

But of course, it would not be an Eagles game without injuries and drama. Brandon Brooks and rookie Miles Sanders were ruled out with mid-game injuries, as the likings of Craig James, Brandon Graham, Avonte Maddox, and Greg Ward found themselves in the blue tent throughout the game.

Thus, the Eagles and Giants were tied at 17 toward the end of the third quarter.

The end result:

The playoffs

Boston Scott, Carson Wentz, and the Eagles’ defense showed why Philadelphia is making the playoffs during their fourth quarter. The Eagles kicked the Cowboys aside a week prior, and then topped the Giants to clinch a playoff berth.

Through the ups and downs; through the desire to throw a remote through the TV; through the niche of overreactions via Eagles’ fans on Twitter, there’s only one thing that matters.

The Philadelphia Eagles are making the playoffs, and they are the first NFC East repeat winner since they did it with McNabb to start off the 2000’s.

It may not have been as planned. I mean, we all knew that Deontay Burnett would have one of the most pivotal catches of the season right?

However, there will be a playoff game being played in Philadelphia, against the loser of the Seahawks/49ers on Sunday Night Football.

Our anger as fans was justified this season. Through the ups and downs, the Eagles’ organization deserved it. Whether you want to blame the injuries or not, the Philadelphia Eagles were one frustrating team, to say the least. But now, it’s time to forget about it.

Bring us Wild Card Weekend.