The Philadelphia Eagles enter week 5 with a 4-1 record following a disappointing loss to the Denver Broncos. Whether or not the wins reflect how well the team has played this season is a huge question bouncing around the walls of workplaces in Philadelphia this week, and with a game against the Giants on deck, this is the prime spot for a statement victory.
Now is not the time to panic about the Eagles
Perfection should never be expected. Every team is going to lose football games, just look at the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night - the only other 4-0 team going into the week, falling short against the Patriots. But what is frustrating Eagles fans is that we've seen this dance before.
The opening stanza of 2024 felt like it drew on for an eternity, with the team scraping wins. The offense looked disjointed, and it culminated in a shocking loss to the Bucs ahead of an early Bye - a defeat that may well have sparked a rejuvenation that ended in a Super Bowl.
The Eagles rank 12th in points per game, 30th in total yards per game, but remain the leagues' most efficient team in the red zone - scoring 92% of the time, and are yet to turn the ball over. The defense sees a similar story, ranking 20th in total yards allowed per game, but 3rd when it comes to protecting the red zone. Their turnover margin sits at +0.8, good enough for 7th in the NFL.
The takeaway? Ugly football that is beautiful in the most clinical areas. A house falling apart that's being held up by indestructible beams. The foundations are incredibly strong, and it's not like this team is lacking the materials to turn it into a masterpiece.
Every Eagles game this season has ended the final score differential being no larger than a touchdown. Is it sustainable? No. We can point to an offensive line that looks significantly weaker than we've come to expect, a flailing passing offense that loses all mojo in the second half of games, or a defense whose sack percentage is down almost 5% on 2024. But if there's one thing we've learned, it's to not doubt Nick Sirianni's ability as a coach to get the best out of his players.
He's now just the third coach in NFL history to have three 4-0 starts through 5 seasons. He's a Super Bowl champion, 20-2 in his last 22 games, and has never missed the playoffs. That last streak doesn't look like it's ending anytime soon. He's accomplished this with an ever-rotating core of coaches around him, some who have elevated the team, others which have made life tougher.
The Eagles are still embedding a new offensive coordinator in Kevin Patullo, just like they spent the opening quarter of 2024 embedding in Kellen Moore. If the absolute floor for this team is to play some scary football at times, let teams hang around, but still be 4-1? I'd say that's a pretty good spot to be.
It's not like they're losing games where nobody can pinpoint the issues. The red flags are clear enough to be taken down promptly, and there's no reason to believe this coaching staff will avoid doing so given their track record of righting the ship at the optimal time.
It's a long season. It's one loss. And it's a team that has done nothing but earn unwavering confidence from its players and its fans. It's too early to start panicking about the Eagles, and while criticisms are beyond valid, so is the trust many place in this special group who have done nothing but surpass our wildest expectations.
