5 Wins? Are You Stupid?
“It’s better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.”
Maurice Switzer, 1907
In my 33 years at WIP, I used that quote at least a dozen times when a player or coach said something ridiculous.
Now it’s my turn.
After the brutal collapse last season, the Eagles were a corpse masquerading as an NFL contender as they entered the 2024 season – or so I believed.
My mistake was announcing my misgivings by predicting a 5-12 season. There was no reason to do that. I have no show anymore. It made no sense to take such a dramatic contrarian position in a league filled with lousy teams and inept coaches.
During my bi-weekly appearance on the Dan Sileo podcast this week, the host – who is far more knowledgeable about football than I will ever be – said he was inundated with listeners asking why I was hiding out after the Eagles registered their fifth win in a 37-17 rout of Cincinnati.
Let me make this clear: I was not hiding out. I have never tried to escape my foot-in-mouth moments. Actually, I enjoy them. The fun of talking sports is dealing with the joy when you’re right and the embarrassment when you’re not. In this case, I was spectacularly misguided.
There, I said it. Now I’ll try to explain why I got it so wrong.
First of all, bravo to Howie Roseman for bringing on some new talent to replace the veteran leaders he lost after last season. The idea that the Birds could lose Jason Kelce to retirement, and then Jordan Mailata to an early injury and still win most battles on the offensive line is remarkable.
Am I the only one shocked by how well journeyman Fred Johnson has filled both tackle positions? I must be. Who else predicted five wins?
And while we’re praising Roseman, we can’t forget the biggest move he made after the collapse, the signing of Saquon Barkley. The veteran running back is so talented, he may have finally convinced the Eagles to run the damn ball more. The fans have been clamoring for this over at least the past three seasons. They knew this plan would work long before the Eagles (and mainly offensive coordinator Kellen Moore) did.
Second is Moore himself. Unlike Nick Sirianni and the hacks who oversaw the offense in 2023, Moore appears to learn from his mistakes. His play-calling the past three games has been good, very good and great, respectively.
Even without Dallas Goedert, the offense can beat defenses in many different ways. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are as good as any receiving tandem in the NFL, and Barkley’s presence makes the entire unit more explosive and less predictable.
Of course, it all comes down to Jalen Hurts on offense, and the quarterback is returning to his 2022 form, protecting the ball much more effectively and making quick and smart decisions in the pocket. Hurts has never been the problem anyway. He just needed better coaching than he was getting.
I remain less confident about the defense, though it’s hard to deny the solid play on Sunday after allowing a 10-minute, 17-play touchdown drive that started the game.
Cooper DeJean is the best defensive back the Eagles have drafted in at least a decade. Nakobe Dean is finally playing the way we thought he would two years ago. Brandon Graham is ageless.
Because I am by nature a cynic, I still need to see the Eagles play at this level against an elite opponent, but there will be plenty of those challenges in the months ahead. Right now, it’s a good idea to enjoy this three-game winning streak and worry about that other stuff later.
At the same time, it’s smart to consider the problems that have not been corrected, starting with the first quarter.
Does it concern anyone else that the Eagles haven’t appeared to be ready to play in the first 15 minutes of any game all season? Did it occur to anyone that this is one area still in the job description of coach Nick Sirianni? (He doesn’t oversee any of the three units now, and most of his strategic decisions are predetermined by analytics.)
Do you think maybe the head coach could figure out how to motivate his team better after the national anthem? Or does he need an assistant to handle that responsibility as well?
Dan Sileo had a theory about the slow starts that is even more cynical than my own negative feelings about Sirianni. Dan said the Eagles’ play-calling improves right after the 15 or so plays scripted by Sirianni have been used. Once Moore has full control, the offense springs to life. Maybe. I dare a media member to pose this scenario to Sirianni. It would be fun to watch him tap-dance his way around that one.
But I am not here to bury the coach today.
I am here to bury myself.
Five wins?
I have a large crow on my breakfast plate today.
Bon appetit.