November 22, 2023
Survival mode.
It’s the hardest difficulty setting on some video games like "Fallout 4" where absolutely nothing is easy, but the rewards are exponentially better. The game takes away multiple “easy” facets for players while making the gameplay extremely difficult.
Your Philadelphia Eagles are playing the NFL on survival mode – and winning.
It’s rather amazing to see a team defy the odds each week by causing their own issues – be it turnovers or coaching – and still have the talent and togetherness to come out on top. Each week, no matter the opponent, the Eagles find a way to survive – outside of a throwaway game to the Jets. That’s it. Zach Wilson beat the Eagles, but a game like that won't happen again this year.
Now, Philadelphia may lose another football game, but it won’t be the lowly Jets-like squad that does them in. They will simply lose to a good football team. The manner in which they lose may look similar to games in which they win because the Eagles actually are playing their best football.
That’s been a major topic or point of contention internally with this fanbase and media and anyone betting or playing daily fantasy. When will the Eagles play their best football? I’m sure you’ve heard or seen someone – maybe even me – opine on what the team would look like if we saw all facets working together.
Here’s a sneak peek to the ending: They can’t.
The Eagles are dominating in certain areas and getting crushed elsewhere. There is a healthy sense of balance here where, no matter what goes wrong, something going right will be the difference.
Jalen Hurts can throw pick after pick, but don’t worry. The defense will cause pressure and give him another shot to score.
A.J. Brown can disappear, but don’t worry. They have a DeVonta Smith (nobody else does).
The defense will get worked on the ground, or the air, but don’t worry. The other side not getting worked will overcompensate for the better.
That’s why the Eagles are playing their best ball. It’s just not this perfect picture you draw in your mind. Most fans want a blowout every week and feel weird if their team sneaks by. Well, after nine wins and a lot of sneaking, it’s hard to think this team is anything other than their record AND means to that record.
Nothing around this team or outside this team seems to penetrate their circle of belief. Whether that’s Hurts and his leadership or another part of the team picking up Hurts in a struggle game, the team has found ways to win despite poor play.
You will also hear how unsustainable that is in the NFL. While losing the turnover battle has proven to be a massive uphill climb for any team, there’s something a little different about this Eagles team that gives me hope. It should for you too.
Watching Monday night’s game against the Chiefs, one thing is so apparent to me that makes this Eagles team so tough to count out. They just don’t stop. Their defensive front is made up of multiple bodies able to win battles over the course of games, making up for any coaching deficiencies usually seen in first halves. No, the defensive coordinator isn’t some monster adjuster during halftime with a huge whiteboard, but rather a beneficiary – just like the last guy – of sending wave after wave of pass rush.
No offensive line in the NFL is currently built to withstand an Eagles pass rush for four quarters. The fun part comes in seeing when these lines break down. Sometimes it’s the first quarter or half, other times it just takes another wave to finally crash into the wall. That may happen deep in a game as we saw with both the Chiefs and Cowboys.
Haason Reddick isn’t being coached any differently in the second half. He’s just a monster that nobody can defeat on the field. They may win a battle, but nobody is winning that war – not against Reddick and the rest of these guys. Oh, you stopped Reddick? What about Josh Sweat? It goes on and on.
The Eagles' offense has way too many burst plays in their arsenal to be completely shut down. They may neglect the run game or force too many passes at first, but each play has the potential for a massive gain. D’Andre Swift out of the backfield, Smith deep downfield, Brown just having the ball in his hands. Oh, and Hurts being one of the best dual threats – possibly ever – when it’s all said and done.
It's becoming impossible for a team to play a consistent four quarters against the Eagles because Philly has too many weapons. Their depth is huge on both lines but it’s the playmakers who simply can’t be held entirely under wraps. Even if one guy struggles, there’s another guy to step in and make a play.
It’s amazing, fun, unpredictable, and at the end of the day, a winner. Whether the team makes it back to the Super Bowl or not isn’t my concern today. What takes center stage is how well this team is playing despite it not looking that way.
What an awesome team to watch. They never seem to panic and always have a response. That might come in the ensuing drive after giving up a score, or it might come three quarters after being held silent. They are just a massive machine that is becoming increasingly difficult to slow down, let alone stop.
There isn’t a game too tough or a better opponent than the Eagles right now. They are 9-1 with the best record in the NFL. This is a team playing its best football with room to continue to define its identity – all while winning games in the process. You keep waiting for Guffman, I’ve got Hurts and Reddick.
