5 Reasons the Philadelphia Eagles Are Super Bowl Contenders

The Philadelphia Eagles are coming off one of the weirdest seasons in their history.

Having started the 2023 NFL season 5-0, they performed admirably through week 12 going 10-1 with the lone loss against the New York Jets. The Eagles were not only in the driving seat in the NFC but it looked like their dominance would carry them to a second successive Super Bowl appearance before everything went downhill thereafter.

As the Eagles lost their next five of the remaining 6 games, they stumbled into the playoffs where they were blown out by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round. Even though Philadelphia’s fortunes changed so suddenly last year, the team is still in good shape.

Here is a look at five reasons as to why the Eagles are still capable Super Bowl contenders for the upcoming 2024 season.

Top Tier O-line

Losing their longtime Hall of Fame bound center in Jason Kelce due to retirement is a huge setback for the Eagles. Kelce was one of the finest to ever play the position and moving on from him will be tough no doubt.

The Eagles, however, are still one of the teams with a top offensive line boasting the likes of Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson as tackles, and 2-time Pro Bowler Landon Dickerson at left guard. Furthermore, new center, Cam Jurgens has shown promise and could be capable of holding his own.

Upgrade in the running game

The running game was one area where the Philadelphia Eagles struggled in 2023 as they were unsuccessful in getting the first downs. Even though Kenneth Gainwell is back as the number 2 option in the backfield, Philadelphia has brought in former Giants’ running back Saquon Barkley who should be a much needed improvement to D’Andre Swift.

There were times when the Eagles’ run game just didn’t work last year, but with a new offensive coordinator and Barkley to pair up with Jalen Hurts, this season could see a lot of change from the back.

Much improved secondary

The Eagles faced a lot of issues with their secondary in 2023 and that was a key reason that resulted in their downfall. Thankfully, Philly has addressed the problem at hand and has brought back their former safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson in free agency. This is a good move as Gardner-Johnson had a solid season in 2022 while playing for the Eagles.

Apart from that, Philadelphia does have Darius Slay and James Bradberry who are exceptional on their day. Moreover, Kelee Ringo, their 2023 round 4th round pick should be ready to take a step up in his second year.

Adding to this is the change in staff the Eagles underwent in the off-season. They have added one of the most highly respected defensive minds in the league in Vic Fangio as their new defensive coordinator. There is a good chance that he can get the secondary back to their top form.

Receiving Core

The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL. A.J. Brown is still the man in Philly and he is coming off consecutive near 1,500 receiving yard seasons in 2022 and 2023. Still only 27 years of age, he is more than likely to be a huge threat as their WR1 once again in 2024.

Jalen Hurts’ next go-to option is the highly talented DeVonta Smith. Drafted by the Eagles in 2021, Smith has three years under his belt and has produced nearly 1,000 receiving yards in each of his three seasons. On many of the other teams, Smith could easily play as the WR1.

And if that wasn’t enough, The Eagles have a more than able tight-end pass catcher in the form of Dallas Goedert. Even though Goedert’s number dipped slightly in 2023, he is still capable of making the big plays when required.

Weak NFC Conference

And last but not least, the Eagles are in the NFC which is still the weaker of the two conferences. It is much easier for the top teams to earn a playoff berth in the NFC and with a couple of good games in the postseason, the Eagles stand a great chance of returning to the Super Bowl.

Mind you, they will still have to get past the likes of the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, and the Detroit Lions just to name a few of the top NFC teams.

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