The 11-1 Eagles wanted to make a statement and they made many!

by John Kincade

Where do you even begin to list the amazing things that we saw about the 2022 Philadelphia Eagles when they faced the Tennessee Titans on Sunday? When both sides of the ball are clicking, it’s pretty beautiful to watch.

Jalen Hurts - His confidence exudes week after week. His coolness in the pocket makes everyone around him better. Jalen Hurts is putting together an amazing season. He now has 20 touchdowns and 3 interceptions and has passed for over 2,500 yards. His completion percentage is over 68%  and has improved by more than 6% over last season. Almost every category is headed towards a career high and his MVP status after the Chiefs loss has risen.

AJ Brown - Watching AJ Brown inflict his own level of punishment on the Titans for dealing him away was a thing of beauty. That’s if you consider violence beautiful. Brown was a man on a mission and Jalen Hurts was more than willing to assist. Contested balls were all going his way and despite the Titans attempting specifically to stop him from beating them he thrived. He has a chance to go over 1,o00 yards on Sunday afternoon at the Giants.

Devonta Smith - While everyone was focusing on Brown vs the State of Tennessee, Devonta Smith just quietly went about his business and pushed himself over the 700 yard receiving mark on the season. The Eagles speak of having two number one receivers and Smith makes a strong case for himself. He’s on pace to also set career highs in many categories and consistently makes teams pay for their lack of attention.

The Eagles Defense - The Eagles are now 2nd in the NFL in sacks with 42, boast one of the best pass defenses and have created the most turnovers. They are in points allowed per game at 18.8. They are in a word, dominant. The detractors will still continue to whine weekly about Jonathan Gannon but in a results business this is the best Eagles defense in a generation.

Nothing else broke the Eagles way yesterday, though the unfortunate broken foot of Jimmy Garoppolo might have permanently derailed the 2022 chances of the 49ers. The Vikings survived the Jets which keeps them just a game behind the Eagles in the NFC Standings. The Eagles still hold the tie-breaker so without 2 losses in their last 5 games the Vikings can’t catch them.

That is the math going forward for everyone in the NFC. Their Magic Number is 4. If the Eagles win 4 of their last 5 games in any order they will secure the top seed which gains them the bye and home field advantage throughout. The Cowboys will be rooting heavily for the Giants on Sunday because they know that if they go 5-0 the rest of the way and the Eagles lose to NY they could win the NFC East. It’s not over yet.

It’s a day to celebrate and reflect. It’s an unbelievable pattern of growth for this Eagles team. Now they know exactly what needs to be done. It can be as simple as beating the Giants twice, the Saints and the Bears. Clear vision is a beautiful thing, let’s watch it all play out and hopefully share some holiday joy!