Its not too early to acknowledge some great 2022 Eagles milestones!

by John Kincade

Coach Nick Sirianni is quick to remind us that the only game that matters is the next one. At (12-1) it’s hard not to at least peak a bit at what this edition of the Eagles has already accomplished. The first thing of course is the second season under Sirianni with the Eagles playing January football. The playoffs are what the entire regular season is supposed to be about. You play for seeding and hope to create the easiest path to a Super Bowl that you can. The Eagles will be huge favorites over the Bears, Saints and Giants. Win those 3 and no one can grab the top seed from you. Beat the Bears and you clinch the NFC top seed with a win over Dallas!

AJ Brown was a huge off-season grab for Howie Roseman. How much that move was going to pay off for the franchise was a major question. After 13 games, Brown has already made a huge impact. He already has ten touchdowns and has accumulated 1,020 yards. Much was made of his relationship with Jalen Hurts. The chemistry between these two players is undeniable. With 65 receptions as the top receiving option with opposing defenses trying to shut him down, he has proven to be a great value.

His receiving partner Devonta Smith has proven to be almost as deadly. He has accumulated 775 receiving yards of his own and has accounted for 5 receiving touchdowns. Smith has actually caught 66 balls, one more than Brown on the season. They are the perfect compliment to each other. When coverage converges on one, the other has the space to create. Just imagine what happens when Dallas Goedert returns next weekend in Chicago.

Let’s celebrate the amazing season that running back Miles Sanders has put together. In a contract year, after much critique it was up to Sanders to define his next pay day. He will most certainly be getting a solid next contract from someone after this showing. He has rushed for 1,066 yards thru his 13 starts and accounted for 11 rushing touchdowns. Sanders continues to impress and has proven to be reliable and a work horse. He is used in high leverage situations and his blocking has been nothing short of outstanding.

The Eagles offense has scored 123 points in their last 3 games, but the defense has most certainly made their own impact. They have allowed just 65 points in the last 3 contests, many of those points scored in garbage time. Their pass defense is the best in the NFL. Their secondary is deadly and able to play man coverage allowing Jonathan Gannon to unleash the dogs on opposing quarterbacks. They have already sacked the quarterback 49 times, which is the best mark in the NFL. Their 24 takeaways also leads the league with an NFL best +14 margin.

It’s not even worth saying that the Eagles can’t afford a let down game. Fact is they have now set themselves up to have one they can afford to drop. Something tells me that they won’t be thinking like that at all. Bury the Bears, beat the Cowboys and then try and navigate what to do so you don’t lost your edge. It’s going to be a special January thanks to a lot of outstanding individual and team performances!