It’s Super Bowl Or Bust For The Philadelphia Eagles
Super Bowl or bust. That’s almost a curse when it comes to the NFL. Having expectations that lofty on the day that the Eagles take their first training camp practice might seem crazy. Or, to some, it might seem perfectly reasonable. After all, they are the defending NFC Champions, in a conference that did not spend the offseason getting much better. The path through both the division and the conference seems to be manageable, and the roster in Philly is stout. Jalen Hurts is the proud owner of a new contract that represents his franchise QB status, and a talented crop of young players seem poised to make an impact. Yes, there are a lot of reasons to think that the Philadelphia Eagles are destined for Las Vegas and Super Bowl 58.
But goals and results can be very different. There’s a long way to go for the Eagles to make good on that type of expectation. And, in fairness, only 2 teams make it to the Super Bowl. As we learned last year, only 1 can win it. So, is it fair to call this season a Super Bowl or bust year? Well, that depends on how much you think it affects the team. Sometimes, the weight of that moniker can lead to extensive pressure, pressure that even the greatest teams can feel. There have been seasons in the past where it certainly has felt like the fan base’s high expectations have weighed on the team, so could it be better to try and remain reserved when it comes to our projections for the 2023-24 Eagles?
Let’s look at some numbers to help our decision process. Just how hard is it for a team to make it back to the Super Bowl for a 2nd straight year? Well, it actually might not be as rare of a feat as it seems. There have been 27 instances of teams going to consecutive Super Bowls, which is nearly half of the number of Super Bowls played (57). History would say that good teams have multi-year windows to compete for a championship in the NFL, and the Eagles are a GREAT team. It doesn’t mean that they’re guaranteed to go back, but it’s a surprising number of teams to go back considering how competitive the NFL can be. So, it seems fair to say that the Eagles’ goal being Super Bowl is not unrealistic.
What could stop them, then, from repeating as NFC Champs? Well, that’s still a scary list. Injuries sit at the top, with the possibility of an important player going down for a significant chunk of time constantly looming. Not to mention the Eagles are also employing new offensive and defensive coordinators heading into this season. Brian Johnson and Sean Desai have a lot on their plate, and if they aren’t up to snuff, it could end up overshadowing the strength of the roster. Some aging impact players, like Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Lane Johnson, and Jason Kelce, could certainly have a drop off. As talented as the birds seem right now, the NFL season has a way of making things go wrong. So maybe we shouldn’t be looking Super Bowl or bust?
Screw that. This isn’t Indianapolis, or Jacksonville, or Houston, or Carolina. We don’t play for consolation prizes in Philadelphia; we never have. Especially when it comes to the Eagles, high expectations are a way of life around here. At times, it can lead to this fan base seeming overbearing to our own players, but that’s the price of playing in one of the most passionate sports cities on the planet. I think this team is up for the challenge, and they’re going to have to be. Because like it or not, this city’s sights are already set on another trip to the big game.