(Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
I am a firm believer that you are who your record says you are. The Eagles are an 8-7 team because they have played like an 8-7 team this season. However, sometimes I can’t help but reflect on the season and think what could have been. If the Eagles stop the Titans on 4th and 15, they are now 9-6.
If they don’t blow a 17-point lead with 11 minutes left against Carolina, they are 10-5. If Jake Elliot doesn’t miss an extra point against the Cowboys, they are 11-4. I always told people last year that you need to get lucky to win a Super Bowl. Of course, you need to have a talented team as well. Talent plus luck equals championships. Because in the NFL, there isn’t a huge gap in talent between the top teams. Usually, it’s the team that catches the breaks along the way that wins the Super Bowl. Last year, it was the Eagles.
In 2017, they wouldn’t have blown the Panthers game. They would have let the Titans get 14 yards instead of 15. Either way you look at it, the Eagles are fortunate to be where they are at right now. Although their record doesn’t show it, they have shown championship heart the last five weeks to come back and give themselves a chance to make the playoffs. Defeating the Rams and Texans is no small task. These were the performances I was waiting for all year from the Eagles. It is a shame that it took a 4-6 record for it to finally come out.
Whether they make the playoffs or not, I will take solace in the fact that they didn’t just lay down and give up this season. At the end of the day, the Eagles won a Super Bowl last season. They will come back stronger next season and most likely recapture their 2017 form. The Eagles will have a first, and two second round picks to add depth to the roster. Howie Roseman’s ability to work the cap will always have the Eagles in the free agency mix. 2018 may not have yielded the results we’d had hoped, but brighter days are on the horizon in 2019.