The Philadelphia Eagles were the team to beat in 2022. They finished with a franchise record 14 wins as they cruised through the regular season into the playoffs before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Preseason expectations for the Eagles were mixed. Some saw them as Super Bowl contenders, while others saw them as candidates to regress. Everything hinged on the development of Jalen Hurts at quarterback.
Hurts’ eventual ascension was one of the best stories in the NFL last season. The addition of AJ Brown certainly helped his cause, but Hurts showed real progress as a pocket passer while leaning into his rushing ability even more in his second full season as a starter. His progression led to one of the best Super Bowl performances of all time, despite losing, and some MVP votes.
This season, the Eagles aim to avoid the dreaded Super Bowl hangover. The 2019 New England Patriots were the last team to lose in a Super Bowl and make it back the following year. But prior to them, you have to go back to the 1994 Buffalo Bills – although we all know how that story ends.
Luckily for the Eagles, much of the same roster from last season is returning. A few key names like Javon Hargrave, Miles Sanders, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson moved on in free agency, but the depth the Eagles have on their roster is among the best in the league. They’re talented enough to make it back to the Super Bowl for sure, but losing both coordinators to head coaching jobs is a lot of change to undertake in one off-season. Can the Eagles punch their ticket back to the big dance?
Offense
The Eagles’ offense was one of the most efficient units in the NFL last season. They carved defenses up through the air and on the ground and were third in both EPA and DVOA throughout the season. However, it was the run game that really took over. The Eagles scored a league-high 32 rushing touchdowns and rushed for 147.6 yards per game, the fifth-most in the NFL.
So much of the rushing success was rooted in inside zone concepts, with Shane Steichen utilizing the Eagles’ big and athletic offensive line to create rushing holes for Hurts and the running backs to attack. Per PFF, the Eagles ran inside zone at the second-highest rate in the NFL last season. That led to a career year for Miles Sanders, who rushed for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns at a 4.9-yard clip. With Sanders out of the building and joining Frank Reich in Carolina, the Eagles brought in D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny to pair with Kenneth Gainwell in the backfield. Penny will likely feature as the early down back with Gainwell and Swift taking the passing down reps – though Swift’s talent could see him take on a bigger role.
From a passing perspective, Hurts took real strides in 2022, but he’s still not a complete passer. There’s room for growth, and Hurts’ trajectory likely means he takes another step forward in 2023 and becomes a bonafide elite quarterback. Having the wide receiver duo of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith – maybe the best duo in the NFL – has helped Hurts improve as well. They’re the fulcrum of the passing attack, while the rushing attack relies heavily upon Hurts’ ability as a rusher. If health isn’t an issue, this is one of the best offenses in the league.
One to watch: Rashaad Penny
Defense
Just like the offense, the Eagles’ defense purred in 2022. They led the league with 70 sacks and had the second-highest pressure rate in the NFL, behind the Dallas Cowboys. That also meant that four Eagles defensive linemen: Haason Reddick, Javon Hargrave, Josh Sweat, and Brandon Graham all finished with double-digit sacks – uncharted territory. As good as the Eagles pass defense was, they struggled to consistently defend the run, ranking 23rd in rush defense EPA. So much of their identity was to bend and not break, to essentially limit explosive plays as often as possible.
Gannon’s defense played Quarters coverage – four deep zone defenders – at the third-highest rate in the NFL. If that wasn’t an indication of their intentions then what is? But with Gannon now in Arizona, it’s up to Sean Desai, who spent time as the Bears’ defensive coordinator in 2021, to take this defense to another level. It’ll be tough. The Eagles lost a number of key starters on defense, but their impressive depth, as well as a strong draft that saw them land Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith in the first round, keeps them in an enviable spot.
Desai won’t operate much differently from Gannon. Both utilized a Fangio-based scheme, though Desai might optimize the use of different fronts to put pass-rushers in better positions to succeed. That could mean we see Reddick and Sweat rushing from the same side. But overall, the two ideologies are similar, as is the personnel, aside from a few changes.
One to watch: Milton Williams
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @tvalentinesport
Photo: Keith Allison. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.