The Eagles are Officially Super Bowl Contenders

Throughout this NFL season, Philadelphia fans have gone through a rollercoaster of emotions when trying to figure out how good the Eagles really are. A hot start, mediocre middle, and a (so far) dominant finish in the regular season have had fans on the edge of their seats when watching each game, hoping to see something that shows that the Birds can contend.

That wish was granted this past Sunday in Buffalo.

An electrifying defensive masterclass led the Eagles to a 13-12 victory over one of the top teams in the NFL. Going into this game, it was known that the outcome would be tell tale of how the postseason could turn out for Philadelphia. A win, and the Eagles can hang with the best of the best and are getting hot at the perfect time. A loss, and the hopes of winning consecutive Super Bowls go out the window, as it would be clear that the Eagles cannot hang with the big dogs.

The team knew this and went into the game with a hunger to prove the experts and haters wrong. The offense in the first half was decent, but not great, after scoring 13. The first quarter saw the teams’ only touchdown of the day, which was a catch by Dallas Goedert. Jake Elliott picked things up after an abysmal past 5 weeks, in which he missed 5 field goals, knocking down 2 in the second quarter alone. It would be the last time Philadelphia was able to get on the board.

With a mediocre offensive performance, it became crucial for the defense to step up, like they have all season long, to make up for the lackluster scoring ability. They did just that and held the Bills to no score in the first three quarters. The fourth was rough because the unit was exhausted, allowing two touchdowns, but a blocked point after and an incomplete two-point conversion were enough to lead the team to a win.

This tells us that even when the offense doesn’t produce, Philadelphia can win games against the best of the best.

The Eagles’ defense has been among the best in the league, and to hold the reigning MVP Josh Allen to just 12 total points is a task whose difficulty cannot be understated. If the offense can just produce slightly better than they have as of late, a deep playoff run is 100% possible.

Look at last season, while the offense was much better than this current scheme, it was the defense that led them to the championship. The defense allowed over 20 points in just 5 of the 18 regular-season games, and their 3 losses all came when they allowed at least 22. Offensively, while the team scored at an elite clip, it wasn’t necessary to win games. This year, the Eagles’ defense has allowed over 20 points in 8 games, and all 5 of their losses came in those games.

In the past 3 weeks, Philadelphia has allowed just 30 points total, including a shutout against Las Vegas. The defense couldn’t be at its best at any other time.

Philadelphia’s recipe for success is deafening defense, and if they can continue to shut teams down, a chance to win another Super Bowl is not far-fetched.

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