(EDITOR’S NOTE: To listen to Sal Paolantonio, click on the following linke: Ep 127: Philadelphia Eagles Talk With Sal Paolantonio (spreaker.com)
The Philadelphia Eagles are the only unbeaten team in the NFL and the early favorite to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LVII.
But you knew that.
They lead the conference with an average of 26.8 points per game. They lead the league in takeaways with 14 and commit the fewest giveaways (2). They’re the only team to have a positive turnover differential in each of their first six games. Their quarterback, Jalen Hurts, is an early MVP contender. Their head coach, Nick Sirianni, is an early Coach-of-the-Year contender.
I think you get the idea. The Eagles are a complete football team. Yet, as Hall-of-Fame voter and ESPN correspondent Sal Paolantonio said on the latest “Eye Test for Two” podcast, there remains a “skepticism” about the Eagles, mostly because of their schedule.
Four of their six victories have been against opponents with a combined record of 8-16, and their next three games are vs. Pittsburgh (2-4, Houston (1-3-1) and Washington (2-4). So it’s not exactly a stretch to envision the Eagles at 9-0 when they travel to Indianapolis for a Nov. 20 date.
“I think they will be favored in every game for the rest of the year, home and away,” Paolantonio said. “They don’t really play a Pro Bowl-level quarterback on the road for a long time, and that is how I always measure a schedule. Is your defense facing a guy that they can’t get off the field? And they don’t really face that guy on the road.
“Maybe when they get to Dak Prescott late in the year (Dec. 24) in Dallas that will be a little bit of an issue. Matt Ryan, certainly, with the Colts. (But) they will still be favored, in my view, by four or five or six points in that game in Indianapolis.”
Nevertheless, to channel Hall-of-Fame coach Bill Parcells, you are what your record says you are. And the Eagles’ record says they’re the best team in either conference. Most of America does not, steadfast in its belief that it’s Buffalo. But the Bills are in the AFC. The Eagles are in the NFC. And, as far as the public is concerned, there’s really nobody there to push Philadelphia.
Yet.
“Are the Eagles for real” Paolantonio was asked.
“If you’re asking me: ‘Is this a Super Bowl team?’ “ he said, “I look at the NFC, and it’s different from the AFC. The AFC is Buffalo or bust. Bottom line, right? We look at Buffalo, and they’re No. 1 in scoring defense, No. 2 in scoring offense. They came back in Baltimore. They came back in Kansas City. Josh Allen, hands down MVP. Jalen Hurts is No. 2. It’s Buffalo or bust. It’s going through Buffalo, in my view, unless something major happens.
“Philadelphia is in a wide-open NFC. It could be any number of teams. (So) what do the Eagles need to close the deal? Two things: I think they need another running back. This team leads the league in rushing attempts (and) leads the league in rushing touchdowns.
“For all the talk about Jalen Hurts being a passer, this is a run-first offense. It’s a run-based offense. They need a late-season trade for a running back like they did in 2017 (when they acquired Jay Ajayi).
“And then the other thing is: I’m worried about (right tackle) Lane Johnson. He’s now had three concussions, and three’s the magic number. They need to find out what they have at right tackle. If they don’t get that fixed long term, I think that could be an issue.”
More must-reads: