CBS Sports shared the obvious truth about Eagles' 2024 team in franchise history

There have been some historical teams in the Philadelphia Eagles' history.

They won three NFL Championships before they were called Super Bowls (1948, 1949, 1960). Since the Super Bowl era began in 1980, the 2004 and the 2022 teams were electric, but fell short of winning it all. It has been the 2017 and 2024 teams that have gotten the most debate on which is better.

CBS Sports writer Bryan DeArdo put that debate to rest as he gave the advantage to the 2024 Eagles as the best team in franchise history. The talent on last year's roster was second to none compared to what they had in 2017.

"While the 2017 Eagles were great, the 2024 squad was even better. Led by Saquon Barkley, the 2024 Eagles soared to a 14-3 regular season record. Barkley had a season for the ages, becoming the ninth player to rush for 2,000 yards in a regular season. In the playoffs, Barkley broke Terrell Davis' single-season rushing record (including the postseason) while joining Davis and Emmitt Smith as the only players to win a rushing title and a Super Bowl in the same season. 

The Eagles, however, were anything but a one-man show. Philadelphia's talented roster also featured Super Bowl MVP quarterback Jalen Hurts, the receiving duo of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, a talented albeit often overlooked offensive line, and a defense that dominated Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs offense in Super Bowl LIX. 

Already a memorable team, Philadelphia's 40-22 win over Kansas City secured the Eagles' place in history. In one of the most one-sided Super Bowls ever, the Eagles completely outplayed the two-time defending champion Chiefs. Philadelphia led 40-6 before coasting to an 18-point win. The Eagles' dominance was exemplified by the performance of Hurts, who went 17 of 22 for 221 yards and a touchdown in addition to his 72 yards and a score on 11 carries."

Is DeArdo correct about what he said about the 2024 team?

One aspect of the argument that DeArdo doesn't delve into deeply enough is the defenses. The Eagles' 2024 team outperformed the 2017 team in all but two key categories.

On the offensive side of the ball, who is the better quarterback from those teams? Carson Wentz was on his way to an NFL MVP if it hadn't been for his late-season ACL injury, which would derail his whole career. Wentz might get the slight edge over Hurts, although Hurts had a better passer rating, completion percentage, and fewer interceptions than Wentz did. Let that debate begin.

The rest of the offense is not comparable. The 2017 unit was good, but Alshon Jeffery, Zach Ertz, and Nelson Agholor don't nearly compare to Brown, Smith, and Dallas Goedert. Barkley is superior to any running back on that 2017 team as well, but the Eagles were more of a passing team in 2017 than in 2024.

There will always be a soft spot for that 2017 team since they were the underdogs for every playoff game, and to still win the Super Bowl against the almighty New England Patriots team was special. It was redemption against Bill Belichick and Tom Brady for beating the Eagles in the 2004 season. It was also the first Super Bowl ever won in franchise history.

No one can deny, though, how dominant the Eagles' 2024 team was in the playoffs. Three of the four playoff games were won by two or more possessions, and they crushed the Chiefs by 18 points in the Super Bowl.

Sentimental feelings can't get in the way of understanding that the 2024 team was truly special and arguably the best team in franchise history.