The Wide World of Dirt

Ladies and gentlemen and everyone in between, I have another important announcement to make: THE BIRDS ARE OFFICIALLY ALL THE WAY BACK!!!

The 2023 Eagles? All in the past.

The 2022 Eagles? They lose to this iteration of the team. The historically good NFC champions that lost by a field goal in the Super Bowl and obliterated practically everyone in their path? They lose by multiple scores to this Eagles team.

I fear for my mental well-being because I am all aboard on this team (and let’s be honest, I have been since Saquon got here.)

I may have been apprehensive and scarred from the disaster of last season, but I am ready to get hurt again. 

I want to switch it up this week and heap praises on the defense first.

On the Ravens’ first two drives, their offense was in a good rhythm. They had 15 plays for a 133 yards and held a 9-0 lead. Their next three drives? 9 plays, 9 yards, three 3-and-outs.

They added a field goal right before halftime on an 8-play, 27-yard drive but talk about adjustments.

One thing that drove Eagles fans ballistic last year was the lack of adjustments as the game went on from Sean DeSai and later Matt Patricia.

Week in and week out, Vic Fangio shows why he’s been coaching for as long as he has. He has gotten the most out of this defense, and that has vaulted the Eagles back into the upper echelon of Super Bowl contenders.

Fangio’s pass rush caused Lamar Jackson fits, even without big free agent pickup Bryce Huff (sidelined until the playoffs) and Brandon Graham (out for the year.)

Yes, the same Lamar Jackson who is a 2x MVP winner and the best running quarterback since Michael Vick.

Josh Sweat shows every week that last year’s down season was a fluke. Nolan Smith finally flashes signs of being the first-round pick we spent to get him. Jalen Carter gets held on nearly every single play; he still manages to exert pressure.

Milton Williams in a contract year might just be the most underappreciated part of this defense. Rookie Jaylx Hunt has gotten quality snaps as well.

The pass rush has to keep being consistent in order for the Eagles to get to where they want to be. They can’t afford another injury or regression.

This Eagles’ linebacking core is the best I have ever seen in my lifetime.

Nakobe Dean and Zack Baun have been fantastic. It’s crazy that you could make the argument that Zack Baun was just as — if not as big of an addition — to this team as Saquon Barkley.

It’s time to lock up the former Badger. Baun is an All-Pro this year.

This secondary is just nuts. How the Eagles were able to draft Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, I will never know.

I can’t wait to see how much better they can get over the next couple seasons. Also, I have watched this play on repeat.

I’ve never seen King Henry get taken down like that, by a rookie no less! The defense in Philadelphia is fun and hard-hitting again.

I had more fun watching the Eagles’ defense this week, but I noticed some things from the offense that made me smile.

It was another non-flashy performance from Jalen Hurts who went 11/19 for 118 passing yards, and a TD along with 9 carries for 29 yards and a TD on the ground.

Hurts started the game 0/4. He went on to go 11/15 the rest of the way. He didn’t have to put up gaudy numbers for this team to win, but he made smart throws.

He hit AJ Brown for timely completions for first downs, and he targeted Dallas Goedert for a nice TD pass to swing the momentum in Philly’s favor.

Hurts makes winning plays and has been taking really good care of the football, which plagued him down the stretch last season and to open up this season.

I appreciated Hurts, and I really wish other people would. The guy is a winner.

Saquon Barkley once again played the closer role as he put the game on ice in the fourth quarter. Barkley carried the ball 23 times for 107 yards and a TD as well as hauling in a pair of catches for 10 yards.

Saquon once again is in the MVP conversation and is threatening multiple records. While the MVP is Josh Allen’s to lose (especially after this play), Barkley being in the conversation is enough for me.

I mentioned how Dallas Goedert had a TD, but he also appears to have suffered another injury.

I thought a lot over this past draft that — if former Georgia and current Raider tight end Brock Bowers slid enough — the Eagles might have been interested.

The future of the tight end position on this team has to be more seriously explored this offseason and in the draft.

No disrespect to Goedert at all, but these injuries keep popping up. The Eagles did this exact same thing with Zach Ertz, and it worked out with Goedert.

Keep an eye out for Penn State tight end Tyler Warren. He is one of my favorite prospects in the draft and a seemingly perfect fit here in Philly.

The Eagles were the tougher team this Sunday.

They also played the Ravens. You rarely see the Ravens be out-muscled, yet that’s exactly what the Eagles did.

They used what the Ravens like to do: ground and pound offense with a hard-hitting defense. The Eagles did it better than them.

That is a scary thought for the other 31 clubs in the League.

The Eagles have now won EIGHT in a row; they are on a heater.

They are back home and don’t have to get on a plane for the rest of the regular season. After a tough win in Baltimore, they welcome the 3-9 Panthers into the Linc, a team showing signs of life with former #1 overall pick Bryce Young.

Trap game potential? I don’t believe so, but this game could be closer than we’d like it to be, especially with cross-state foe Steelers on the docket for week 15. Let’s make it nine in a row and clinch up our playoff spot this week.

Go Birds!

(Top Photo Credit: NFL’s official YouTube channel)