Coming off a Super Bowl appearance the season prior, many people felt that the 2023 Philadelphia Eagles were going to be a team on a mission.
On paper, it started out that way as they raced-out to a fast start. However, it was clear to the naked-eye that something was missing.
The chemistry and cohesion that existed in Philly during the 2022 Super Bowl season was missing from the 2023 squad.
Sure enough, the season came crashing down in epic fashion as the Eagles fell apart down the stretch and finished the year with one of the most disappointing playoff losses in franchise history.
The one unanimous criticism over Philadelphia’s no-show 32-9 blowout loss to Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the playoffs was the team’s effort.
Everyone and their mother questioned the Eagles’ heart, desire and overall effort … In many ways, it seemed like they had zero interest in even showing up for the game.
The finish to the season was so hideous that head coach Nick Siranni’s job suddenly became in question.
Just a few months after being knighted as the King of Philadelphia, there was serious doubt whether Sirianni would be able to survive the debacle that was the 2023 season.
Ramping up speculation that Sirianni could be a goner was the fact that Bill Belichick was available on the open market.
However, at the end of the day, Eagles ownership decided to stick with Siranni and give him another chance. The fact that the vast majority of the team seems to love him certainly helped his fate.
Although ultra-popular center Jason Kelce has officially retired, Philadelphia’s main core remains intact for the most part.
An enormous piece of that core is 34-year-old All-Pro offensive tackle Lane Johnson.
Moreso than anyone on the team, Johnson is anxious to get the sour taste of the 2023 season out of his mouth.
Appearing on NFL Network’s “The Insiders,” Johnson spoke about how excited he is to turn the page to the new season.
“We have a lot of new faces, a lot of turnover. But I felt comfortable with the way we drafted. Got some great players. And really when you look at our roster, we have a lot of size,” Johnson said.
“Obviously, we have to go prove things and are eager to do so. But when you just look at the guys walking around the building, we’ve got size, we’ve got speed, and guys willing to work,” he confidently added.
Philly’s roster, bolstered by promising draft picks and strategic acquisitions, appears strong on paper. (But as we know, games aren’t won on paper.)
Having said that, the Eagles had a very strong draft and added key weapons in free agency, such as running back Saquon Barkley who surprisingly came over from the rival New York Giants.
The addition of Barkley made Kelce a little jealous. He even admitted that the idea of coming back is floating around in the back of his head.
Regardless, 2024 is shaping up to be an extremely important year for the Eagles.
How do you see the season shaking out???
Will they take a step forward and prove that last year was simply a fluke? … Or is it the 2022 season that was actually the fluke?
Will Siranni still be Philly’s coach at this time next year? … Or will the Birds find that getting another crack at Belichick will simply be too hard to pass up???