Everyone has expectations of their team at the beginning of the year. No one thought this season the Eagles would be facing the amount of injuries they have yet again. When you look at the amount of injuries it is almost unbelievable that is has all happened in the first 6 weeks of the season and to one team.
Now, injuries are a factor of the game and a good organization can adjust and adapt to them. In general, the Eagles do that well but they also have put themselves in situations they didn't need to be in. Injuries, bad decisions and poor expectations are all just excuses. So, let's start over....
The Eagles are not going to win a Super Bowl in 2020.
The Eagles are not going to have double digit wins in 2020.
Doug Pederson is not going to change his ways.
Jim Schwartz's defensive scheme is not going to produce a lockdown secondary.
Carson Wentz is not going to put up MVP numbers without an offensive line.
The Eagles are not done in 2020.
The Eagles are not the awful team they appeared to be in the first 5.5 weeks of the season.
Where do we go from here?
The Eagles have 3 back to back games against NFC East teams and its time for them to make their moves.
The Giants are first tonight.
This will not be the first time in recent history that a game versus NY can start the ball rolling to turn around the season. A couple years back it was DeSean Jackson running back punts. Then, Jake Elliot kicking a career long FG.
Now it will be Travis Fulgham.
He has been the shining star of the 2020 season and it sort of makes sense. Carson has lost all his major targets, including his comfort blanket in Zach Ertz. Immediately though he has found chemistry with Fulgham. Why is that? No one can be certain, but looking between the lines it might be in Carson's roots.
While a talented receiver makes a difference for a quarterback, it doesn't appear Carson needs the star, he just needs his star. If you think about what he did in college, he went to a division 1 school. While it might have been one of the best D1 schools he didn't surround himself with all the best talent in the world. But he got to be a leader and show the way as he was the star. When guys like Greg Ward and Travis Fulgham come into the huddle they're looking to Wentz to lead them to make the play. When Alshon and DeSean and Zach Ertz are in the huddle Wentz is hoping they lead him to a play.
Having unproven guys is a benefit to Wentz, he gets to make a name for them and he gets to take credit for doing it with the guys no one thought he could.
Tonight he's going to do that again. The starting lineup sounds like a pre-season lineup:
Maliata
Herbig/Opeta
Kelce
Pryor/Opeta
Johnson
Wentz
Boston Scott
Richard Rodgers
Greg Ward
Travis Fulgham
Desean/JJaw
Outside of DeSean ,Wentz really doesn't have any of the main talent that made analysts think the Eagles were an NFC contender this season.
So, here we are. Looking to Ward, Fulgham and Scott which literally sounds more like the Law Firm for hire than the players who need to carry the Eagles to a win over the New York Football Giants.
Now on the topic of winning. Some fans want to give up, 'why win the NFC Least, we're going no where'. They want to get the top 10 pick instead. But that's foolish.
Here's why.
If the Eagles win tonight, they're actually temporarily in first of the NFC East. And while that isn't an impressive feat no one wants their team to lose the NFC East either. Especially if the reason you lose it is because you lost to the division opponents. So, no as a fan no one should just give this game up. It is also only week 7, a lot of teams are close to a top 10 pick so, why not just end the season if you're going to take that mentality.
Settling for the top 10 pick in week 7 will do no good. In the last 9 years every NFL team has finished in the bottom 10. And 15 of those teams have done it back to back times. Of those, in that time, only 2 have gone to a super bowl (Denver and SF). Only one has won a SB (Denver).
So, to finish in the top 10 doesn't guarantee the team is going to rebound the following season and go on an epic turn around run to the super bowl. Real fans will opt for their team to win as much as possible and get the players as much positive experience as possible.
Instead by hoping for a loss and getting a top 10 pick that's hoping the Eagles into a perpetual 'next season' mentality.
Now, let's level expectations, while fans should not be wishing for losses they also should not be out bragging about beating the Giants tonight. And after tonight the Eagles fans should not expect anything to be added to the trophy room this year, beyond another NFC East title. But that alone is positive. If the Eagles can get into the playoffs AND keep Carson healthy again into the playoffs he can see his first playoff win or full game experience.
As a fifth year quarterback he needs to play and hopefully win a playoff game. That should be the number one goal of all of the Eagles fanbase this season. GET CARSON TO THE PLAYOFFS.
Once that happens who knows what can happen. Getting to the playoffs gives every team an equal chance and miracles do happen in January, we've seen it first hand. Again fans can't get their hopes up and start bragging when the Eagles are only beating the Giants but you have to start somewhere.
Tonight they will start the road to vict..... recovery.
Lane Johnson will be back. Desean Jackson will be playing in some capacity.
The Eagles will get a victory.
This will start the healing process and bring the fans together.
Tonight we will see a game plan that is executed smoothly.
Carson will not turn the ball over.
The defense will be net positive in turnovers.
The Eagles will be back atop the NFC East.
Eagles win 35-10
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