Keep Calm and Carry On

First, let me apologize for the stupid cliché of a title, but after the last few days, I think it applies. It's hard not to get caught up in all the hysteria when faced with a constant barrage of football news after months of nothing.

All of us need to take a breather. The Eagles got significantly better this offseason. Based on how they've been performing over the last few years, this does not surprise me in the least. To say that signing Nnamdi somehow makes them unbeatable is just further evidence of how much they've gotten in out head. I want to emphasize that the Eagles are a pretty freakin' good football team with a legitimate chance to win it all this season; however, they are far from unbeatable. Let's break it down, starting with their offense: 

Their OL does not bother me in the least. Do they plan to keep Winston Justice at tackle? Come on now. I like the rookie from Baylor, but he's already 26. 

Michael Vick has a fantastic season, but that's all he had. One fantastic season. Even the Eagles brass isn't ready to give him a long-term contract. His playing style lends itself to injury. Beyond that, he is probably one of the better deep passers in the league, but it's no coincidence that Celek's production dropped off last yet, he isn't as good at those short and intermediate passes. Let me hedge by saying that another year in the system means he could get better, but it isn't like he was hanging out with the coaches all summer. Combine Vick's relative lack of intermediate passing to Desean Jackson's unwillingness to run those crossing routes and that is a serious flaw in the Eagles' offense game. I do think the Maclin and McCoy are damn good players that will have long, successful careers. 

Let's look at the defense:

Trent Cole is a beast, no question about it. I still don't get how he flies under the radar. The trio of cornerbacks they have are excellent. It is most definitely one of the best trios in the league. One big question is, are they going to keep all three? 

Beyond that, Jason Babin really just had one good season. Brandon Graham is coming off of a pretty serious injury. Their defensive tackles don't bother me at all. Their linebackers are meh, to say the least. Jamar Chaney shows some skills in pass coverage, but how often do we pass to the tight end anyway? With the loss of Quentin Mikell, they are starting Nate Allen (coming off a season-ending knee injury) and a rookie safety. we all know how knee injuries can affect even the most promising safeties. What does all of this tell me? They are soft up the middle, a pretty good sign for a team looking to run the ball between the tackles. 

Just a note on Asomugha, I personally think he played with a more well rounded secondary in Oakland. Stanford Routt had a pretty good season despite being targeted all the time and the Raiders safeties are better (or at least more proven) than the ones the Eagles will have. Don't get me wrong, the Eagles corners are significantly better, but it's just something to think about. 

Finally, the coaching:

They have an OL coach trying become a defensive coordinator in...a few weeks? There will at least be some growing pains there. 

For my last point, consider this. The Eagles have never one a Superbowl. They're in our head after beating us 6 times. Don't pretend that it isn't in their head. Andy Reid has to have thought about it. Eagles fans hate whenever other NFC East teams bring that up. It's a pretty big monkey. A superbowl isn't won in free agency, it's won..well, in February. That's one month Andy Reid has not been successful in. 

Just so I don't seem like a huge homer, I do think this Eagles team is built for a SB run this year and would not be surprised if they one. I would be livid, but not surprised.