Philadelphia Eagles: 11 wins – 6 losses, fifth in NFC
How did they get there?
It's the story of two seasons in one. Philadelphia starts off strong with 5 consecutive victories. They arrive at their bye week with an excellent record of 8 wins and 1 loss.
But the second half of their season was catastrophic! Certainly, they beat the talented Chiefs and Bills on their return from bye week. They then posted an impressive record of 10-1 and scared the entire league. But then they lose five of their last six games!
The dynamic is therefore very negative before approaching the knockout matches. The trip to Tampa Bay therefore promises to be more complicated than expected.
The key player
Jalen Hurts (QB)
Like his team, he had two seasons in one. If he has always thrown at least one touchdown in his first nine 2023 games, in the last seven he has had four games without a single pass finding the end zone! So which Jalen Hurts against Tampa Bay?
His mobility is precious: 605 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground in 2023! But it is above all with his passing game that a quarterback impacts an NFL game.
Luckily for him, the Buccaneers finished the regular season with the 29th defense in yards allowed through the air.
Injured players
Darius Slay has missed the last four games with a knee injury. In rehabilitation after an operation, he resumed training: perhaps he could play against Tampa Bay? But this is not yet confirmed.
No. 1 receiver AJ Brown was injured in the knee during the game against the Giants in Week 18. His availability for the game against the Buccaneers is not yet known.
Hit on a finger on his right hand against the Giants, Jalen Hurts' middle finger is not broken. But for a quarterback, suffering in one part of the hand with which he throws is necessarily debilitating. Given the importance of the match, there is no doubt that Jalen Hurts will be on the field. But it will undoubtedly be reduced: to what extent?
Why are they going to go through with it?
It is customary to say that with the playoffs, another season begins: the pressure of these decisive matches sets them apart. To win, you need talent but also experience and the Eagles have it in spades.
Since 2017, they have reached the playoffs six times in seven seasons. With notably two appearances at the Super Bowl: a victory in 2017 and a defeat last year. Their offense is built around players who know the pressure of matches win or go home like Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce or Dallas Goedert.
In fact, these players do not tremble in important moments: 3rd NFL in success on 3rd attempt and 1st NFL on 4th attempt (73% success). When you need to gain a yard or two to get another set of four attempts, their favorite tactic is very effective: the Tush Push (collective effort to push the ball carrier beyond the line to be reached).
Why won't they go?
If the saying that defenses win championships is true, then the Eagles have no chance of making it to the end! Feared in the first part of the season, particularly for its defensive line (quality and quantity of players), the Philadelphia Eagles defense has since been very disappointing!
Over the last eight matches, it has conceded more than 30 points in a match four times! Over the entire 2023 regular season, the Eagles' defense is among the dunces in the NFL: 26th in the NFL in yards conceded, 30th in points conceded per game and 30th in touchdowns allowed when they are in their last 20 yards!
The departures of the 2022 coordinators (Jonathan Gannon and Shane Steichen) exposed the limitations of coach Nick Sirianni. After week 15, defensive coordinator Sean Desai was replaced by Matt Patricia: with no convincing results so far!
Prognosis
Victory in Wild Card against Tampa Bay then lost in the next round.
