The Philadelphia Eagles have entered the chat.
Throughout the first couple months of the 2024 NFL season, the Eagles weren't much mentioned as a legitimate Super Bowl contender, which is understandable after the way they completely collapsed down the stretch last season. Plus, the first month of the current campaign was a mixed bag for Philadelphia that featured two wins and two losses, including an extremely ugly defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But, since their bye in Week 5, the Eagles have been ballin', and playing arguably as well as any team in the league. The Birds have won six straight games, including an impressive 26-18 victory over the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football in Week 11 to take command of the NFC East.
Now at 8-2, the Eagles have officially entered the Super Bowl contender conversation. At this point in time, it's impossible to have that conversation without mentioning them. They have the second-best record in the NFC behind only the 8-1 Detroit Lions, and they're currently one of four teams league-wide with a winning percentage of .800 or better.
Eagles excelling on both sides of the ball during current 6-game winning streak
The most promising part about the way that the Eagles have been playing is that they're getting it done on both sides of the ball. The defense has been downright dominant since the bye, and is currently allowing the fewest yards per game in the entire NFL.
They've been good against the run, and they've been good against the pass, as they're in the top five in both categories. The pass rush has improved since the start of the season, and rookie cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean have completely transformed a secondary that was a major problem area last season. It took a little while, but it certainly seems like the team has completely bought into Vic Fangio's scheme.
On the other side of the ball, the Eagles have Saquon Barkley playing MVP-level football in an offense that is averaging the fourth-most yards per game in the league. He's revolutionized Philadelphia's offensive attack, and his mere presence in the backfield makes them infinitely harder to plan for.
In his first 10 games in an Eagles uniform, Barkley has compiled 1,347 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns. Plus, he can do stuff like this:
OH MY! YOU JUST GOT BARKLEYED™️@saquon | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/xyib70rth4
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) November 3, 2024
They've been good against the run, and they've been good against the pass, as they're in the top five in both categories. The pass rush has improved since the start of the season, and rookie cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean have completely transformed a secondary that was a major problem area last season. It took a little while, but it certainly seems like the team has completely bought into Vic Fangio's scheme.
On the other side of the ball, the Eagles have Saquon Barkley playing MVP-level football in an offense that is averaging the fourth-most yards per game in the league. He's revolutionized Philadelphia's offensive attack, and his mere presence in the backfield makes them infinitely harder to plan for.
In his first 10 games in an Eagles uniform, Barkley has compiled 1,347 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns. Plus, he can do stuff like this:After switching both coordinators over the offseason, Philadelphia's slow start to the season was understandable, perhaps even expected. But, since Week 6 the Eagles have been firing on all cylinders and they have forced their way into the contender conversation as a result.
