Becoming the first team for the 2022 NFL season to secure their place in the playoffs, the Philadelphia Eagles look to be building something special at Lincoln Financial Field.
With a roster packed full of talented stars that could still have their best years ahead of them, it’s an exciting time for head coach Nick Sirianni and his side.
Hurts setting the tone in Philly
With the highly impressive Jalen Hurts enjoying a strong season, the Eagles quarterback has been epitomizing all that has been good about Philly this term. The Eagles, who as of December 13th are +400 with Betway sports to win Super Bowl LVII, have seen Hurts come on leaps and bounds this season as he’s grown into the role at the NFC East outfit.
Helping Philadelphia to go 12-1 after a 48-22 victory at the New York Giants, Hurts has put his side in a promising position ahead of the all-important playoff showdowns.
Never getting too high after a victory or too low after their 32-21 home defeat at the hands of the Washington Commanders, Hurts’ attitude sums up Philadelphia right now. Hurts, who was brought in to replace former Eagles star Carson Wentz as covered here on Franchise Sports, has a temperament that should stand him in good stead for the challenges to come this season.
It seems like with every game and even every drive, Hurts is learning and growing on the job. At the age of 24, Hurts plays and acts like a quarterback who has far more seasons under his belt than this Texan playmaker. Respected by his fellow teammates and with a leader’s mentality, Hurts has all the credentials to do something special in south Philly.
Brown taking Eagles to next level
The arrival of AJ Brown at Philadelphia raised eyebrows across the NFL and his impact at Lincoln Financial Field has been clear for all to see. With 10 touchdowns, including two against his former team the Tennessee Titans as noted by ESPN, in his first 13 appearances for the Eagles, wide receiver Brown has been in devastating form this season.
With over 1000 receiving yards in those first 13 games, Brown has come up with big plays and leads the way in the talented group of wide receivers at the franchise. His impact can be seen with the fact that the Eagles have spent most of the season at the top of power rankings, as seen in ours here.
Rising star DeVonta Smith is forging his own path in the NFL but could do far worse than learn as much as he can from Brown. Smith himself has enjoyed a strong season with five touchdowns and 775 receiving yards.
The combination of him and Brown, along with the efforts of fellow receivers Quez Watkins and Zach Pascal, has been working well in this impressive Eagles’ offense.
Sanders leading ground charge
With over 1000 rushing yards already this season, Miles Sanders is enjoying a fantastic campaign at Philly. With his pace, power, and relatively low center of gravity, the 25-year-old out of Penn State University is also showing signs of real progress this year.
The 11 touchdowns for Sanders have been huge for the Eagles as they have battled to keep ahead of the Dallas Cowboys and the Giants in the improving NFC East.
While Sanders has been coming up with big plays, Hurts has also had a massive impact on the ground game. With 10 rushing touchdowns of his own in his first 13 appearances, Hurts has also been key.
To have a quarterback capable of striking through the air or by himself on the ground leaves defenses second-guessing at every scrimmage.
Not forgetting the Eagles’ defense, there are a host of players enjoying strong seasons to help Philly become the first team into the NFL playoffs.
Haason Reddick managed 10 sacks in his first 13 appearances, while the electric Darius Slay is never far away from the action. James Bradberry and CJ Gardner-Johnson have also stepped up this season and provided big plays for the Eagles.
It’s a shame Gardner-Johnson’s campaign appears to be over after suffering a kidney injury against the Green Bay Packers. It means others will have to step up and that’s been the mentality in this Eagles side this season.
Sirianni is the glue that has brought all these players together and moving on the right path. Even if this is not to be a Super Bowl-winning season for Philly, the Eagles do appear to be flying in the right direction for sustainable success.
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