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The Eagles beat the Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon with a final score of 31-20. It was a game they needed to win and they got the job done. Here are some general thoughts from the Eagles victory.
• 3-3 feels good. The Eagles are 3-0 in the NFC and 2-0 in the NFC East. Meanwhile, they are (essentially) tied for the division lead. Plenty of football is left to be played, but the Eagles could very realistically end up with a playoff berth.
• Let's talk about the quarterback situation. Nick Foles came in for Michael Vick and played a great game. After the game, Chip wouldn't commit to saying either QB is the starter. That's for the best. There is no reason for Chip to be hasty. Vick will possibly be unavailable again for the Cowboys game if the original reports about his hamstring injury hold true. Let Foles start again if Vick isn't 100% and see how he does against Dallas.
• The Eagles offense is something special. Chip Kelly is looking like a great hire. Look at these numbers
2nd team in NFL history to accumulate 1,500 passing yards & 1050 rushing yards through the first 6 games of the season
2699 total net yards - highest total in franchise history and 6th highest in NFL history through 6 games3rd team in NFL history to pile up at least 400 yards of total offense in each of their first 6 games
First time the Eagles have ever had six straight games with at least 400 yards
Those numbers are literally historical. And to think, this is just Year 1. Chip Kelly sure has some talented players on the roster, but the truth is a number of these players aren't "his guys". Chip doesn't has an unquestioned franchise QB in place. Players like Jason Avant, Brent Celek, and Riley Cooper all hold value in their own roles but they are not ideal long term Kelly players. They can and will be upgraded upon. When you think about it, this is scary, because it means the Eagles offense has room to improve.
• It's been repeated several times: the Eagles defense is a work in progress. To some extent this just needs to be accepted. The talent isn't there yet. Philadelphia could use an upgrade at every single defensive position save for 3-4 DE. Part of this is to be expected. Factors such as poor drafting from years prior and a scheme transition aren't helping matters. Neither is Bill Davis, but he hasn't exactly been dealt the best hand. The good news here is that Eagles defense doesn't have to be "great" in the future. If the defense can perform at an average level instead of a horrible level, that will go a long way for the team's success. That improvement probably won't happen this year. It will take some time.
• It goes without saying next Sunday is a huge game for the Birds. It's time for the Eagles to prove that they legitimately mean to contend in this two-team division race. The Eagles haven't won at home since... forever. It's probably time to change that.
• Mike Kaye will have his weekly report card out at BGN tomorrow morning.