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It’s not hyperbole to say it feels like the Philadelphia Eagles have one of the bleakest outlooks in the NFL.
Coming off a 4-11-1 season. No changes at general manager or head coach. Uncertainty at quarterback. $70 million over the cap. Old, bad, expensive, and inflexible roster.
It’s hard to feel good about the state of this team.
And that sentiment is reflected in the latest SB Nation Reacts polling data, which shows Eagles fans having the league’s lowest confidence rating at the end of the 2020 regular season.
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Here’s the entire bottom five:
- Houston Texans — 32%
- Arizona Cardinals — 31%
- Chicago Bears — 28%
- Dallas Cowboys — 22%
- Philadelphia Eagles — 11%
Texans fans are feeling bad about having a 4-12 season and not even having first- and second-round picks to look forward to. But they do have Deshaun Watson (for now, at least).
Cardinals fans are understandably disappointed with their team failing to make the playoffs after going 2-5 down the stretch. But at least they improved from 2019.
Bears fans are uneasy about their team backsliding into the playoffs and potentially being stuck with Mitchell Trubisky beyond this year. But at least they have a good defense and were competent enough to make the postseason.
Cowboys fans probably wanted to see more from Mike McCarthy’s first season even though the tough circumstances Dallas was dealt. But at least they potentially have Dak Prescott’s return to look forward to.
Eagles fans are feeling bad for the reasons already mentioned towards the top of this post. Unlike these other teams, finding a silver lining for them isn’t so easy.
The Eagles could’ve earned some confidence back by replacing Roseman. Such a move would’ve energized the fan base, just like we’ve seen with the Sixers hiring Daryl Morey.
But the Eagles aren’t going that route. They’re instead going to tweak the margins and hope that makes a difference in 2021.
With time, I suspect a good portion of Eagles fans will end up talking themselves into next year’s team. The Birds will enter next season’s campaign with a significantly higher fan confidence rating than the current mark. But the benefit of the doubt won’t last very long if/when the struggles continue.
It’d be great to see Roseman and Doug Pederson get this team pointed back in the right direction to experience sustained success. Just far from guaranteed that it’s going to happen.
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