The Philadelphia Eagles could make a run at the Super Bowl in 2020, health permitting.
Practice squad wide receivers, a porous secondary, and injuries galore on both sides of the ball did little to fluster coach Doug Pederson and quarterback Carson Wentz, who led the Philadelphia Eagles to an NFC East title in 2019, only to fall to Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks in the playoffs after a Wentz injury. As bitter as that loss was, Eagles fans should be more than ecstatic when discussing their chances in 2020.
Fresh off a season in which Wentz threw for 4,000 yards despite not having a single wide receiver top 500 yards due to nonstop injuries, the Eagles should be considered the betting favorite over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East due to how loaded their roster is from top to bottom.
Pederson and Wentz could lead the Philadelphia Eagles to Tampa.
The creative mind of Pederson and the über-talented Wentz should have Philly in the Super Bowl conversation no matter what, but this team is strong nearly everywhere else. Even without All-Pro Brandon Brooks, Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson will anchor a solid offensive line.
The influx of rookie wide receivers via the draft and the trade for former Lions corner Darius Slay plugs up holes in their two biggest weak spots at wide receiver and cornerback. Their defensive line, led by Fletcher Cox, remains elite after all these years given the depth on the interior and power on the outside thanks to the likes of Derek Barnett and Brandon Graham.
The one true X-factor that could really kick the Eagles’ Super Bowl push into hyperdrive is running back Miles Sanders, a former Penn State star who totaled 1,327 yards in his rookie season. If he clicks, which would entail giving the Eagles a true bell-cow back for the first time in years, there is a chance that Philly emerges from NFC contender to NFC favorite over the course of the season.
The Eagles have made the playoffs in each of the last three years, and we have yet to see their franchise quarterback get any meaningful time in those games. Hopefully his health doesn’t fail him this year, because Howie Roseman might be on to something special.