Going into the 2021 season, Philadelphia’s beloved football team was not expected to be successful whatsoever. With a new coaching staff and quarterback, most of the sports world predicted that the Eagles would finish as one of the worst teams in the league. 

At the halfway point of the season, the team was 3-6. Many fans of the team were calling for the coaches to be fired and for Jalen Hurts to lose his job. However, General Manager Howie Roseman and owner Jeffrey Lurie stayed the course and kept the team together despite the early troubles. 

This decision was proven to be right, as the Eagles went on a 6-2 run in the last 8 games. Finishing with a 9-8 record, they were able to clinch the final spot in the NFC playoffs as the 7th seed.

The sudden surge in success that led to a playoff berth happened for multiple reasons. First, head coach Nick Sirianni and the rest of his coaching staff realized that the strength of the team was the running game. With a top offensive line and one of the best running quarterbacks in the league, the team decided to transition to a run-heavy offense that featured very little passing. The Eagles ended with a league-leading 159.7 rush yards per game, and quarterback Jalen Hurts led all quarterbacks in rushing yards and touchdowns. 

Others attribute the team’s late season push towards the postseason to their strength of schedule. The Eagles’ last 8 games featured games against some of the worst teams in the NFL. These teams included the New York Giants, New York Jets, and the Washington Football Team. Although many can make the argument that this is the only reason they were able to squeeze into the playoffs, this was out of their control. 

In the Wild Card playoff game against the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Eagles seemed to be severely outmatched. With 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, Philadelphia faced a 31-0 deficit, a franchise record for a playoff game. The game ended 31-15, and the season came to a close. 

Although the season ended on a negative note, making the playoffs in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year makes this season a success. Many questions on the future of the team were answered throughout this season. The team plans to bring back their coach and quarterback for the 2022 season. During the end of year press conference, GM Howie Roseman said, “We talk about Jalen and the growth he had, really a first-year starter, second-year player, leading this team to the playoffs, tremendously impressed by his work ethic, his leadership. Last time we talked during camp, we said we wanted to see him take the bull by the horns, and he certainly did that.” 

Now, with 3 first round picks, lots of cap space, and a ton of confidence in their quarterback and head coach, the Eagles are ready to use what they built this year to be a Super Bowl contending team in the future.