NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
You can never please every NFL fan. No matter where your team or any other starts, there will always be naysayers out there. For the fans of the Philadelphia Eagles, those naysayers are coming out in droves. The Eagles are 3-0 and are looking to remain undrafted as they face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 4. But if they win, will fans and analysts give them their respect?
Not a team in the NFL makes its own schedules. However, the Eagles are hearing chatter that their record is an indication of a super-soft schedule. Well, let’s say that’s true. What are they supposed to do in this situation? If their record was flipped around to 0-3, then the chatter would be “why haven’t they taken advantage of the teams they played”. But since they have, now it’s “well, look who they beat.” You can’t please everyone.
To be fair, let’s see who they beat. In Week 1 it was the Detroit Lions. Heading into Week 4, the Lions are 1-2 with close losses against the Eagles and a heartbreaker against the Minnesota Vikings. In each game, the Lions have scored over 27 points. They’re young but they are dangerous.
In Week 2, the Eagles took on the Vikings and their high-powered offense and a team many mentioned as one that could possibly be in the NFC Championship Game. So how is that a fluke team? In Week 3, the Eagles beat the Washington Commanders with Carson Wentz at the helm and a supposedly stout defense.
The Schedule Is Not The Eagles Fault
No, they have not played against the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, or the Bullalo Bills. But those same teams have not looked as strong as early season predictions stated. The Chiefs lost to the 0-2 Indianapolis Colts and the Bills fell to the upstart Miami Dolphins. But where are the naysayers there?
Let’s not forget about the 0-3 Las Vegas Raiders, the 1-2 Cincinnati Bengals, or the 1-2 Arizona Cardinals. What team in the league has played 3 straight Super Bowl contending teams to begin the year? The Eagles must continue to ignore the outside world. They have one job to do: to continue winning against whoever lines up across from them.
This is not Nick Saban and Alabama Crimson Tide scheduling Mercer University. The NFL sets up schedules and all these professional athletes can do is their job. At the end of the day, all you have to do is win. The Philadelphia Eagles are 3-0 because their offense is clicking and their defense is playing with a purpose. It’s the same with the Dolphins. These teams have brought into their coaches’ schemes and are executing better than the others.
Do any of us really think that the Colts are better than the Chiefs? No. But Sunday they played better ball. Anything can happen on any given Sunday. All a team can do is go out and perform at the best of their ability and leave it all on the field. And that’s exactly what the Eagles have done so far.
