Overreaction is a part of this game we love, but some overreactions are also welcomed.
These days, there are hundreds of platforms from which to gain information. Anyone with a strong Wi-Fi signal can begin creating Philadelphia Eagles content. We’re far from when our grandfathers told us you had to read the paper or wait seven days for the Sunday pregame show.
There’s good and bad news as it relates to that. The DIY model can birth some great voices who may not have had one, but it also leads to misinformation.
So, here we sit, wading through dozens of Eagles podcasts born daily to find one or two we can stomach for more than five minutes. If we’re being fair, terms like ‘fake news’ and ‘clickbait’ are overused, but at the same time, we can live without the negativity and shock value masquerading as hot takes.
Let’s talk about some of the overreactions we’ve heard about the Eagles’ season.
There’s something about this game that makes us hug strangers in sports bars and get back to the work station late after spending too much time at the water cooler. Opinions are a part of the game, but the beauty of the NFL we love is we don’t have to agree about everything.
We’re like you. We hear the rumors and overreactions. Some, we pay more attention to. Here are a handful of the latter we’ve heard more often as of late. Some we honestly don’t mind hearing, but a couple may be cause for worry.
Jalen Hurts is back among the MVP favorites.
Verdict: We can live with hearing this even if we disagree.
Come on. No one will complain about hearing their QB is in the MVP conversation. Jalen Hurts has been huge lately, but we believe he has a tough hill to climb.
We’d venture to say Saquon Barkley has the best chance of anyone on this team to win the honor, but if the trophy goes to a QB as usual, they’ll think of some way to take it from Jalen and give it to Josh Allen even if Hurts proves he has earned it.
The Eagles are going to win out.
Verdict: It’s too early to tell, but we’re happy this is a conversation.
Again, who’s going to complain about this? If statements like these are being made about your team this late in the season, that’s a good thing, but despite the names remaining on the schedule, Philly can’t take anything lightly.
They should be favored in every game remaining, but if they falter, they can lose on any Sunday. Have you seen how well the Carolina Panthers are playing?
Something else is in play. We can’t rule out the possibility of the Eagles eventually claiming the Number 1 seed and resting their starters for a final game. You never know. Everything is in play here.
Kellen Moore is going to leave after he earns a head-coaching job.
Verdict: This should never be viewed as bad news
We can’t remember where we heard it first. There have, however, been a few conversations about there being fear that Eagles assistants will continue to be plucked.
Blame it on those 500 Eagles podcasts we told you about earlier.
Philly can’t worry about things like this during the hiring process. The goal is to assemble the best coaching staff. If the Eagles want quality, they must be prepared for the possibility that if they want good coaches, there is a possibility they may lose them.
Dallas Goedert is injury-prone and never going to stay healthy.
Verdict: Concerning and worth monitoring
Ummm… Dallas Goedert is hurt again. That ain’t good! By our count, he missed 15 regular-season games between 2000 and 2004.
He has already missed three of the first 12 Eagles games this season. Once upon a time, we believed Dallas was criminally underutilized. Now, we wonder if he can handle the physical grind of a 17-game season.
His talent can’t be denied, but conversations about potential injury aren’t a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’. Hopefully, he’s ready for the postseason, but this is one of those things we’re beginning to pay more attention to.
Saquon Barkley is being overworked.
Verdict: We agree, but what’s the alternative?
As good as he is, it can’t be overlooked that Saquon Barkley plays football’s most punished position. He’s endured injury during his career. It’s easy to worry about over-usage and eventual fatigue. His 246 carries are the most by any back in the NFL.
But what is Philly supposed to do? They can’t stop giving him the ball. The goal every week is to win. So, every time he takes a hard shot (or he delivers one), we hold our breath. We’ll let Barkley and the coaching staff handle load management.
The Eagles are going to win the Super Bowl.
Verdict: This is the goal. It’s certainly attainable, but nothing has been accomplished. The next step is securing the top seed in the NFC. February and the next Super Bowl are two months away. Let’s take this one week at a time.