Last year’s collapse appears to be a thing of the past, as Saquon Barkley and a defensive resurgence have the Eagles looking poised for another Super Bowl run similar to 2022.
They’ve won eight straight games and look as dominant as any team in the NFL right now thanks to that lethal combination.
They currently have the league’s No. 1 running back (Saquon Barkley) and the NFL’s No. 1 total defense (allowing 282.8 total yards per game).
That’s a winning formula, especially when it comes to maintaining an advantage. The Eagles have outscored teams 140-67 in the second half during their winning streak and have not trailed in the fourth quarter during that span.
It also puts them in a weird mood. The Eagles are one of two teams since the merger that have the NFL’s leading rusher and top-ranked total defense. The other would be the Dallas Cowboys, 1992 Super Bowl champions, with Emmitt Smith.
The similarities don’t end there. Not even close.
- Both were NFC East teams that got off to 10-2 starts and won 11 games the previous season.
- They both had a 26-year-old quarterback (Troy Aikman vs. Jalen Hurts) who also made a brief stop at Oklahoma in college.
- Both had a fourth-year coach (Jimmy Johnson vs. Nick Sirianni) looking for his first Super Bowl ring.
- They both had two of the youngest defenses in the league and the top-ranked total defense in the NFL.
- They both drafted two defensive backs in the first two rounds that year. Most notably, Dallas selected Darren Woodson in the second round. The Eagles selected Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the first two rounds.
- And both will surely have Pro Bowl triplets (Aikman, Smith, Irvin vs. Hurts, Barkley, Brown)
Cowboys of 1992 against Eagles of 2024
|
Division |
NFC East |
NFC East |
|
Victories in the previous season |
11 |
11 |
|
Record in first 12 games |
10-2 |
10-2 |
|
quarterback age |
26 |
26 |
|
Coach year number |
4th |
4th |
|
QB/coach titles to start the year |
0 |
0 |
|
Individual career rank |
1st |
1st |
|
Total Defense Range |
1st |
1st |
|
Defensive backs drafted in the first 2 rounds |
2 |
2 |
|
Season result |
Won the Super Bowl |
?? |
We’ll see if Philadelphia can take advantage of all the similarities and win a Super Bowl like the Cowboys, but things are looking up.
Barkley is on pace for 2,123 rushing yards, which would break Eric Dickerson’s NFL record (2,105 in 1984). He is averaging 81.8 rushing yards per game and 7.6 second-half rushing yards, both records since they were first recorded in 1991 (minimum 100 rushing attempts).
Additionally, the Eagles’ defense has done a 180-degree turn under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. The unit is allowing 74.7 fewer passing yards per game this year than last year, the biggest change by any team since the 2012-13 Saints.
Eagles defensive ranks over the past 2 seasons
|
PPG |
30 |
4th |
|
YPG |
26 |
1st |
|
YPG Pass |
31 |
3rd |
They owe it to the NFL’s youngest defense led by players like Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.
Rookies Mitchell and DeJean have not allowed a touchdown on 109 coverage targets this year and are limiting quarterbacks to 4.3 yards per attempt during the eight-game winning streak. The No. 1 wide receivers are averaging 40.5 receiving yards per game against the Eagles during the streak.
No. 1 WR against Eagles during 8-game winning streak
Add in Jalen Hurts, who is back in MVP form, and the Eagles are a major problem and may live up to the above 1992 Cowboys comparison.
