It's Super Bowl Or Bust For Eagles
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Eagles are going to go 14-2, Carson Wentz is going to throw for 4,000 yards and 37 touchdowns in being named MVP. The Eagles will secure homefield throughout the NFC playoffs, beat the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC championship and then defeat their old offensive coordinator, Frank Reich, and the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl LIV, 38-34.
The other 31 teams in the NFL shouldn't even bother.
That's on the minds of many in the Delaware Valley area.
Be honest, it is.
A pass hasn't been thrown, or a tackle made. Yet, to hear the trumpets sounding from those surrounding the NovaCare Complex—not inside it—the Eagles should coast to their second Super Bowl in three years and fifth overall NFL championship (1948, 1949, 1960 and 2017), placing them even with the hated Cowboys.
Despite the hyperbole around this team, the facts are, the Eagles will be—and should be—very good this season.
And, the fanbase, regardless of how exaggerated they may be as training camp starts, should expect, no, actually demand nothing less.
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It's a good position to be in when there's depth on the offensive and defensive lines, and a quarterback who suffered a severe knee injury two years ago is back healthy.
The Eagles could actually finish with 13 wins or more. Wentz, obviously under the caveat that he stays upright and healthy, could shatter the Eagles' single-season, all-time passing records to become the first Eagles quarterback to throw for over 4,000 yards in a season.
That was accomplished by 12 quarterbacks last year.
No Eagles quarterback ever did it, Donovan McNabb came the closest, throwing for 3,916 yards in 2008.
When the "E Word," expectations, was mentioned the first day of training camp on Thursday, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson passed along the message he's been giving his players.
"I just tell them to focus on the day, let's get better today. Don't worry about the outside noise. Don't listen to the outside noise. That's obviously for the writers to write about and speculate upon. It's a long time for us before we play a game. A lot of things can happen between now and then," he said. "We just have to focus on us. My job is to make sure that we stay grounded, stay humble, and we come to work every day."
Now, it seems, it's a matter of keeping a constant use of "focus," and not let the outside noise creep in.
Coach Pederson did a wonderful job of that in 2017. His players listen and respect him and there's no reason that should change.
With great expectations ahead, the only team that may get in the Eagles' way are the Eagles, if they let that nuisance of prickly pings called white noise enter.
