Only five years removed from their historic Super Bowl run in the 2017-2018 season, the Philadelphia Eagles are back, and they are scarier than they have ever been. 

Looking back at their 2018 victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, it’s hard to believe that that roster was able to do what they did.

With their young starting quarterback Carson Wentz out for the playoffs due to an injury, an aging Nick Foles stepped in to run the offense under center. Running back Jay Ajayi, who was acquired from Miami at the trade deadline, proved to be an important addition, along with tight end Zach Ertz and wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor. 

On the defensive side, safety Malcolm Jenkins, defensive end Brandon Graham, and defensive tackle Fletcher Cox were key pieces in the Philadelphia defense that proved strong enough to push the Eagles to their first Super Bowl in franchise history. Aside from Fletcher Cox, none of those players are a part of the Eagles today.

This is a brand-new Philadelphia Eagles, and unlike their last super bowl run, they are certainly not pinned as underdogs. 

Led by current MVP candidate Jalen Hurts, this Eagles offense is the most explosive that it has ever been. Hurts was a dual-threat quarterback this year, finishing top 10 in total passing yards, earning the fourth-highest passer rating in the league, and placing second in the league in rushing touchdowns. 

Hurts had a lot of help, with a strong receiver duo of A.J. Brown, who was acquired via trade with the Tennessee Titans this summer, and former Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, who the Eagles selected with the tenth overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Dubbed “Swole Batman” and “Skinny Batman” by teammate Darius Slay, both receivers had the best seasons of their young careers, with both finishing top 10 in receiving yards. “Swole Batman” A.J. Brown was especially dominant, finishing top five in touchdown receptions, and top 10 in receiving yards per game. 

Running back Miles Sanders also had the best year of his career, placing top 10 in total rushing yards, rushing yards per game, and total rushing touchdowns. As a unit, the Philadelphia Eagles offense finished top 10 in total yards of offense per game, passing yards per game, and rushing yards per game. 

That’s just the offensive side of the ball.

While the Eagles offense was dominant, their defense was even better. 

Led by pro-bowlers linebacker Haason Reddick and defensive back Darius Slay, this Eagles defense was one of the most feared across the league. The Eagles led the league in total sacks, allowed the second-least yards of offense to opponents, and forced the third-most turnovers in the league. Four different Eagles players finished amongst the top twenty in sacks, with Reddick finishing second overall, racking up sixteen total sacks. 

Defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson had an outstanding year as well, finishing tied for first in interceptions with six. The 2022-2023 Eagles were the definition of lockdown defense.

Above all, this Eagles team knows how to win. 

In his second year as an NFL head coach, Nick Sirianni helped lead the Eagles to a record of 14-3, with two of the three total losses coming with backup quarterback Gardner Minshew under center, with Jalen Hurts out with a shoulder injury. This means that Jalen Hurts has only lost one game all season. 

The Eagles locked up the best record in the NFC, securing the first overall seed in the playoffs, and a first-round bye. 

In the playoffs, the Eagles pounced on a weak New York Giants defense in the NFC Divisional Round, with a convincing 38-7 victory, giving Eagles fans flashbacks to the 2018 playoffs, where they destroyed the Minnesota Vikings with a score of 38-7. In the NFC Championship game, the Eagles poured on the gas offensively against a top-three defense in the league, beating the second-seeded San Francisco 49ers 31-7. 

Coming into Super Bowl LVII, the Eagles are the hottest team in the league, showing no signs of slowing down and approaching the most important game of their season. 

Carrying the energy that the team played within the previous two playoff games will be an important component for success against the Kansas City Chiefs, who possess one of the best offenses in the league. The Eagles defense will need to show up early, and applying loads of pressure on quarterback Patrick Mahomes will ultimately be important to limit the number of scoring opportunities for the Chiefs. Tight end Travis Kelce will prove to be the main offensive threat for the Chiefs, but the Eagles are no stranger to limiting teams to low amounts of passing yards, as they allowed the least amount of passing yards to opponents in the league this season. 

On the offensive front, Philadelphia will need to exploit holes in the Chiefs’ defense early. During the regular season, Kansas City ranked 18th in passing yards allowed per game, so you should expect the Eagles to develop their passing game early on, and establish A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith as long-ball threats in this game. Doing this will allow their forceful running back unit of Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell to rest, and set them up to have a monster second half after Kansas City gets torched by Eagles wide receivers.

In the end, I predict that the final score will be 31-27, with Philadelphia taking home their second Super Bowl victory in franchise history. 

After the Philadelphia Phillies heartbreaking loss in the World Series, and the Philadelphia Union falling short of taking home the MLS cup, the Philadelphia Eagles are here to finally give the city of Philadelphia a reason to celebrate and bring the Lombardi Trophy home.  

It’s time to once again grease the poles in Philadelphia. Fly Eagles Fly!