Why the Eagles won't win a Super Bowl anytime soon
Coming off an 11-5 season, the Philadelphia Eagles gracefully exited the first round of the NFL playoffs and made some significant moves during the off season. Philadelphia got rid of a few key players, which prompted many to believe that the team is entering what will likely be a rebuilding year for the city of brotherly love.
But Philly fans shouldn't hold their breath for a league championship. Here are a few reasons why the Eagles will not likely win a Super Bowl in the near future.
No Donovan McNabb
The Eagles have made it to two Super Bowls in their franchise history and one of those performances’ featured Donovan McNabb under centre. Instead of going out and picking up missing pieces, the Eagles decided to do some spring cleaning on the offensive end and traded their leader and best player, McNabb.
They also lost running back Brian Westbrook and wide receivers Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown. Westbrook and Curtis have been hurt much of the last few seasons, but they, along with McNabb, provided much of the leadership on the field. To make up for this huge loss, the Eagles opted to keep Michael Vick and assigned back up Kevin Kolb as their new starter.
Kolb was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round (36th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft and has little experience in the pros. McNabb on the other hand has done so much during his 10-year career with Philly, having led the Eagles to four consecutive NFC East division championships leaving big shoes for Kolb to fill in a city that is very demanding of its players.
The loss of Brian Westbrook
The Eagles offence has struggled in short-yardage situations because of its lack of a physical running game. This was the major knock on Brian Westbrook. Then, add to it his troublesome knee injuries and a concussion suffered in Week 7 and like the rest, Westbrook was history.
But Westbrook’s career is far from over as he still has a lot of football left in the tank. The Washington Redskins’ coach, Mike Shanahan, has expressed his desire to recruit the free agent running back that was released by the Eagles.
At times, he was the Eagles lone spark plug and a threat on the ground and in the passing game. It’s hard to find a running back with excellent receiving skills and Westbrook fits the profile. The Eagles have some really promising young talent, but no one who can lead the team right here and now with Westbrook gone.
Their Division
The Eagles are in arguably the toughest division in football, the NFC East. They have to play the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Washington Redskins two times a year. As if they needed more challenges, the Eagles will have to face McNabb, who now plays for division rival Washington. That can take a toll on a team trying to regroup and find their new leader.
According to the NFL Network, the Eagles will have the ninth toughest schedule in the NFL next year and as long as the NFC playoff race continues to go down to the wire as it has in years past, they likely will never be outside of the top 10 but a competitive NFC East might be too much for their new team to handle.
Their hardcore Fans
As much as fans like to think that pressure does not affect players, it often times does, and not usually in a positive manner. And the fans may not realize this, but players notice the mistreatment Eagles fans give to their players. Playing in Philly, you have a 50/50 chance of getting booed, even at home.
Eagle’s fans are notorious for being the worst fans in the league, and maybe the worst fans for any professional sports team. They expect perfection and let players know when they aren’t happy with them. While fans may view it as tough love, the players would rather see them embrace their football a little more and be more patient with them during their struggles.
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