Tom Brady isn’t exactly known for throwing around praise, especially when it comes to teams with real Super Bowl chances.
That’s why his recent comments about the Philadelphia Eagles have caught people’s attention, even if others aren’t buying in.
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“Well, it’s hard to think that the defending Super Bowl champions are under the radar, but I’ve loved Philly all year,” Brady said, per Anthony Miller. “I would be a little worried if I had to face the Eagles in the playoffs.”
On the surface, it’s easy to see why Brady feels that way.
The Eagles have experience, are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, and are built in a way that usually succeeds in playoff football. They’ve been here before and they know what it takes.
And defensively, they can absolutely beat anyone in the world.
That said, I don’t see a Super Bowl run happening, and it starts with the offense.
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For all the firepower on paper, the Eagles’ offense has been horrible. Too often, it feels like they’re relying on talent to bail them out rather than anything else and that’s a problem in the playoffs.
Jalen Hurts is still decent, but he hasn’t looked as good as he did during their championship run. Against elite defenses, the kinds they’ll face late in the postseason, he can’t just be average. You don’t get any second chances, and slow starts can end a season quickly.
The scheme is part of it, too.
The offense has looked predictable, especially when the run game isn’t dominating. Saquon Barkley playing as poorly as he has this year is an issue.
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Still, the Eagles can definitely scare teams. They can win playoff games and even the Super Bowl, but that usually requires an offense that can score regardless of the matchup or anything else.
Right now, the Eagles’ offense doesn’t feel like that.
They’re talented enough to make sense as a team that can win it, but until the offense shows it can win games and not need the defense to do everything, I’m on the side of caution.
However, I’d be more than happy to be wrong about my thinking.