Photo courtesy Rob Carr/Getty Images
The Baltimore Ravens have achieved something that Philadelphia Eagles’ fans are still waiting for: a level of consistency to match their resiliency.
Congratulations Philadelphia Eagles, you’re 2-1. You beat the Cleveland Browns (0-4), perhaps the worst team in football, by a single point, but then followed up that dismal performance by conquering the Baltimore Ravens (3-1), one of the better teams in the league. After getting blown out by the Arizona Cardinals last week (3-0), the questions that had laid dormant due to the fact that you kept winning came rushing out of the floodgates.
After analyzing the Ravens schedule for the first three weeks, the legitimacy of that Eagles’ victory back in week two suddenly seems blemished. The Ravens have played four games in 17 days, and entered this season with the burden of losing their longtime former owner, Art Modell. Before their showdown with the New England Patriots (1-2), further tragedy struck when starting wide receiver Torrey Smith was informed of his younger brother’s death.
The Ravens have emerged standing tall through all of this chaos, and are poised atop the AFC North. With only one letdown in their first four weeks, the Ravens loss to the Eagles could be seem as more of a hiccup than a legitimate Eagles’ victory.
Don’t get me wrong, the Eagles certainly fought hard to get back in that game after getting manhandled in the first half. They overcame turnovers and a barrage of injuries to storm back and not only make it a game, but ultimately come away with the victory. There is no denying that the Eagles have resiliency, something that they share in common with the Ravens. The difference lies elsewhere.
Photo courtesy of russellstreetreport.com
The Philadelphia Eagles may have beaten the Baltimore Ravens, but they could still learn some lessons in consistency from their foe.
Perhaps the most notable difference is that the Ravens level of consistency is on a completely different level than the Eagles. They were competitive in all four of their games, and their only loss was by a single point. The Eagles, on the other hand, kept their fans guessing by getting slapped around by the surprise team of the season thus far, the Cardinals.
The Eagles have lacked consistency for the past few years under head coach Andy Reid. What used to be a program that could be counted on to make the playoffs every year (2000-05, 2009-11), if not those heart-wrenching NFC Championship Games (three straight losses before breaking through to go to the Super Bowl) has suddenly become a liability. No one, not even the experts, can really get a read on how the Eagles will play from week to week.
Some blame it on Michael Vick’s turnover-prone play. Others on injuries that have devastated the offensive line. Still others say that this is Andy Reid’s final shot to get the team back to the promised land.
As for me, I think it’s an issue of consistency and resiliency. The Eagles won two close games this season, games that they most likely would have lost last season. Their level of resiliency has definitely improved and made them a competitor in the league. Their consistency, however, is what separates them from a competitor to a legitimate threat to win the Super Bowl. They should mimic the Ravens and shoot for that same level of consistency, because that is what separates good teams from great teams in the NFL.
So Eagles, you’re 2-1. Congratulations. But don’t let that success get to your head. There’s still a lot of work to be done, and the New York Giants are coming to town.
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