Eagles proved a ‘process’ of winning doesn’t have to mean years of losing
As the last pass of Super Bowl LII dripped onto Minneapolis grass, a long, long, long Philadelphia wait was over. Finally, there was an answer to the tank-ordon’t-tank debate. Don’t do it. Do not. Don’t do it because, every 57 years, there can be a reward for determination. Don’t do it because, some year, when not scheduled, things that happened around the 2017 Eagles can yield a world championship.
The Eagles weren’t lucky. It was the opposite, actually. They lost many significant players, including their MVP-candidate quarterback, to injury. And their 16 victories came through their work, their experience and the unwillingness of their front office to surrender. No, luck wasn’t the word. But law of averages? OK. That. Who could have seen the disintegration of the NFC East, the Ezekiel Elliott suspension, the Giants hiring an inept head coach, the Redskins failing? And who could have seen the Eagles breezing through that mess to favorable pennantrace positioning? And who could have seen them winning the home-field advantage through the NFC tournament on a tie-breaker, in large part because they won one game with a franchise-record 61yard field goal from their second kicker at the buzzer?
Who could have seen Julio Jones, a receiver long onto the Hall of Fame production line, being unable to catch a pass at the end of a playoff game? And who would have imagined that, in an NFC final, the opposing quarterback would be a career backup who had strung together a few big games? And who, exactly, could have projected that, in the Super Bowl, the New England Patriots, still a dynasty, would pass for 505 yards and never punt, yet still lose the game? And what were the odds that three Eagles touchdowns in that game could have been deemed debatable, yet none would be overturned?
Should the Eagles have to apologize for any of that? No. No. Never.
Should other franchises, in any sport, apologize for not having the Eagles’ guts, their ability to continue to strive through the tough decades, their inner belief that someday everything just might break their way? Yes. Yes, they should.
The Eagles could have quit many times, positioned themselves for better drafting position, and claimed to have had the league’s best young quarterback and a sparkling future. Instead, they kept trying to win. And for that, they were rewarded.
Remember that whenever any other franchise tries to sell the lie that the only way to fulfillment is through misery.