Before the start of Super Bowl LIX, all the talk was about whether the Kansas City Chiefs would three-peat and cement their place as the most recent dynasty in the NFL. It didn’t take long for the Philadelphia Eagles to make all the pundits feel very foolish for their talking points, as they raced to a dominating first-half lead.
The Eagles refused to ease up in the second half and led 34-0 at one point, mocking all of those who had the Chiefs to win again. The final 40-22 scoreline still doesn’t really do the performance justice and now many of the top Maryland betting apps will have Philly as the out-and-out favorite to repeat in 2025.
But can the Eagles go all the way and win another championship straight away? This had been a team that had previously promised so much and then fallen short. Even the immense talent on the roster had not been able to bring another championship to Philly since 2018. Just how good is the current Eagles team? And can it bring glory to Philadelphia once again next season?
QB Power
There are some very good quarterbacks in the NFL at the moment. Lamar Jackson is yet to claim his first championship ring but many believe that it is only a matter of time. The beaten QB this year, Patrick Mahomes, is regarded as one of the best ever. But when it comes to QBs that truly lead the way, there is surely none better than Jalen Hurts.
Hurts is now committed until 2028 and the Eagles will always have an excellent chance of winning while he is at the helm. Not only are his leadership qualities second to none, he is also able to score touchdowns seemingly at ease – even in the championship games. One ring will not be enough for this man and next season is as good a time as any to add to the collection.
Defenses Win Championships
It might be one of the oldest cliches in football but it is true – teams win Super Bowls because of their defenses. A star quarterback is another pre-requisite, of course. But without a strong defense, there is nothing. Patrick Mahomes is regarded as one of the most versatile QBs in the league and he just couldn’t cope with the Eagles D.
Vic Fangio can be credited with much of the Eagles defensive success, with his expert knowledge in how to pressure an opposing QB. But there is another reason there is confidence in the future for this Eagles defense. No member of the unit is over 30 and that means that there is the potential for them to be around for a good deal of time yet – and, more worryingly for the other teams, for them to improve even further.
Saquon Made the Difference
Saquon Barkley has been a star ever since he joined the New York Giants as the second pick overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. He has suffered with injuries at times, like almost all running backs, but he continued to shine in a team that rarely lived up to his high standards. In six years in New York he played in just two postseason games.
Now in just one year in Philadelphia he is able to show off a championship ring and bask in the glory of being named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year. His contribution last season was immense, recording the best numbers of his career for touchdowns and rushing yards. He is only beginning to play at his very best and will be a major force for the Eagles in 2025.
Underrated Coach
When it comes to the reasons for the Eagles success, Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley rightly command a lot of the attention. But, unlike other Super Bowl-winning teams, Philly’s head coach sometimes gets overlooked. This is even though he has led the team to the postseason in every single year of his tenure, won two divisional titles, two conference championships, and now the biggest prize of all.
Incredibly, Nick Sirianni actually receives more than his fair share of criticism for his coaching style. But the numbers say otherwise and with another year of NFL experience under his belt – and the cache of a Super Bowl win – it seems clear that he is proving his doubters wrong and will be itching to show he can do it all again.
NFC Domination
A quick look at the way too early odds for Super Bowl LX, the Eagles are now considered the favorites. But it is very noticeable that the next few teams on the list all belong to the AFC. The Chiefs, Bills, and Ravens are fancied ahead of anyone that Philly will have to beat in the way to a championship game.
There are some good teams in the NFC, of course. Jayden Daniels has transformed the Commanders and the Lions will want to make up for last year’s disappointment. Neither the Packers or Rams seem likely to improve to conference-winning standard next year though and that means that the Eagles stand a very good chance of being the number one team in the NFC, by quite a margin.
Be Careful
From what we have just outlined, it seems as though there is no way that the Eagles will not repeat next season. Super Bowl LX seems to be in the bag and it will just be a case of whether Hurts or Barkley take the MVP award. But Nick Sirianni and the players will need to avoid that kind of complacency if they are to be successful.
Only nine teams have ever won back-to-back Super Bowls, and everyone will be gunning for Philly in 2025. The Eagles will undoubtedly be the team to beat next season but winning again is much harder than winning in the first place. Time will tell if this team has the talent to develop into a new dynasty.
