The Eagles' identity on offense all year has been built on the run.
Between a continually strong offensive line anchored by Lane Johnson, Landon Dickerson, Jordan Mailata, Mekhi Becton, and Cam Jurgens now as the full-time center without missing a beat, and then Saquon Barkley going off behind them for over 2,000 yards rushing, that's been no surprise.
But the passing game through Jalen Hurts took a backseat and appeared to take a step back because of it, with criticism over it following all year as a result, especially whenever star receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith had quiet days.
They were getting by though, and after driving the ball through Barkley – and Hurts – on the ground through the first two playoff games against Green Bay and L.A., the Eagles put up their most complete offensive effort of the season so far against the Commanders in the NFC Championship Game.
Barkley ran for 118 yards and three touchdowns, Hurts rushed for 16 and punched in three TDs himself, too, but the other big key: Hurts also threw for 246 yards and a score to A.J. Brown.
The Eagles showed that they can break out the air attack, that they can run and pass at the same time, and in crucial timing, just as they punched their ticket to the Super Bowl via a 55-point thrashing.
"It's just like Jalen says, 'Just because we don't do something doesn't mean we can't,'" head coach Nick Sirianni said Tuesday. "We're going to look to win any way we can. I've never doubted our passing game with the people that we have there, with the coaches that we have there, with the players that we have there.
"There have been games that have been dictated differently this year. If we need to run it 50 times and pass it once, we will. If we need to do vice versa, we will. We really don't care what anybody else thinks. Our job is to win games, and try to win games the best way we can for our team. Jalen said it and I loved it: 'Just because we haven't done something doesn't mean we can't.'"
Against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, with only one game left and everything on the line, the Eagles are going to need every last thing they've got.
A few other thoughts with Super Bowl Sunday closing in…
Sweat's last stand?
All focus for the Eagles is on the Super Bowl right now, but on the horizon for Josh Sweat is free agency and he's expected to be up for a significant payday, which might not be from Howie Roseman and the only organization Sweat has ever known.
After the Eagles touched down in New Orleans, word got around that Sweat changed agents in anticipation of what's to come this offseason.
With the Super Bowl on Sunday, and free agency looming next month, Eagles DE Josh Sweat changed agents today and hired Drew Rosenhaus and Ryan Matha. “He clearly is one of the very top free agents,” Rosenhaus said. Sweat led the Eagles this season with eight sacks pic.twitter.com/QJswzQoVSm
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 3, 2025
Granted, when he met with the media earlier this week, the edge rusher said it was just a move that needed to be made so it that it would be out of the way.
He's locked in on the Super Bowl with the rest of the team.
"Shoot, I already forgot," Sweat told the media of his agent switch. "You just reminded me…Nah, that's why I had to get it out of the way early because I'm already worried about this, focusing on this game. But I haven't even been worried about it. It was a change, and I mean it's done now."
"Just felt like it was the best choice for me," Sweat added. "The best move."
MORE: The Eagles mastered the art of the turnover
Sweat led the Eagles with eight sacks during the regular season, but with the emergence of Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt as edge rushers along with Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and a steadily progressing Milton Williams inside, the defense does have the depth to move forward knowing it can't hold on to everyone.
So there's a good chance that Sunday could be Sweat's last game as an Eagle. Veteran cornerback Darius Slay is braced for it as a possibility for himself, too, as he told NBC Sports Philadelphia's Ashlyn Sullivan ahead of the NFC Championship that he does want to play one more year, but doesn't think it'll be with the Eagles.
Darius Slay is preparing for Sunday to be his last home game at Lincoln Financial field.
Slay told me this week after having conversations with his family, he is 85% leaning towards playing one more season, but understands it most likely won’t be with the Eagles. When I asked… pic.twitter.com/2JzvyB0tSD— Ashlyn Sullivan (@ashlynrsullivan) January 24, 2025
There very well could be some tough goodbyes ahead, though one more win and a parade down Broad Street to immortalize it would make it all so much easier to stomach.
Big game comfort
The Super Bowl and the media frenzy of a week leading up to it make for a beast unlike any other in sports.
It's the biggest stage of them all, which can't entirely be replicated, but Nolan Smith, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean (though he's sidelined with injury), and even reserve corner Kelee Ringo all come equipped with a uniquely specific experience to help navigate all the noise.
They all played for Georgia in college, and have all been to and won the National Championship, which only seems to get bigger and bigger itself with each passing year.
They're not strangers to the big stage and all the lights shining down on them, even though the setting and stakes have shifted.
"Just winning championships at Georgia, you play in a lot of big games and you kinda get used to it," Smith told the media on Tuesday. "You're never too high, never too low, you try to stay even keel, especially in big games like this.
"You always tell yourself you worked for this moment. You earned the right to be here."
MORE: 'Adversity does something to you,' says Sirianni on Eagles' return to Super Bowl
Close to home
The plane crash in the Northeast late last week devastated the community with the deaths of seven people and injuries sustained to over 20 more.
Among the injured was 10-year-old Trey Howard, who was hit by flying debris from the crash while covering his younger sister to protect her. He was rushed to the hospital by police on the scene, and required emergency brain surgery upon arrival, per ABC News.
Trey survived, and as his father, Andre, told ABC News in the aftermath, his son woke up asking two questions: Did he miss the Super Bowl? And is his sister safe?
Trey didn't, she was, and the story got around to A.J. Brown, who wrote on Twitter/X: "Speedy recovery! You are a Hero young man! I’m going to come see you when I get back. Hopefully with some hardware. Playing for you on Sunday my man."
Speedy recovery!
You are a Hero young man!
I’m going to come see you when I get back. Hopefully with some hardware. Playing for you on Sunday my man 💪🏾🫶🏽 https://t.co/pUtf2Zsoh2— AJ BROWN (@1kalwaysopen_) February 5, 2025
A rivalry foretold
During the 2023 offseason, after the Eagles had just fallen short to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, Jalen Hurts stock was at an all-time high.
He had just put in an MVP-caliber season and played out of his mind in the Super Bowl to give the Eagles a chance until the end despite the losing effort.
That summer, the NFL, with input from numerous players, did its Top 100 countdown, where Hurts ranked out at No. 3 across the entire league.
Patrick Mahomes was one of the players interviewed about Hurts' breakout that season, and in retrospect, what he had to say about the Eagles QB aged pretty accurately.
"I said it at my press conference, but if there were any doubters, there's no more," Mahomes said at the time. "Everybody thinks of him as a runner, but the way he was able to throw the football, especially in the Super Bowl, it shows that talent that he has."
"The way that he works," Mahomes continued. "I expect him to get better and better every year, and I expect to play him in a lot of big games as my career goes on."
Here we are at Super Bowl LIX two years later. It's Eagles-Chiefs and Hurts vs. Mahomes again.
It might be a heavyweight rivalry in the making.
Click HERE or on the embed below to watch that old Top 100 clip on YouTube, because the NFL's digital media policy is a bunch of antiquated nonsense.
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