| Philadelphia Eagles 2002 | |
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The Philadelphia Eagles,
under the helm of Coach Andy Reid and quarterback Donovan McNabb, begin their regular season on Sunday,
September 8, 2002. The game will be played at Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville, TN
against the AFC South Tennessee Titans. This first game, while not against an
NFC opponent, will do much to tell whether the Philadelphia Eagles are ready to
take their next step, i.e. winning the NFC Championship and making the trip to
San Diego for Super Bowl XXXVII.
If the Philadelphia Eagles can stop one of the game's top rushers, Eddie George, and one of the game's most mobile quarterbacks, Steve McNair, they will begin to silence those who point to their inability to stop the run as the one thing that will doom their journey to Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego.
It was their inability to stop the run that ultimately ended their 2001-2002 season as St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk ran for 159 yards and scored the game winning touchdown in the Rams 29-24 victory over the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.
Last year's 11-5 regular season record and two victories in the playoffs are certainly reason for optimism going into the 2002-2003 season. Quarterback Donovan McNabb has another full year of experience under his belt and he is widely recognized as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. The Eagles defense is coming off a season where they were considered one of the best in the NFL.
How then can the Philadelphia Eagles not take the next step and find themselves in San Diego next January? The answer is that there are, as always, questions that must be answered and issues to be resolved. Most of them need to be answered or resolved in a positive fashion for the Philadelphia Eagles to reach Super Bowl XXXVII.
Let's look at some of the questions and issues:
- First and most importantly, can Donovan McNabb beat the odds and remain healthy for yet another season?
- Will the recently acquired Antonio Freeman become the top notch wide receiver that Donovan McNabb desperately needs?
- Can Duce Staley have a season free of injury that will allow him to return to form as the Eagles top running back? If not, can either free-agent pickup Dorsey Levens or rookie Brian Westbrook from Villanova pick up the slack and become the Eagles' go-to back?
- Can the offensive line remain free of injury and protect the team's franchise player, Donovan McNabb?
- Can kicker David Akers repeat his 2002 pro-bowl season? Do 18-year-veteran punter Sean Landeta and 13-year-veteran kick/punt returner Brian Mitchell have another NFL season in their aging bodies?
- Will the frequently criticized and clearly undersized defensive line be able to get the job done again in 2002 despite the loss of defensive tackle Hollis Thomas to what is likely to be a season ending injury in the pre-season?
- Will the combination of Barry Gardner and NFL veteran Levon Kirkland pick up the slack following the departure of free-agent middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter?
- Will free-agent acquisitions safety Blaine Bishop and linebacker Shawn Barber learn the system and fit into the Eagles defense?
- Finally, will coach Andy Reid ever figure a way to get the offense going in the first quarter of a game?
Other questions exist, but these are what this writer sees as the major issues as the Philadelphia Eagles begin the 2002 season.
What will the Eagles' record be in 2002? I see a 10-6 record and another NFC East title, but watch out for those Washington Redskins. They are going to make an impact in the NFC under new coach Steve Spurrier. We believe that the Eagles will split with the Redskins and Giants but beat the Cowboys twice. The schedule is definitely weird with two road games at both the beginning and end of the season with eight of the twelve games in the middle of the season at home. Road victories at Tennessee and Washington to begin the season would definitely make the statement that the 2002 Eagles are the team to watch in the hunt for Super Bowl XXVII in San Diego.
Photo of Philadelphia Eagles Team Flag by John Fischer