Jason Peters, Jason Kelce, Philadelphia Eagles. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
It was coming to an end eventually, but let’s take a moment and just appreciate how the broken-down 2019 Philadelphia Eagles even got this far.
When things break, they don’t always break even. The story of the 2019 Philadelphia Eagles will be one of tremendous hype, followed by consistent disappointment, followed by a resilience that epitomizes the toughness in which the city they play. No, the Eagles weren’t going back to the Super Bowl this year, but it’s amazing they even got a crack at it in early January.
Philadelphia was coming off two years of varying playoff success. Winning Super Bowl LII as an underdog every step of the way was simply remarkable. Being able to win a playoff game on a road last year vs. the Chicago Bears and coming up one play short of an NFC Championship game vs. the New Orleans Saints was a testament to this organization’s fortitude.
But when things started to go off the rails early this season for the Eagles, with one skill position player succumbing to injury after another, a lesser team would have found every excuse in the world to not get it done. Even though they won the worst division in football, the 2019 Eagles proved culture and believing in oneself can take you where you want to go.
Philadelphia saw its season come to an end at home on Sunday night vs. the Seattle Seahawks. Losing starting quarterback Carson Wentz for the third season in a row due to injury, Philadelphia leaned on a 40-year-old journeyman quarterback in Josh McCown to try to do the unthinkable: Claw its way to the NFC Divisional Round.
Unfortunately, the Eagles secondary couldn’t contain D.K. Metcalf often enough to keep this miracle of a dream alive for one more day. This team had already lost its three best receiving options on the season in Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson and Nelson Agholor. Philadelphia still won the NFC East without having a receiver with over 500 yards on the season. In this age of the NFL!
But once Metcalf converted third-and-10 by beating the Eagles secondary over the top, it was thankfully over for the Eagles. They wanted to keep battling but couldn’t continue to be decimated for one game longer. Philadelphia will learn a lot about itself from the season that was. Even when it all goes to hell, you have to pick up the pieces and find a way to make it work for you.