Will Eagles return to the postseason?
Stringing together consecutive playoff appearances is very rare in the NFL. Will the Eagles get back for a third straight season during the first year of the Kevin Kolb era?
Will Eagles return to the postseason?
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Over the years, we've seen how rare it is for teams to get back to the playoffs in consecutive years.
While the accepted rule is that about 50 percent of the playoff teams will change every season, I took a look at the exact numbers over the lasat five years.
Since the 2004 postseason, 27 out of 60 (45 percent) teams have gotten back the following year.
In the NFC, that number is lower. Eleven of 30 teams (36.7 percent) have returned to the postseason. In the AFC, it's 16 out of 30 (53.3 percent).
The Eagles made the playoffs four times during that span. They were a playoff team in 2004 but did not return in 2005. They were a playoff team in 2006 but did not return in 2007. They were a playoff team in 2008 and did return in 2009.
So the question is: Will they get back in 2010?
Which brings us to some links and notes to round up.
* Mike Florio, writing for The Sporting News, names the six teams that are least likely to return to the playoffs in 2010. The Eagles are one of them:
When the Eagles made Kevin Kolb their first draft pick (at the top of round two) in 2007, they laid the foundation for April's decision to dump long-time starter Donovan McNabb. And while Philly has plenty of faith in Kolb, he'll soon be facing more scrutiny than he ever could have dreamed. The offensive line has plenty of question marks, and the defense regressed significantly in the first year of the Sean McDermott era. To succeed, the Eagles need to clamp down on opposing offenses and display patience when in possession of the ball. It won't be easy, especially in a division that includes the Cowboys, the Giants, and McNabb.
* Got a press release last week about DeSean Jackson's football camp, which will be held at Moorestown Upper Elementary School this week. Per the release, Kevin Kolb, LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin are among the teammates expected to attend.
* I've taken some heat for my post on Brent Celek last week so wanted to clarify my stance. I was not handing Celek the title of Best Tight End in Modern Eagles Franchise History. I was simply looking at the numbers and suggesting that if he reaches his potential and continues on the path he's on, he could certainly earn that title. I know he's only had one full season as a starter. But the title of the post was What is Celek's ceiling? And I stand by what I wrote - it's extremely high.
* ESPN.com names the 1960 Eagles as the best team in franchise history. The 2004, 1980 and 2002 teams received honorable mentions. Readers agreed, giving the 1960 team 42 percent of the vote. The '04 team received 35 percent.
* SI.com caught up with a couple ex-Eagles last week to get their take on league-wide issues. Jeremiah Trotter was asked about a potential 18-game season.
"As a businessman, when my guys work overtime, they want overtime money," Trotter said. "It really all comes down to the money. It has to increase significantly for that to be worth it."
And Hollis Thomas weighed in on the Albert Haynesworth situation.
"There are two sides to every story," Thomas said. "He was promised that he was going to play in the 4-3. Nose tackle in the 3-4 is not fun."
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Not this year, not with this pass-obsessed coach, not without this GM.— mccloudmj
I hope the venue for D-Jax's football camp is large enough to hold all of the spectators coming to see Kevin "Mr. Clutch" Kolb. The kids will definitely get a firsthand lesson on true leadership and what's it's like to be a real All-American. As for the postseason it's a lock as the freight train that will decimate the league takes position under center. Kevin Kolb will take this team to the promised land and bring 12-20 Eagles to the Pro Bowl along with himself. McNabb was so erratic that we never knew if we would make the playoffs or not. Thank you Andy Reid for delivering the BEST EASTER EVER by trading McNabb! Now this franchise has a chance to finally take off. Wolf out!- In 2005 their QB had a hernia. In 2007 the QB had not fully recovered from his knee injury. If the starting QB had been healthy the Eagles would have made the playoffs those years. Why start at 2004? Why not look back over the last ten years? It's amazing how consistently good the Eagles have been. The Eagles are one of the most respected franchises in pro sports. Sure, they have flaws but Reid, Banner, and Lurie know what they're doing.— soulman386
- Yes, if their starting QB remains healthy they will be in the playoffs again.— soulman386
- It's June-- who knows? This writer could have easily stated that the Eagles were going to win the Super Bowl this year. The point is NOBODY'S SEEN THEM PLAY YET SO WHO KNOWS!— Corey301
- I HOPE.............— Brohn
If the Eagles go 0-16, I will still think they did the right thing to end the McNabb era. Nothing is more plain than something whose time had come. Sorry national media.— road515- Corey got it right. Who knows? So many questions needing answers. "IF" the O-Line plays well this offense will be very good. "IF" the defense can rebound from the lost season to injuries they can be respectable. "IF" the offense can hold onto the ball for longer than 5 minutes at a time this will help the defense as well. Again Corey is right :"NOBODY'S SEEN THEM PLAY YET, SO WHO KNOWS" Hell, we played last season with only half of the starters and made the playoffs. If healthy, this team could be great.— craig123
- It will be a challenge. At the beginning of the decade, the team had many good players that were left from the Ray Rhodes era to build on, especially on defense. There was also a great coach coaching that defense. Now he's gone, and the talent looks too thin in that area. I believe their level of performance will not be good enough, and the team will fall just short of making the playoffs. But it will be good experience for the years to come,and if they can add a few more quality players, it sets them up for this decade.— watsonmr
- doodoofresh....you are so positive that campbell will have better stats than future hof mcnabb? ok, i've got a bet for you. don't what you do for a living so i'm going into this blind. i have some extra cash lying around so i'm offering you a bet. if campbell has better overall stats and the raiders win more games than the redskins you win. if the redskins and mcnabb do better i win. one tear salary. what do you say? Wolfie...same bet...for 12 eagles going to the probowl. any guts? and what is a superbowl contender?— Eilex826
- There are too many questions. First, the secondary could get completely picked apart. Secondly, the offense will score points, but they need to limit turnovers (I think Kolb will move the ball, but he may also throw a lot of picks). If they can piece together a secondary and hold on to the ball - then I think they can beat out the Giants and Falcons for a wild card spot.— cea
- not with this defense. Sorry - it will be great to watch Kolb and this offense jell together but he is going to need to put up 35 points to win games. This defense is undersized, and don't tell me Stewart Bradely changes everything. It will be fun though to watch the young guys on offense. But the team as a whole needs a few more years.— gob1234
- Eilex....I don't want to wager anything, but I do have a few investments I would like to talk to you about!— tjpup
The Eagles will make the playoffs. The Defense and Offense will be in the top 5 in the nfl and they will win 12 or more games this year. Mark my word.— briandawkins20- Good Sunday morning read. @DooDoo; what, no air guitar post? Must be an imposter. @Lonewolf 10; what, no "Kevin would be leading the Special Arms Elite Ranger Jewish Summer Camp Brigade if he wasn't under center" post? Must be tired of your own same old shtick, just like the rest of us. As for the team, because it is JUNE AND THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF VARIABLES that have yet to play out, you could make an intelligent argument for them going 4-12 just as easily as making an intelligent argument for them going 12-4. I think they are closer to 12-4 myself (they'll make the playoffs the last week of the season but lose the next week to the 3 seed on the road), however the defense and it's litany of question marks have me extremley concerned and would lead me to believe that 4-12 is probably the smarter bet. Tommy Lawlow did a great piece on our backup LBs and how if the starters aren't productive and healthy all year long, we could be right back to where we were last year with the ineffective LB corps that cripples the rest of the defense. You could say that about just about all of our backups, which is scary because no team goes the whole year without at least 1 significant injury. Super Bowl? No, not this year, but ish does happen.— The Reddgie
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