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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doodoo bird's an idiot---he's lonewolf's lackey. It's boring reading all their certainties when no one knows what will happen. No one here knows whether Kolb can be an NFL QB, not even Kolb himself. "He's a natural born leader"---oh yeah? We know this how? I didn't expect him to take my offer seriously...in fact I knew it would play out exactly as it did...he'd suggest that I was full of BS and couldn't be trusted (who knows, maybe I can't) and then he'd SHUT UP!! Just like Lonewolf does when I try finding out what a SB contender is...he just doesn't know.— Eilex826- Birds 7-9. NFC East WAY overrated.— Bake McBride
Eagles: 12-4 or 13-3 Cowboys:9-7 Giants:7-9 Redskins:6-10— briandawkins20- Ummm...yeah. Stringing together as many playoff appearances as we've had is rare. That's exactly why Donovan deserved more credit than he got here in Philly.— kks
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
Eagles will start poorly and miss out on the playoffs. They'll be good for the following season barring any lockout.- Comment removed.
- Mike Florio? why is his prediction relevant? All he knows is rumors that his agent contacts feed him. Since when is he qualified to predict football teams success?— swinger18
- Andy Reid's flawed offensive philosophies will be exposed. McNabb and Westbrook helped to overcome Reid. I think Kolb is talented, but I don't think that he has that same intangibles McNabb had to make something out of nothing. Hopefully, Reid will be gone soon.— JayDuce
My guess, and it is only a guess, would be no. Too many question marks at this point. Lets see who gets injured first, shall we? Odd that after getting the change at QB half the town demanded all of a sudden the team is questionable for the playoffs. I guess the savior can't do it all by himself after all. Just sayin'. Reddgie, LBs are another one of those areas I was talking about where AR has drafted inadequately or just plain ignored altogether. McNabbgags, the Fog Bowl should have been called. It was ridiculous to play that game in those conditions. The Bears were also favored as I recall so no real disgrace. The other Ryan playoff losses? Yeah, not memorable to say the least. That team should have won a SB.— tpizza- i cant understand how people think kolb is better than mcnabb...he played three games and failed miserbly in two of them...and two of them he threw the game away literally (2 pick six raven and saints). With the scehdule they have this year and u wanna talk playoffs..with a soft defense and a qb who folds in big games against good teams. I rather see donovan throw ground balls then see the opposing defense running back an interception or fumble from kolb. I see some say even if we go 0-16 getting rid of mcnabb was a good move..cdfu..just wow...from going to the playoffs almost every year too not winning games at all...yeah what an improvement. I am beginning too think fans dont like him cause he is a black qb..won more playoff games than any eagles qb..the lowest int ratio in the nfl...3 time pro bowler..and a super bowl appearnace and five nfc championship games...and kolb is better than mcnabb how? Just say u all r racist for gods sake and stop nitpicking.— bigjay215
- The offense under Kolb will be a question mark until he shows he can respond well to adversity,but the defense is not playoff worthy.It's scary to think that the linebackers may prove to be the Eagles strength in spite of the neglect of the coach.— homer2811
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- Every year I go into the season with some very real and true optomism, this year I have non of it. This defense is horrible (Stu is good against the run but gets smoked in coverage) our secondary is suspect and our DLine gets pushed around by other teams. On the other side our O.L. is in shambles and we have no real threat in the backfield. 6-10
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