Philadelphia Eagles' 'Rock Bottoms': What Happened and Did They Recover?
The Philadelphia Eagles, like any sports team, experience their fair share of highs and lows throughout the seasons. In each of their last 10 seasons, they have hit rock bottom at some point, but can we say that they recovered? Let's take a look.
2015: A Thanksgiving Disaster
In Week 12 of the 2015 season, the Eagles faced off against the Lions in Detroit. What was supposed to be an exciting game on Thanksgiving turned into a 45-14 thrashing for the Eagles. The team was already struggling, having lost their previous week to the Buccaneers 45-17. Chip Kelly's offense had been figured out, and his extreme tempo left the defense overworked. The loss sealed Kelly's fate as he would be fired mid-season.
2016: A Lethargic Effort
In Week 13 of the 2016 season, the Eagles faced off against the Bengals in Cincinnati. What started as a promising season for Doug Pederson began to unravel when his team trailed 29-0 at halftime. The effort on display from the players was lackluster, with Zach Ertz's infamous fumble being a prime example of this. Although the Eagles would finish the season 7-9, their early-season struggles were a harbinger of things to come.
2017: Foles' Redemption
The Eagles hit rock bottom in Week 17 when Nick Foles took over as starter after Carson Wentz's injury. Foles' performance was abysmal, and it raised questions about his ability to lead the team. However, Pederson's decision to keep Foles on the field for a few plays seemed to spark something within him. After losing the first game with Foles at quarterback, he found his groove in the NFC Championship Game against the Vikings, leading the Eagles to their first Super Bowl title.
2018: The Low Point
In Week 11 of the 2018 season, the Eagles suffered a dismal 48-7 loss at home to Drew Brees and the Saints. This brought the team's record to 4-6, effectively ending any hopes of making the playoffs. However, Pederson led his team on a late-season surge, winning five of their last six games before falling short in the Divisional Round.
2019: A Late Season Rescue
After consecutive home losses to the Patriots and Seahawks, the Eagles traveled to Miami for a "get-right" game against the 2-9 Dolphins. The corners' lackluster performance allowed DeVante Parker to dominate the field, but the team managed to run the table in their final four games, winning the NFC East division with a 9-7 record.
2020: A Lost Season
The Eagles struggled with Carson Wentz's continued decline, leading to his benching in favor of Jalen Hurts. The loss was devastating, and it marked the end of the Wentz era in Philly.
2021: A Seasonal Rebirth
In Week 7, the Eagles' defense hit rock bottom as Derek Carr became the fourth opposing quarterback to complete 80% or better of his passes against them. However, with new play-caller Shane Steichen at the helm, the team found a run-heavy identity and rallied behind Hurts. The Eagles finished the season strong, losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Buccaneers.
2022: A Dominant Season
The 2022 season was an impressive one for the Eagles, with the team facing little adversity throughout. Despite two straight losses when Gardner Minshew replaced Hurts, the Eagles wrapped up the 1 seed and dominated their way through the playoffs before falling short in the Super Bowl.
2023: Rock Bottom Revisited
In Week 18 of the 2023 season, the Eagles suffered a humiliating loss to a 3-12 Cardinals team. What seemed like rock bottom was actually worse as they faced off against the Giants in Week 19 and were thoroughly outplayed before being replaced by backups.
Did They Recover?
After hitting rock bottom in each of these seasons, can we say that the Eagles recovered? Here's the tale of the tape:
- Never recovered: 2015, 2020, 2023
- Recovered and made a little noise, probably to the detriment of the next offseason plan: 2018, 2019
- No real adversity: 2022
- Looked better, set foundation for following season: 2016, 2021
- Recovered and did great things: 2017, 2024
The Eagles' ability to recover from their rock bottom moments depends on how one defines "recovery." They have shown flashes of brilliance throughout the years, but their consistent success is often overshadowed by periods of poor performance. Despite this, they remain a formidable force in the NFL, and fans continue to hold out hope that they will return to dominance in the future.
The Philadelphia Eagles, like any sports team, experience their fair share of highs and lows throughout the seasons. In each of their last 10 seasons, they have hit rock bottom at some point, but can we say that they recovered? Let's take a look.
2015: A Thanksgiving Disaster
In Week 12 of the 2015 season, the Eagles faced off against the Lions in Detroit. What was supposed to be an exciting game on Thanksgiving turned into a 45-14 thrashing for the Eagles. The team was already struggling, having lost their previous week to the Buccaneers 45-17. Chip Kelly's offense had been figured out, and his extreme tempo left the defense overworked. The loss sealed Kelly's fate as he would be fired mid-season.
2016: A Lethargic Effort
In Week 13 of the 2016 season, the Eagles faced off against the Bengals in Cincinnati. What started as a promising season for Doug Pederson began to unravel when his team trailed 29-0 at halftime. The effort on display from the players was lackluster, with Zach Ertz's infamous fumble being a prime example of this. Although the Eagles would finish the season 7-9, their early-season struggles were a harbinger of things to come.
2017: Foles' Redemption
The Eagles hit rock bottom in Week 17 when Nick Foles took over as starter after Carson Wentz's injury. Foles' performance was abysmal, and it raised questions about his ability to lead the team. However, Pederson's decision to keep Foles on the field for a few plays seemed to spark something within him. After losing the first game with Foles at quarterback, he found his groove in the NFC Championship Game against the Vikings, leading the Eagles to their first Super Bowl title.
2018: The Low Point
In Week 11 of the 2018 season, the Eagles suffered a dismal 48-7 loss at home to Drew Brees and the Saints. This brought the team's record to 4-6, effectively ending any hopes of making the playoffs. However, Pederson led his team on a late-season surge, winning five of their last six games before falling short in the Divisional Round.
2019: A Late Season Rescue
After consecutive home losses to the Patriots and Seahawks, the Eagles traveled to Miami for a "get-right" game against the 2-9 Dolphins. The corners' lackluster performance allowed DeVante Parker to dominate the field, but the team managed to run the table in their final four games, winning the NFC East division with a 9-7 record.
2020: A Lost Season
The Eagles struggled with Carson Wentz's continued decline, leading to his benching in favor of Jalen Hurts. The loss was devastating, and it marked the end of the Wentz era in Philly.
2021: A Seasonal Rebirth
In Week 7, the Eagles' defense hit rock bottom as Derek Carr became the fourth opposing quarterback to complete 80% or better of his passes against them. However, with new play-caller Shane Steichen at the helm, the team found a run-heavy identity and rallied behind Hurts. The Eagles finished the season strong, losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Buccaneers.
2022: A Dominant Season
The 2022 season was an impressive one for the Eagles, with the team facing little adversity throughout. Despite two straight losses when Gardner Minshew replaced Hurts, the Eagles wrapped up the 1 seed and dominated their way through the playoffs before falling short in the Super Bowl.
2023: Rock Bottom Revisited
In Week 18 of the 2023 season, the Eagles suffered a humiliating loss to a 3-12 Cardinals team. What seemed like rock bottom was actually worse as they faced off against the Giants in Week 19 and were thoroughly outplayed before being replaced by backups.
Did They Recover?
After hitting rock bottom in each of these seasons, can we say that the Eagles recovered? Here's the tale of the tape:
- Never recovered: 2015, 2020, 2023
- Recovered and made a little noise, probably to the detriment of the next offseason plan: 2018, 2019
- No real adversity: 2022
- Looked better, set foundation for following season: 2016, 2021
- Recovered and did great things: 2017, 2024
The Eagles' ability to recover from their rock bottom moments depends on how one defines "recovery." They have shown flashes of brilliance throughout the years, but their consistent success is often overshadowed by periods of poor performance. Despite this, they remain a formidable force in the NFL, and fans continue to hold out hope that they will return to dominance in the future.
, I'm so sick of these clickbait article titles... "Rock Bottoms"... like who comes up with this stuff? 
And what's with all these vague definitions of "recovery"? It's like they're just trying to drum up views without actually providing any real analysis. 
And don't even get me started on the formatting... it's like they took every highlight reel from the Eagles' seasons and mashed them together into a lazy, unengaging article. 
Can we please just get some decent journalism around here? 
So I'm thinking, what's the real difference between hitting "rock bottom" and just having an off-season? Is it even fair to say that teams like the Eagles can't recover from their darkest moments? It seems like some seasons are just about finding your footing after a tough loss or injury. Like 2017, Nick Foles comes out of nowhere and leads them to a Super Bowl win - is that really "recovering" or was it just one game's chance at redemption? 
But hey, at least they're consistent in being inconsistent?
. Until then, I'll just be over here watching the game and face-palming at their questionable QB decisions 
... I mean, getting crushed by the Cardinals is not exactly what you call "rock bottom", but after beating the Giants, then getting their starters benched, it's like they were all over the place 
. On a more serious note, I do think they've shown some signs of recovery in 2024 
... with Hurts at QB and the new coaching staff, I'm feeling hopeful about this team 
! Who would've thought he'd lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl title after being benched mid-season? It's crazy how one game can turn everything around 
. Like in 2020, Carson Wentz's decline was super demoralizing 
. And 2023? Yeah, that was like hitting rock bottom and then getting back up again... only to take a few more tumbles 
. Still, I gotta love the Eagles' resilience 
! They're always coming back strong, even if it's not always with the same level of success 
They had a bad game against Arizona, but it's not like they got destroyed by everyone afterwards 
Can't they write a straight sentence without throwing some 
in there? And btw, 2024 is mentioned but not 2025... minor error 
But you know what's also kinda cool? Like, Nick Foles coming out of nowhere in 2017 and becoming a superhero for the team 
They were almost untouchable! But yeah, they've definitely had their ups and downs over the years... 
and led them to victory in the Super Bowl. And let's not forget 2022, they were literally unstoppable 
. I'm torn between being frustrated and feeling hopeful for the future 
. And honestly, some of these "rock bottom" moments are pretty brutal 
, like that 45-14 thrashing by the Lions in 2015 or getting dominated by Derek Carr in 2021. But what's cool is how they've always managed to bounce back, even if it's just a little bit 
! Did you see their stats from Week 18? They got absolutely dominated by those Cardinals 
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they hit rock bottom but still manage to make playoffs and do great things