Painful year for Philadelphia Eagles fans

It was an interesting and somewhat painful year for Philadelphia Eagles fans, but given that the city’s been on a bit of a roll with sports and the Eagles are still very well setup for the future, fans’ disappointment shouldn’t last too much longer. Heading into the 2011 season, the Eagles signed a number of noteworthy free agents, and seemed primed for a fantastic season, as well as a potential playoff run. In fact, some even went as far as to call the Eagles a “dream team,” and some predicted outlandish things like undefeated seasons and surefire Super Bowl contention. Everything from jersey sales to Philadelphia direct tv action seemed to spike as an always-faithful fan base grew even more excited than usual. Unfortunately, the season didn’t go as planned, and the Eagles wound up missing the playoffs – however, they were still a dangerous team, and here are a few r easons to expect a very good season next year.

- The first reason is as simple and obvious as any analysis that can be made on the NFL: Michael Vick. Vick didn’t quite have the year some were expecting following his stunningly sharp 2010 campaign, but this was partially due to injury concerns. Michael Vick is a proven winner with as strong a will to compete as just about anyone in the league, and he is perfectly capable of putting Philadelphia on his back. As long as he’s still around – and in 2011, he will be – this team will be a playoff threat.
- LeSean McCoy is another very clear reason to expect the Eagles to stick around as contenders, despite the disappointing 2011 season. McCoy reached a new level this season, rushing for 1309 yards at 4.8 per carry, with 17 touchdowns to show for it (stats according to ESPN.com). It’s common knowledge that Vick will have huge offensive games, and that when it’s on the Philly defense is a force to be reckoned with – but McCoy’s numbers on top of this are essentially an added bonus, and could be the “x-factor” that pushes a healthy Eagles team toward the Super Bowl.
- Finally, Andy Reid’s return may be a sort of blessing in disguise. His was an interesting situation, as Philly fans are both loyal and full of high expectations – some are glad to see him back, but others thought it was time for a change. However, with a team that has gone through a number of roster changes and injuries, tons of public attention, and a disappointing effort, stability is a valuable commodity, and keeping Reid maintained some level of it. He may have his flaws, but Andy Reid is a proven winner, and gives this team every opportunity to win.