After a handful of personnel changes that included trading away former All-Pro RB LeSean McCoy, the Philadelphia Eagles headed into the 2015 season with a new QB (Sam Bradford), a new RB (DeMarco Murray) and renewed hope of getting back to the playoffs after missing out with a late tank job in 2014.
By the end of the 2015 season, the Eagles had become a team in turmoil due in large part to issues related to team chemistry between key players and Head Coach Chip Kelly. With a record of 7-9, the team missed the playoffs for the second season in a row. As a result of the team’s poor overall performance, team owner Jeff Lurie addressed the chemistry issue by firing Coach Kelly with one game remaining in the season.
After hiring the Kansas City Chief’s offensive coordinator Doug Pederson as the new Head Coach, it’s time for team officials to sit down and figure out how to repair the rest of the damage done to this organization over the past two seasons. If Kelly was in fact a big part of the problem, a few minor adjustments might be all that’s necessary for the Eagles to again be a team the city can be proud of and fully support.
Offense
For the first time in three seasons, QB Bradford was able to avoid a major injury, though his still missed two games. As a result, he put up respectable numbers. With 3,725 yards passing and 19 TDs, he ranked in the middle of the pack among NFL QBs. However, he was also guilty of 17 turnovers (14 interceptions and 3 fumbles). Some of the blame can be place on an offensive line that gave up 37 sacks and failed to open holes for the running game, allowing defenses to keep him under pressure.
At running back, Murray experienced a huge drop from his production over his prior two seasons with Dallas. With only 702 yards rushing and 6 touchdowns, he only surpassed the 100-yard mark once during the entire season. By the midway point, he was sharing time with backup RB Ryan Matthews who actually did a nice job, scoring 6 touchdowns and averaging 5.1 YPC. While nagging injuries could be to blame for Murray’s poor performance, there was this underlying feeling that he was ill-matched for Kelly’s offensive scheme.
In the passing game, Bradford had to rely on a couple of young receivers that included 3rd-year TE Zach Ertz (75 receptions, 853 yards, 2 touchdowns) and 2nd-year wide out Jordan Matthews who really stepped up with 85 receptions, 997 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Assuming Bradford is the right man for the quarterback job, the Eagles desperately need to upgrade the offensive line. If Coach Peterson and Offensive Coordinator Frank Reich can get better performances out of the offensive line and employ a running scheme that plays to Murray’s power style of running, Bradford might have more time to pick out receivers and stay healthy for an entire season.
Defense
On defense, the issues run deeper. The Eagles had the third-worse defense, giving up just over 401 YPG. The rushing defense was in fact the worst in the league, allowing 134.6 YPG. That isn’t going to cut it in the NFL. With only 85 solo tackles and 10.5 sacks, much of the blame can be placed on a defensive line that kept getting taken out on running plays while failing to put much pressure on opposing quarterbacks. It resulted in the defense having to sacrifice linebackers from pass defense, which allowed QBs to pick the secondary apart. To fix this problem, the Eagles have two options to consider under new Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz. They can attempt to draft or sign a talented lineman who is equally effective against the run and pass, or they can convert the defense to a 4-3 scheme and lend more support upfront. Either way, the rushing defense has to be fixed.
At this point, it’s reasonable to assume the Eagles won’t be one of the NFL consensus picks going into next season. The best betting strategy for gamblers would be to avoid betting on teams that are making major changes, especially early in the season. By sticking to the top NFL consensus picks and employing the best betting strategy, you can make next season one of the best in your gambling career.
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