Citing Previous Season Downfall, Eagles Receive Stern Warning Ahead of Steelers Clash as NFL Analyst Gives Verdict on Super Bowl Hopes

The Philadelphia Eagles are storming through the 2024 season with an 11-2 record. They have clinched a playoff spot while riding on an impressive winning streak. With an electrifying roster and a determined HC Nick Sirianni, the team seems confident to make a deep postseason run. But as we highlight the victories of their season so far, a ghost from the past keeps haunting. Can the team avoid a repeat of their 2023 collapse? Ahead of their upcoming game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, an NFL analyst is knocking at their door with a stern warning that casts doubt over the Eagles’ Super Bowl hopes.

During his discussion on Breakfast Ball with co-host Craig Carton, NFL analyst Danny Parkins remarked, “They are pacing like the 2022 team that went to the Super Bowl.” He basically reminded the team of their last two seasons, where season end performances were a huge blow to their playoff journey. Reflecting on the same, the Eagles’ collapse in 2022 was nothing short of a heartbreak. They started on a winning streak with an 8-0 record (first time in the franchise’s history). Although, the streak was then broken by a devastating 32-31 loss to the Commanders in week 10. While the Eagles did make some new records like winning the NFC East title for the first time since 2019 and reaching 14 regular season wins, none of it mattered when the Super Bowl LVII hopes came crashing.

The team had a similar fate in the 2023 season as well, where they started strong with a 10-1 record and ended the season with a disappointing six-game loss. And to cope with the loss, the team fired coordinators Brian Johnson and Sean Desai. But was it the right decision or are there some deep-seated internal issues within the team responsible for their back-to-back losses?

Back in May 2024, during his appearance on the Javien University Podcast, RB Kenneth Gainwell didn’t hold back while discussing why the Eagles lost. He said, “I think it was a connection piece. Teams like [the Kansas City Chiefs] are well-connected, upstairs and downstairs. Front office and locker room. When you have a connection, everything just clicks. But when you’ve got guys that aren’t talking to each other, you never know what’s going on.” Emphasizing the importance of team connection and internal understanding, Gainwell highlighted how team cohesion crushed their Super Bowl aspirations.

And now, his comments seem to have found new meaning as rumors of a rift between A.J. Brown and Jalen Hurts brew in the NFL air. Following their narrow win over the Panthers, Brown cited ‘passing‘ as the reason behind their struggling offense. The WR further continued, “What we did today is not [good enough]. It won’t help us.” Naturally, everyone started speculating about the real meaning behind his words. But the situation became worse when Brandon Graham added more fuel to the fire during his ‘Brandom Graham Show‘ via Sports WIP.

“I know 1 [Hurts] is trying and 11 [Brown] could be better with how he responds to things. They were friends, but things have changed.” While the Eagles’ veteran later dismissed any rift between the players, fans don’t believe it to be true. Now, the WR insists everything is good between him and Hurts, the drama will become crystal clear after their upcoming matchup against the Steelers.

Eagles vs. Steelers Week 15 Clash

Now, the team will face the Steelers in a high-stakes matchup that could either solidify their dominance or form cracks within the team. The Pittsburgh Steelers are no pushovers, sitting in the AFC North with a 10-3 record. The team boasts a resilient defense led by T.J. Watt and an offense that’s currently improving under Russell Wilson‘s wing. Both teams are eyeing the victory, with the game promising to be a defining moment for them.

However, their offense will face a tough test against the Steelers, currently ranking amongst the best with T.J. Watt leading the charge, while Najee Harris provides some balance on the ground and George Pickens heads the receiving corps with 850 yards this season. However, Pickens’ playing status remains questionable due to the hamstring injury he sustained during practice last Thursday. Following the injury, he was also ruled out of the game against the Cleveland Browns.

But if we go back to Parkins’ comments, he also mentioned, “This team is very similar in terms of the yards per play they allow. They are better on the ground obviously with Saquon Barkley. They’re right there with points allowed touchdowns everything.” The NFL Analyst drew parallels between the 2022 team and the 2024 team, highlighting how they reached the Super Bowls only to lose to Patrick Mahomes‘ Chiefs in the final matchup.

In 2023, the biggest damage to the team came from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the wild card round when they lost all hopes for a playoff spot. In the last season, the team couldn’t enter playoffs because of their disappointing losses in 6 out of the 7 games they played after scoring a record-making winning streak.

The Philadelphia Eagles may be averaging 25 points per game, all thanks to their consistent performers like DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown. But that’s not enough. At least not according to Danny Parkins. This time around, the team’s focus shouldn’t just be winning and maintaining their streak. They should also have a strategy to help prevent any season-end losses, as the Eagles seem to be experiencing that a lot.

With playoff hopes on the lines, there will be some high-voltage drama and an intense battle between the #1 teams in NFC East and AFC North. We only hope the game doesn’t end with the Eagles’ racking up a losing streak all over again.