The 2011 season is finally upon us, and the Dream Te ... never mind. Andy Reid, Joe Banner and Howie Roseman have put together a club that is about to embark on what might be the most anticipated season in Reids 13 year tenure as head coach.
The Eagles did their best to steal the spotlight from their successful brethren from across the parking lot by signing every top free agent they laid their eyes on. Roseman did his best Ruben Amaro, Jr. impression by signing Nnamdi Asomugha, seemingly out of thin air, and sticking it to Philly rivals Dallas and New York (the Jets still count). Add Cullen Jenkins, Jason Babin, Ronnie Brown, Vince Young and Steve Smith to the mix and youve got one heck of an abbreviated off-season.
So, is this the year Philadelphia can finally shut the mouths of every Redskins, Giants and Cowboys fan? Will they no longer be able to say, regardless of whether the score is 59-28 in our favor, At least we have a Super Bowl? Michael Vick is coming off an amazing year, the Eagles have perhaps the best group of cornerbacks in the entire NFL, LeSean McCoy is ready to become a huge star and Howard Mudd and Jim Washburn are supposedly the best line coaches money can buy.
Or is this the year fans will remember as the most disappointingwith all the preseason hype and national attentionin a long line of disappointing seasons? Its a possibility with the O-line shuffle going on, a neophyte defensive coordinator taking over, the annual linebacker hand-wringing and a star receiver who still doesnt have the contract he wants.
Heres my take on it:
What will go right
The number of touchdown passes allowed will be reduced by 10 (it was 31 in 2010).
Trent Cole will record at least 12 sacks.
Brent Celek will catch at least eight TDs.
Jason Peters will have his best season as an Eagle.
McCoy will prove that selecting him third overall in my fantasy draft was a wise decision.
Juan Castillo wont reinvent how defenses play, but hes been given the tools and support to have a better first season than Sean McDermott did.
NFL
What will go wrong
Casey Matthews shows why he lasted into the fourth round.
Jason Kelce continues to get man-handled by the Phil Taylors of the world.
The Birds will still get abused against the run. Those wide gaps arent going to help.
There will be more than one occasion where we really appreciate what David Akers did for all those years.
What might go right
Kyle DeVans knowledge of Mudds scheme is a calming influence on the O-line.
Jenkins is that pocket-collapser we havent had since Corey Simons heyday.
Smith returns to make the Birds unstoppable on 3rd-and-5.
DeSean Jackson gets his new contract.
What might go wrong
Nate Allen never gets his legs underneath him.
Jackson and Asante Samuel mope.
Vince Young is seen on the field before Week 17.
The Birds get no contribution from their first three 2011 draft picks.
The schedule
The NFC East is a bit of a mess this season. The Giants are a physical disaster, losing players to injury faster than Eli Manning can make a pouty face. The Cowboys terrible secondary is the same as last year, just older. And 'Skins fans are actually debating whether Rex Grossman or John Beck should be the starter. Enough said.
Last year, the Birds went 4-2 in the division, losing a clunker to the 'Skins and a meaningless Week 17 game to the Cowboys. I see them duplicating that record in 2011losing to Dallas in Big D on Christmas Eve and to Washington in what should be another Week 17 that sees the Eagles third stringers taking center stage.
The non-division games
Week 1: @St. Louis Rams
While the Rams are a chic pick to win the NFC West, theyre still undermanned against the Eagles. Win
Week 2: @Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons offense is well balanced and the defense much improved. Too much on the road. Loss
Week 4: San Francisco 49ers
Alex Smith is still the QB. Win
Week 5: @Buffalo Bills
Last time I checked, they were still the Buffalo Bills. Win
Week 9: Chicago Bears
Eagles nemesis Greg Olsen is gone and the Bears D isnt what it once was. Win
Week 10: Arizona Cardinals
Kevin Kolbs return to Philly will make for great radio, but ultimately well see Reid made the right choice. Win
Week 12: New England Patriots
The Pats are just a better coached team and Tom Brady will exploit every single weakness. Loss
Week 13: @Seattle Seahawks
Does Tarvaris Jackson or Charlie Whitehurst scare you? Me neither. Win
Week 14: @Miami Dolphins
Miami isnt going to be as bad as people think, but still bad enough for Philly to beat them handily. Win
Week 15: New York Jets
I just dont buy the hype. Mark Sanchez is a caretaker QB and the Jets defense is hardly the 85 Bears. Win
That puts the Eagles at 12-4 for the season and what is an easy march to the NFC East title. Unfortunately, I still dont feel the Eagles are going to be able to overtake the Green Bay Packers. While the Birds' talent level has increased, the game-day adjustments Super Bowl winning teams make will elude the Eagles once again. Until Reid proves he can adjust his strategy after taking the initial punch, a team like the Packers is going to keep Philadelphia at arms length from the Lombardi Trophy.
So is a 12-4 season with a loss in the NFC Championship Game a disappointment? Im going to go out on a limb and say yes.
Jared Sherman has been a contributor to CSNPhilly.com since 2000.