Philadelphia well placed to go back to back in Super Bowl LIII

The Eagles are coming off a thrilling upset win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII, but that game is done and it is never too early to predict the next season. Philadelphia had a great run to the Super Bowl led by backup QB Nick Foles, the Super Bowl MVP no less, but can the Eagles get back to the big game? Here are five reasons the Eagles can go back to back in Super Bowl LIII.

1) QB is key and Eagles are rock solid

QB position is set, for the most part. The QB is a pretty important position on the field, obviously, and the situation under center is pretty solid for the Eagles. For the most part. Many thought the Eagles were toast after Carson Wentz went down with a season-ending knee injury late in the season. However, Nick Foles took over and guided the team on their magical journey to their first Super Bowl title. Wentz was one of the front runners for the MVP before his knee injury and his target return date is Week 1 of next season.

It was a pretty good move by the Eagles to sign Foles before last season even though his $7 million salary was pretty steep for a backup and they still had to pay Chase Daniel some loot after letting that QB go. Foles has one more year on his contract for $8 million next season, but I stated the QB position is set for the most part, as his value has never been higher and trading him now when he is hot can maximize what the Eagles get in return.

In the NFC title game and the Super Bowl Foles passed for a total of 725 yards with six TD and one INT and in the two games he completed 65.1% and 78.8% of his passes respectively. The Eagles can get a lot for him before next season, but they may not do that since Wentz may not be ready to go in Week 1. Still, the Eagles have an up-and-coming star in Wentz returning and maybe the Super Bowl winning MVP as well.

2) Stability is key and core will return

The core of the team will be back. The core of the Eagles on both sides of the ball will be back next season and the free agents of note are LB Nigel Bradham, CB Patrick Robinson and RB’s LeGarrette Blount and Darren Sproles. Blount may be the biggest loss and while he had some good runs in the Super Bowl and led the Eagles in rushing this season he still only rushed for 766 yards. Bradham led the team in tackles, but the Philly D is a team defense, so his loss would not be that big assuming he does walk. Also, would Blount and Bradham bail when the City of Brotherly Love is the best place for them?

3) The Eagles can be even better

Can the Eagles be better next season? Carson Wentz was not the only player to go down with an injury and miss the big game, as LT Jason Peters and LB Jordan Hicks were out for the title run. All of them will be back next season and all are at or near the top of their respective positions.

4) Defense rules in NFL battles

Defense wins, well in the regular season. The Eagles won the Super Bowl because of Nick Foles and the offense and the big sack and fumble of Tom Brady late in the game. The defense did allow Brady to pass for over 500 yards, but overall on the season the Eagles had a good defense.

They ranked 4th in the league in points against giving up an average of 18.4 ppg and they only gave up a total of 17 points in their first two playoff games before giving up 33 points to the Pats in the Super Bowl. The big guns on D will be back for Philly and that will be key, especially playing in the NFC East.

5) Eagles running power

The “strength” will be strong again. While Wentz and the Philly defense took a lot of credit on the season, deservedly, the run game was actually the strength of the team ranking third in the league in rushing yards per game and that unit should be legit again. Blount may leave, but Jay Ajayi may be the #1 RB and the team is high on Corey Clement, who was a rookie last season and did not do much in the playoffs, but rushed for 321 yards averaging 4.3 yards per carry in the regular season. Ajayi played well in the playoff run and on the season averaged a more than legit 5.8 yards per carry splitting time with the Dolphins then Eagles.

It is hard to repeat and no team has won back-to-back Super Bowls since the Patriots did it in 2004-2005. Still, the Eagles have the talent back to fly high, which is why they are genuinely a chance of reaching LIII.

Odds to Win Super Bowl LIII

Arizona Cardinals +6600
Atlanta Falcons +2000
Baltimore Ravens +3300
Buffalo Bills +6600
Carolina Panthers +3300
Chicago Bears +8000
Cincinnati Bengals +8000
Cleveland Browns +12500
Dallas Cowboys +2000
Denver Broncos +3300
Detroit Lions +4000
Green Bay Packers +1200
Houston Texans +1600
Indianapolis Colts +5000
Jacksonville Jaguars +2000
Kansas City Chiefs +2800
Los Angeles Chargers +2500
Los Angeles Rams +2000
Miami Dolphins +8000
Minnesota Vikings +1600
New England Patriots +600
New Orleans Saints +1600
New York Giants +5000
New York Jets +8000
Oakland Raiders +2000
Philadelphia Eagles +800
Pittsburgh Steelers +1200
San Francisco 49ers +2000
Seattle Seahawks +2000
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +5000
Tennessee Titans +5000
Washington Redskins +5000