Since they captured their first Super Bowl trophy at the end of the 2017, the Eagles have mostly been a team that takes one step forward, then two steps back.
They win a game, then follow it up with a loss. They follow up a great win with an ugly one, then complete the fall by losing the game after that.
In fact, since the start of 2018, the Eagles have played 22 games with Carson Wentz at quarterback and Doug Pederson as head coach. They have won consecutive games just three times in those 22 games. Five times they have followed up a win with a loss. They haven't won three games in a row a single time.
The result has been a time that has never really been able to build some actual momentum and confidence, and that is the biggest difference between this current group and the one that earned a parade down Broad Street.
The 2017 Eagles were certainly a talented team, but one of the main reasons they won that Super Bowl was the confidence they had. They knew they were going to win each time they took the field. It was easy to see why, as they won nine-games in a row at one point that season, lost only two meaningful games all year and never lost back-to-back games. Yes, saying they won because of confidence sounds cliche, but it is true — the confidence that team had made them a better team than they would have been based simply on their talent. The further away we all get from that team, that clearer that becomes.
That confidence and momentum is something this current team has been desperately lacking. Even earlier this year, when they got a huge win over the Green Bay Packers, they followed it up with a very uninspiring win over the Jets before getting smacked around two weeks in a row by the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys. One step forward, two steps back.
Over the next three weeks, however, the Eagles have a chance to actually get some confidence and gain some momentum.
The Eagles' next three opponents are the Miami Dolphins, New York Giants and Washington Redskins. Those teams are all 2-9 and are all among the worst in the league. They are all games the Eagles should not only win, but win big and convincingly.
To accomplish that the Eagles will need to play better than they are right now, especially on offense. There is no denying that.
If they can, however, the recipe is there.
The defense is playing at a high level. The offense is getting ready to face three of the worst defenses in the NFL. String together some wins, get rolling on offense, take care of business against bad teams and get some confidence. The season won't be decided against Dallas -- it will be decided over the next three weeks by whether this team can win all the games they are supposed to.
If they do, things will look a lot different heading into what could be a season-deciding win against Dallas in Week 16 — and maybe even heading into the playoffs.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
