WHO HAS IT BETTER THAN US?!?!?

Let's hit the obvious first: this season so far has given us all flashbacks to 2023 (in that season, inordinate number of close victories eventually exposed the team as a fraud). Philly has been outgained by 81.75 yards per game, the 5th worst mark in the league. Even removing kneeldowns and Braden Mann's "scramble" (fun fact: Mann's career tally of -30 rushing yards is the fewest in the NFL since the merger) only improves the Birds to 6th worst. Philly has been outgained and outfirstdowned in all four games so far, a dubious distinction. The Eagles somehow gained no yards in the second half of the Tampa game, or the second quarter of the Rams game. These sorts of negative anecdotes go on and on but that'll do for now. The team is sort of the Bizarro Dream Team; the 2011 Eagles outgained and outfirstdowned their first seven opponents but somehow lost four of those games, a stretch of bad luck from which they never recovered.

What does all of this mean? Are the Birds doomed to another embarrassing finish? Of course not! Two main reasons exist: first, as I've pointed out a lot there is no reason to get too bent over the first few weeks of the season. In the Eagles' two recent championship seasons, they were effectively an average team over the first month of the season. Second, who has had a better opening month of the season than Philly? Check it out:

The Ravens (1-3) have looked lost with fans calling for the longtime coach's job. Significant injuries are piling up. Getting to ten wins may look like an achievement.

The Bengals (2-2) have lost Joe Burrow for three months. They will miss the playoffs.

The Chiefs (2-2) have had a tough opening schedule but haven't looked particularly good yet.

The Cowboys (1-2-1) have an explosive offense when playing at home, but their defense is terrible.

The Rams (3-1) have one win by more than a score; a 33-19 decision against the awful Titans. They beat the Colts because the Colts' players don't know that you need to cross the goal line with possession for a touchdown to count, and their other win (Houston) looks less and less impressive with each week. Speaking of Houston...

The Texans (1-3) are perhaps the biggest disappointment of the season so far. They completely reset their OL and are perhaps worse there.

The Commanders (2-2) look exactly how the oldest and most overrated team in the league should look; they are probably going nowhere.

The Packers (2-1-1), in back to back weeks, have lost to Cleveland and gave up 40 points to a Dallas team missing its best offensive player and two OL starters.

The 49ers (3-1) give off major fraud vibes. This is not the SF team of two or three years ago.

The Steelers (3-1) look exactly like they've always looked; good defense, plodding offense, destined for a winning record and no playoff victories. They haven't looked bad but they haven't made believers out of anyone.

The Buccaneers (3-1) have a winning record but have somehow have a perfect scoring split on the season (97-97). They only have that because of the Birds' intentional safety on Sunday.

The Seahawks (3-1) are in the same boat as Pittsburgh in that they haven't sold anyone yet. They struggled in a home loss to a mediocre 49ers team.

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T-he Chargers (3-1) just lost to a Giants team who lost their best offensive player and who started a rookie QB.

The Lions (3-1) are getting it together but still have that Packers loss (looking more inexplicable each week). Injuries are piling up once again.

The Bills (4-0) are undefeated but their flaws are being papered over by the heroics of Josh Allen. They required a miracle comeback of their own to beat the Ravens at home (gave up 40 points!), and have proceeded to beat three straight awful teams (Jets, Dolphins, Saints), who are a combined 1-11. If you're keeping track, the Bills four opponents are 2-10 in games not against Buffalo. It has been by any measure the easiest schedule in the league so far.

Bottom line: what team deserves to feel better about their Super Bowl chances than the Birds do? The Eagles have looked rough at times and maybe aren't looking like a four win team, but who cares? If they're a two or three win team, is that the end of the world? They were a two win team twelve months ago. They have yet to play a bad team; the worst team they've played is Dallas and the Cowboys still should hang around the Wild Card discussion for much of the season. The Chiefs, Rams and Bucs will probably all be playoff teams. Philly's four opponents have combined for a ridiculous 9-2-1 record in their non-Eagles games so far. Does anyone think the offense won't get it together eventually (assuming they can get healthy)? Jalen Hurts has taken a lot of hits for his passing (or lack thereof) but is 5th leaguewide in passer rating since the start of last year. This defense is remarkably young and can't help but improve (a big statement considering that they're already 4th in DSRS). The schedule gets easier from here and the Birds are set for 11 wins this year at bare minimum. Short of some crushing injury news, the curse of the NFC East champion may finally come to an end.

GO BIRDS!