We are less than two months away from the return of the NFL season, and in Philadelphia expectations seem to be soaring. The team drastically changed the roster from the one that lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the playoffs last January and many fans were surprised to see how easy (on paper) the 2022 schedule seems to be. That in itself was enough to raise the excitement level for the fanbase, but to exemplify that, there are media sources are picking them to be the “surprise” of the NFL. CBS Sports named the Eagles as the league’s most improved team, and Miles Sanders feels like it’s an All-Star team. But we have seen this story before, and it’s time to take a breath and ground those expectations.

Of course, the big acquisition of wide reciever AJ Brown gives the Eagles a weapon on the outside with the combination of size and playmaking ability that we haven’t seen here since the likes of Terrell Owens. Getting a force on the defensive side of the ball who can play as a hybrid in Haasen Reddick, who has 23.5 sacks in the past two seasons, should be a tremendous boost. Linebacker Kyzir White is a tackling machine, and James Bradberry adds much needed stability to the cornerback room. The draft also brought in a lot of talented players with Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean looking to make an immediate impact in their first seasons with the team.

So with all of that improvement, why should we temper our expectations with this team? Besides that fact that being overconfident can blindside you, there are still plenty of question marks. Nick Sirriani, who is entering his second year as head coach, is exactly that; a second year head coach. He seemed to have learned from some early season mistakes last season and made adjustments, including handing over offensive play calling to OC Steve Steichen. Will Sirianni get too comfortable and rely on the same things that got his team to the playoffs last year, knowing teams now have a book on him, or will he once again adjust? He seems like more than a bright enough guy to realize this, but in this town, we have seen short lived success stories.

Jalen Hurts now has a legit NFL offense to work with as two reliable wideouts, a very good tight end, and excellent offense line, and a tough running back corps are all at his arsenal. Will he continue to improve over last year, his first full season as a starter? Hurts will have to be more patient in the pocket by letting his weapons get open before taking off. As exciting as it is seeing him juking a defender 8 yards down the field, bigger plays could be left out there. A bigger concern is if he improves on reading defenses. Like with Sirianni, the whole league will be better prepared for Hurts, he will have to answer to that.

The elephant in the room is the past. We have gone through an offseason where the team has made impressive moves on paper, hyping up expectations from everyone around the league and media, only to see the team underachieve. Of course, the first one that comes to mind is the “Dream Team” back in 2011 that resulted in missing the playoffs for the first time in four years with an 8-8 record and their biggest offseason signing eating lunch in his car.

Didn’t exactly reek of team comradery.

This team does seem to have a different feel than that one did. It’s a fresher, younger team both player and coaching alike. Veterans like Jason Kelce and AJ Brown should be vocal enough to help control flow in the locker room. There also appears to be some balance and depth throughout the roster to get the team through the grind of a 17 games season. All we can do is show up and support them like we know how every Sunday, but do so without looking too far ahead and try to just enjoy the ride.