It wasn't pretty for the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, but then again, it wasn't last week either. Still, the Eagles swept their way through a duo of primetime matchups with two of the NFC's best teams, beating the Green Bay Packers 10-7 in Week 10 and the Detroit Lions 16-9 in Week 11.
Philadelphia has practically made a complete 180 from the beginning of the year, when its offense was humming and the defense was not always holding up its end of the bargain. Now, the Eagles are seemingly a team that grinds out low-scoring affairs on the back of strong defensive efforts.
While that is fine, and it is getting the job done now, it has called into question Philadelphia's chances of snagging the Lombardi Trophy for the second straight year. After all, success in this league is still predicated mainly on offensive dominance, and the Eagles have been anything but that lately.
Cris Collinsworth is all-in on the Eagles once again
However, on the Sunday Night Football post-game show, NBC Sports analyst Cris Collinsworth offered a promising statement about the Eagles; one that fans have been clamoring to hear amid their somehow up-and-down season, despite having an 8-2 record.
"I think I've seen a team that can win another championship. They're not there on offense, but they will be."
Cris Collinsworth after Eagles' win
Collinsworth is exactly right. This team can win a championship, and there is almost no chance that they stay in this funk offensively. With players like Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and a monstrous offensive line, this group could practically win on talent alone.
Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, as well as the aforementioned pieces (outside of Brown), have all remained fairly optimistic about this team's chances of turning things around. But it is nice to hear this from someone outside the building and so detached from the team.
No, the way the Eagles have been winning lately is not always fun for the average fan to watch. Time will tell if it is sustainable. However, what doesn't get discussed enough is how Philadelphia wins by dominating the line of scrimmage and controlling the clock, both of which are valuable skills to possess.
Read more:Nick Sirianni says what every Eagles fan wished would have happened vs. Lions
Yes, the Eagles' offense can certainly pick it up, and with more time under a new play-caller, fans should still be confident that they will. That being said, if this defense is going to dismantle even the league's best offenses, it may not even matter that much how the offense plays.