Eagles vs Buccaneers previous matchup on October 14, 2021. Photo by Aadit Pande ’23.
With the culmination of the NFL’s 2021-2022 regular season, the Philadelphia Eagles have clinched a spot in the playoffs. They will travel to Tampa Bay to face off against the Buccaneers on Sunday, January 16.
The Philadelphia Eagles clinched a playoff spot in week 17 after an inconsistent season. Eagles fans are excited, yet nervous, to see Jalen Hurts and first-year head coach Nick Sirianni in their first playoff game together.
Collin Montenegro ’23 said he’s “excited to see how Nick Sirianni reacts to the pressure.” He “knows Philly fans put a lot of pressure on Nick Sirianni and they expect a lot, but think[s] he can get the job done.”
Artese Brown ’23 gave his reaction to the season overall, saying how “it’s been a long season … and I think the team has started to gain a little chemistry.”
Many fans also thought that this year was surprising due to the Eagles’ young team.
Vanya Weinstock ’23 said, “It’s surprising because the Eagles have a really young core and have three first round draft picks.” He also gave insight on how he thought the season would go: “You’d think we’d be rebuilding from the beginning of the season … but we’re going to be a playoff team this year.”
The Eagles have recently found their stride in the run game, putting up a league leading 2,715 rushing yards. They also increased their rushing attempts from a total of 249 in weeks one to eight compared to 307 rushing attempts in weeks nine to seventeen.
MFS student and passionate Eagles fan Jack Bitman ’24 gives insight on how the Eagles should approach this game: “We need to run the ball and play actual defense before the game is over.”
The Eagles are preparing for the future with their acquisition of two top 16 draft picks and another first round draft pick depending on their success in the postseason.
Brown shed some light on the Eagles’ current draft situation: “The team is really young and has some nice veterans to show people how it goes and we definitely were off to a really good start to this season and hopefully we are even better next year.”
