By: Andy Davies

Plenty of uncertainty surrounds the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, and Houston Texans going into the 2021 season. Their quarterback situations are far from clear and their overall rosters are mediocre at best.

The same goes for their head coaches, with all three going into their first seasons at the franchise. Neither of Dan Campbell, Nick Sirianni, or David Culley has been a full-time head coach in the NFL. Campbell is the only one to have some experience, with his spell as interim head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2015.

Here is why you should be expecting the Lions, Eagles, and Texans to have the three worst records in the league in 2021.

Saying Goodbye To A Franchise Legend In Detroit. Struggles For The Replacement

Matthew Stafford was the number one overall pick in 2009, with the entire city of Detroit hoping he would be the man to turn around the fortunes of the franchise. Despite three seasons of making the playoffs, the Lions and Stafford never won a single postseason game as the wait continues. The Lions remain the team with the second-longest period without a playoff win, their last taking place on January 5th, 1992.

Stafford had some great individual moments as a Lion, most notably his Mic’d up moment during his 2009 rookie season. In a week eleven game against the Cleveland Browns, he overcame injury to produce a moment of pure heroism. He played with a separated shoulder despite the efforts of the medical staff to keep him off the field, leading the Lions to a touchdown-winning drive.

Jim Caldwell guided the Lions to these playoff appearances but was not seen as good enough to take them to the next step. New England Patriots assistant head coach Matt Patricia was brought in but never took to life as head coach. The Lions had three consecutive losing seasons under the coaching of Patricia. They will hope that they have found their guy in Dan Campbell. His press conference was certainly not dull, with Campbell referring to “biting kneecaps”. As a former Lions player, he knows what it takes to play in the league. He also knows about the city of Detroit and his intentions are both positive and clear. If he is given time, he has the desire to bring the good times back to Detroit. However, he is inexperienced as a head coach and the roster is below average.

New quarterback Jared Goff has the potential to struggle. This is despite the drafting of offensive lineman Penei Sewell at seventh overall, a selection that had Campbell and new General Manager Brad Holmes very excited.

Despite his brilliant 2018 season that saw the Rams reach Super Bowl 53, Goff had a poor game and struggled in 2020 as he and head coach Sean McVay’s relationship deteriorated.

Goff struggled despite a plethora of offensive talent around him. Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp form one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL. He is going to a franchise that let go of their two best wide receivers and failed to replace them.

The Lions have a schedule that features the San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, and Cleveland Browns. There are also two games against their division rivals, the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and Chicago Bears. The Lions do not have it easy.

Prediction: 3-14

Trouble In Philadelphia; Reason For Hope?

The Eagles have seen three years of gradual decline after winning Super Bowl 52. The 2017 season saw the Eagles lift the Lombardi Trophy for the first time after two previous attempts.

Doug Pederson was the head coach to guide the Eagles to a Super Bowl but was fired after the conclusion of the 2020 season. His decision to bench rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts in order to lose and gain a higher draft pick appeared to be the final nail in the coffin.

Carson Wentz had an MVP caliber season before an injury derailed hopes of winning the award. Backup Nick Foles stepped in and guided the Eagles to the Super Bowl 52 win. He also stepped in a year later and guided the Eagles to a shock Wildcard Round win against the Chicago Bears, with thanks also going to a Cody Parkey missed field goal.

Both Foles and Wentz are no longer Eagles players. Out of the starters in that Super Bowl 52 win, only seven remain with the franchise. Their decision to draft Jalen Reagor over Justin Jefferson continues to be mocked by rival fans and nobody knows how new head coach Nick Sirianni will do in the role.

The schedule is mixed for Philadelphia. Whilst they face the New York Jets, Lions, and twice play the New York Giants, they also have to face the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.. This is as well as facing a rising Washington Football Team twice as well as playing the Dallas Cowboys both home and away.

Reports have surfaced in recent days of the Philadelphia Eagles being the favourites for Deshaun, with talks said to be “heating up”.

This could be a move that transforms the franchise. However, Deshaun Watson had his best statistical season yet the Texans only managed four wins all year. This proves that whilst it is very important to have a good quarterback, you need more around to be successful.

Unless the Eagles do something in what remains of the offseason, they will continue to be mediocre if their roster continues to be this poor. If they get offensive or defensive talent in the next one or two offseasons, then they are a team that will compete for years to come. Otherwise, the Eagles will fail to be a threat to both the NFC and NFC East.

This is why Deshaun should avoid the Eagles at this present time. He will be going into a situation no different to what he experienced in Houston.

Prediction: 4-13

What A Difference A Year Makes

Where do we start with the Houston Texans? The 2019 season saw them take a 24-0 lead against the Chiefs in the Divisional Round. However, they allowed 41 unanswered points as they lost 51-31. What has unfolded since in the following nineteen months has been reminiscent of a Greek tragedy.

Head coach Bill O’Brien, who also was general manager, made the unusual decision to trade star wide receiver, Deandre Hopkins. In exchange, the Texans received a running back past his sell-by date in David Johnson, one second-rounder and one fourth-round pick. O’Brien only lasted four games in the 2020 season as they finished the campaign with just four wins.

Since the conclusion of the 2020 season, franchise legend J.J Watt has left and there continues to be an uncertain future surrounding quarterback Deshaun Watson. Houston’s quarterback requested a trade in January before allegations of sexual assault arose. These have lingered throughout the remainder of the offseason. It is unclear if Watson will play in the NFL at all in 2021 but even if he does, it is unlikely that he will be wearing a Texans jersey.

Houston has said they would listen to trade offers for Watson, with the franchise said to be wanting three first-round picks. They have also acquired Tyrod Taylor via Free Agency and used their first pick in the draft on Davis Mills in the third round. Even if the Eagles stick with Hurts, there will be plenty of other suitors.

Even with Watson, the Texans are light on the ground when it comes to elite talent. Linebacker Zach Cunningham and Laremy Tunsil are talents and despite adding Phillip Lindsay and Mark Ingram to the running back room, the roster is one of the league’s worst.

David Culley has developed somewhat of a worrying reputation after his time with the Eagles, Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens. During his fourteen-season spell with the Eagles, his four seasons with the Chiefs, and two years with the Ravens, he had 0 wide receivers earn a PFF grade of 80 or above.

The Chiefs wideouts went an entire season without a touchdown under Culley. With a wide receiver room featuring Brandin Cooks, Nico Collins and Anthony Miller, this is not exactly a position of strength for the Texans. Culley is unlikely to see any of these receivers score high PFF grades.

Whilst the Texans might be playing the Jacksonville Jaguars twice and the Jets, they have a tough schedule. They will face the Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks. Houston will also play the Los Angeles Chargers and the San Francisco 49ers as well as the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans twice.

They are unlikely to win many of these games. Fans should be expecting a difficult season.

Prediction: 2-15

The post Expect the Lions, Eagles, and Texans to have the worst records in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jacob Keppen

With the 2020 season in the rearview, the NFL is successfully two decades into the 2000s. The Eagles have seen a lot of change over the past 20 years, including their first-ever Super Bowl victory. With Carson Wentz being traded before the 2021 season, now is the perfect time to look back at the Eagles quarterbacks over the past 20 years. Looking strictly at quarterbacks who started a majority of games in a season (sorry for all you Jeff Garcia, Mark Sanchez, and Kevin Kolb fans out there) and judging off of the legacy left behind, here are the top five Eagles quarterbacks since the year 2000.

5: Sam Bradford

Well someone had to be number five”¦. A former first overall pick, Sam Bradford’s career with the Rams was hampered by constant injuries.. After looking like he was finally reaching his potential in 2013, Sam Bradford tragically tore his ACL. Bradford would tear that same ACL once again the next preseason, missing the entire 2014 season. 

In Chip Kelly’s mind, this meant it was the perfect time to trade for the former first overall pick. In a trade that was extremely puzzling and upsetting to the Eagles fanbase, the Birds traded fan favorite quarterback Nick Foles, a fourth, and a second-round pick(!) for Sam Bradford and a fifth. Bradford would have an extremely mediocre season with the Eagles, leading to Philadelphia trading up for Carson Wentz in the 2016 NFL Draft. Bradford would net a first round pick from the Vikings that would end up being Derek Barnett. It’s not great when the best moments of a player’s tenure were the players acquired as a result of getting rid of him. The Sam Bradford trade will go down as one of the worst moments from the maligned later years of the Chip Kelly era.

4: Michael Vick

Michael Vick was one of the league’s brightest young stars before it all was gone due to his involvement with a dog fighting ring in 2007. He was suspended for two years, and spent 21 months in a federal prison. Vick was given a second opportunity with the Eagles, signed by Andy Reid in 2009. The highlight of the short lived Vick era in Philadelphia was the 2010 season that saw Michael Vick lead the Eagles to the playoffs. Vick made the Pro Bowl and was named comeback player of the year. While he wouldn’t see the same level of success over the next two years, Michael Vick revitalized his NFL career and gave Eagles fans a fun year after a few years of quarterback controversy. 

I think the biggest lasting legacy of Vick was how he turned himself around with his chance in Philadelphia. He has done great work as an animal rights activist since his involvement in the dog fighting ring. Given a chance in Philadelphia, Michael Vick worked hard both on and off the field and turned a lot of fan’s negative opinions about him around.

3: Carson Wentz

Carson Wentz will go down as one of the most polarizing figures in Eagles history, despite being a pretty laid back person himself. Surprisingly, Carson Wentz had the 2nd longest tender in Philadelphia on this list. At the start of his career it looked like Wentz was going to be the face of the franchise for years to come. After an up and down rookie campaign, Carson Wentz made everyone believers in 2017. Many Philly fans still believe years later that he deserved to win MVP. Had he not been injured, I feel Carson’s career would’ve gone a lot different in Philadelphia, and he’d still be here today. Unfortunately, as well all know, Wentz tore his ACL against the Rams in week 13, and then watched backup Nick Foles capture the hearts of the fanbase and win Philadelphia their first Super Bowl. 

I don’t believe Carson Wentz, no matter how good he played, was able to ever truly escape quarterback controversy from some fans and media (a noticeable theme when looking at all of these quarterbacks). It’s a shame because if you look at his career, Wentz had a really good tenure with the Eagles before the implosion this past season. Wentz, despite only playing five seasons in Philadelphia, is fourth in: wins, touchdowns, completions, and passing yards.

When healthy, Carson Wentz looked like a hard working franchise quarterback that the team and fan base could rally behind. The problem was that he couldn’t always stay healthy, which might be unfair seeing how he can’t control his own health. This past season, his worst as a quarterback, certainly did not help his status amongst fans, with a good amount of the fan base already divided on him. He might be a divisive figure now, but I feel once there’s been some time removed from the trade we’ll all be able to really appreciate Carson’s time in Philadelphia.

2: Donovan McNabb

For years, Donovan McNabb was the guy in Philadelphia. The Eagles were at their most successful in the early 2000s. Donovan McNabb was one of the key components for their great run in the early 2000s that saw them reach four conference championships and a super bowl. McNabb holds virtually every record an Eagles quarterback can hold. He is the franchise record holder in: wins, passing yards, and passing touchdowns. 

McNabb was the gold standard for Eagles quarterbacks for years, and really looking back at it, he was the last true franchise quarterback for the Eagles. All of the quarterbacks listed above weren’t the long term solution for the Eagles at quarterback. Carson Wentz played the longest out of all of them for the Eagles, but he still didn’t have the longevity of guys from years past such as Ron Jaworski or Randall Cunningham. McNabb lasted longer than all of them. McNabb was truly the last franchise quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles and he accomplished everything there was to accomplish”¦ except bringing Philadelphia a Super Bowl.

1: Nick Foles

Nick Foles might not have the decorated career that Donovan McNabb had with the Eagles. He may not lead the Eagles in all of the statistical categories that Donovan does. He may not have started as many games or as many seasons as some of the players on this list. But in the end, Nick Foles won Philadelphia their first ever Super Bowl.

The goal of football is to win. Every team and every player in the NFL holds the same dream and goal, to hoist the Lombardi trophy at the end of the year. Philadelphia’s passionate fanbase waited years for another championship. “Just one before I die” was the saying of many older fans who had not witnessed a championship from their beloved Eagles since 1960. Philadelphia is first and foremost a football town. Sure fans love the Phillies, Sixers, and Flyers, but not in the same way these fans love football. It’s ingrained in the culture of Philadelphia. Nick Foles bringing a championship to Phillly was one of the most magical moments the city had ever seen. 

In all honesty, Nick Foles’ entire career as an Eagle was magical. Nick Foles has such an interesting career. In every other city that he’s played in he’s been below average. Yet as an Eagle, he has led the Franchise to the playoffs three times, including the magical Super Bowl run in 2017. There’s a statue of Nick Foles outside of the Linc for a reason. He captured the hearts of the city time after time and will go down as a winner who brought Philadelphia their Super Bowl.

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