In retrospect, we should have seen it coming. The signs could not have been more clear. Everything pointed to a down season for the Eagles, the vaunted “Super Bowl hangover” that seems to plague every Super Bowl Champion outside of Foxboro.

But we turned our heads. We ignored it. We pointed to the beefed up defensive line, a healthy Sidney Jones, a largely intact and returning offense, and Big Balls Doug Pederson leading us back to the promised land.

We put the blinders on. We ignored Carson Wentz coming back from a devastating knee injury. We ignored Alshon Jeffery coming back from a devastating shoulder injury. We ignored Brandon Graham coming back from a devastating ankle injury. We ignored Jason Peters coming back from a devastating Achilles injury. We ignored Darren Sproles coming back from a devastating leg and knee injury. We ignored a spine injury to Tim Jernigan. A spine injury!

The Eagles entered the season like the Walking Dead….shuffling along on two decomposing feet, and the injuries never stopped. Mike Wallace? Gone before he could sign the lease on his apartment. Mack Hollins? So long.

 

And they never stopped. Malcolm Jenkins is the only remaining starter of the four members of the secondary that started the season. TV’s Friends Matthew LeBlanc is starting games at cornerback for the Eagles and they’re one more injured cornerback away from slapping a uniform on whoever is reading this column to start next week.

Nothing went their way this year health wise for this team. Ronald Darby, Jay Ajayi, Rodney McLeod, Derek Barnett…all out for the year before the halfway mark of the season.

You can’t expect to have a successful season when the injuries mount like this. It’s a lost season. It started off with all the markings of a lost season, and here we are. It’s week 14 and all we have to look forward to is Training Camp already.

It happens. Is it time to panic? Time to trade Wentz? Time to trade Ertz? Just stop it.

Wentz has not been sharp, but do you remember how sublime he was last season before shredding every ligament in his knee? Did you see the flashes of brilliance he displayed this season, despite hobbling around with little to no explosiveness in his legs? He’s not right, but it’s not time to jettison him for Nate Sudfeld or Nick Foles.

Should we be worried if he’s still looks like this next year? Yes. Should Wentz GET a next year? Oh my yes, and if you think he shouldn’t you’re a complete dummy.

Enjoy the last three games before the Linc is closed down for the year. If you feel that dark cloak of depression slowly crawling up your body, just pop on that Super Bowl LII replay we all still have saved on our DVR. Look at those pictures you took of the Super Bowl parade of you and your drunken friends, celebrating the pinnacle of your fandom, your reward for years of futile service to this franchise.

And take heart that the Cowboys will probably lose in the first round of the playoffs anyways.

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