I spent a little time with some Philadelphia Eagles folks as they readied for their second preseason game, on the road against the New England Patriots. Here’s what I took away from seeing them …
• No one said this to me explicitly, but it’s very clear that after the way last year ended, the Eagles’ staff started looking for ways to recapture the special mix that existed between the coaches and players, and within the group of players themselves, during the 2022 Super Bowl run. And through a whole bunch of team-building, there’s been progress—to the point that last Wednesday, the day before the game in Foxborough, coach Nick Sirianni addressed the team on the topic, saying how happy he is with where the group is collectively. It’s apparent, too, in the selfless way the team practices, how the players are genuinely happy for each others’ successes and celebrate together, and how they help each other in their work. One cool example I heard was Saquon Barkley volunteering to take part in a tackling drill, one that wouldn’t do much for him, but helped his defensive teammates. All of which is good for a crew trying to wash the taste of a 1–5 finish out of its mouth.
