5 reasons Philadelphia Eagles can win the Super Bowl this year

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 05: Fletcher Cox #91 and Brandon Graham #55 of the Philadelphia Eagles look on during the NFC Wild Card game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lincoln Financial Field on January 5, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

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ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 27: Miles Sanders #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs the ball as Matt Milano #58 of the Buffalo Bills attempts to tackle him during the third quarter of an NFL game at New Era Field on October 27, 2019 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images) /

3. Continue to commit to the running game

In 2017, only the Jacksonville Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys gained more yards on the ground then the Philadelphia Eagles. That commitment to the ground attack was a key part of the team’s Super Bowl championship season and that persistence resulted in the club running for 164 yards against Bill Belichick’s defense on Super Sunday. In that win over New England, the three-headed monster of LeGarrette Blount, Jay Ajayi and Corey Clement combined to frustrate the Pats’ defense.

That season, Philadelphia pounded out 132.2 yards per game rushing. One year later, Doug Pederson’s club slipped to 28th in the NFL in the same category with Blount gone and Ajayi sidelined for most of the year. The team rebounded in 2019 thanks largely to rookie Miles Sanders, who totaled 179 carries for a club-high 818 yards and three scores. For good measure, he also finished third on the team with 50 receptions, three of those grabs for touchdowns. Via Daniel Gallen of PennLive.com, the former Penn State Nittany Lion appears to be very motivated these days.

Only six teams in the league a year ago finished with more total running plays than the Eagles. Don’t be surprised if these Birds are even more “grounded” this upcoming season.

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