When we think of the great NFL Defenses of the last 25 years, we think of three teams: the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, with Ray Lewis and Rob Burnett; the 2015 Denver Broncos, led by Von Miller and Danny Trevathan; and of course, the 2013 Seattle Seahawks, better known as the Legion of Boom, with Bobby Wagner and Richard Sherman. However, the 2024 Eagles are a bit different.
Overshadowed by the greatness of Saquon Barkley and the rest of the Eagles' offense this year, the Birds put up insane defensive numbers. Rookies such as Cooper Dejean and Quinyon Mitchell established names for themselves, and experienced guys like Zack Baun and Josh Sweat solidified themselves as great protectors of the endzone. From allowing the least points per game out of every team in the league, allowing fewer rushing yards than 28 teams, to having the most sacks in the league (tied with the Rams), the Eagles proved to have a concrete wall of defense that nobody could break through. Zack Baun, a former New Orleans Saint who spent his first year in Philly this season, led the team in tackles, with 151 throughout the season, averaging out to about 9 per game. He also led the team in forced fumbles, at 5 for the season. CJ Gardner-Johnson led the team in interceptions with 6, and Josh Sweat led the team in sacks with 8.
The Eagles did a remarkable job at establishing a no-fly zone this season. What's important to my argument, however, is that they did not just enforce a no-fly zone; they enforced a no-nothing zone. In every game this season, the Eagles' opponents had incredible difficulty moving the ball. I've been watching football my whole life, and I have never seen teams struggle against a defense like they did this year against the Birds. In the regular season alone, the Eagles established themselves as an all-time defense, but in the playoffs, they only went further and proved themselves to be even stronger than what we had already seen.
The Birds went on to have a postseason for the record books, beating the Chiefs in Super Bowl 59, where they had no difficulty at all stopping the deadly offense led by Patrick Mahomes. Cooper Dejean's pick-six gave the Eagles six insurance points early on, then, later in the game, Zack Baun intercepted a Patrick Mahomes dart that allowed the Eagles to score on the very next play. Mahomes got sacked six times by the Eagles' legendary four-man rush squad, and the Chiefs as a team were held to only 23 yards of first half offense.
Did the Chiefs score later in the game? Yes, but the fact that Chiefs were held to under 30 yards in the first half is just remarkable. The Eagles' defense did something that nobody has been able to do so far, which is to not just stop the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs, but to give them no breathing room whatsoever. What we saw on Super Bowl Sunday was an impressive night from a most-impressive defensive squad.
When comparing this Eagles team's defense to other great defenses in the past, we see some great similarities, but the main thing that sets the Birds apart is the youth that the team possesses. Cooper Dejean turned 22 on the day of the Super Bowl, and his defensive back buddy Quinyon Mitchell is not yet 24. Zack Baun and Josh Sweat both have a few years until they turn 30, and the rest of our impact players on the defensive side are very young. This means one thing and one thing only; the Eagles will have an extraordinary defense for years to come. 20 years? Probably not. 10-12 years? You bet.
If the Eagles' defense keeps up what they were able to do this season, have no doubt that they will go down as the greatest and most remarkable defense in history. Go Birds.