Roob's Observations

Roob's Bonus Observations: A historic achievement by an Eagles position coach

Eagles' brilliant coaching staff, a postseason flashback and more in this edition of Roob's Bonus Obs.

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Former Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman explains why the Eagles will need to play a “perfect game” to beat Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.

An Eagles position coach who achieved something nobody else has in over 50 years. The Jeff Stoutland legacy just grows and grows and grows. And a vivid memory of an Eagles playoff game in New Orleans a long time ago.

You know the routine by now. Wednesday means a bonus edition of Roob’s 10 Random Eagles Observations. And like we did in Minnesota in 2017 and Arizona in 2022, we’ll have a daily 10 Observations once we get to New Orleans.

What a time to be alive!

1. Eagles running backs coach Jemal Singleton has achieved something that no NFL coach had achieved in more than half a century. Singleton has coached a different Pro Bowl running back in each of the last three seasons – Miles Sanders in 2022, D’Andre Swift in 2023 and Saquon Barkley this year. The last coach to do that was Wilkes-Barre native John Mazur, who held the title of offensive backfield coach with the Bills under Lou Saban and Joe Collier from 1962 through 1968. In 1964, the Bills’ Cookie Gilchrist led the AFL in rushing and made the Pro Bowl, in 1965 Ray Carlton rushed for 592 yards and six touchdowns and made the Pro Bowl, in 1966 rookie Bobby Burnett ran for 766 yards in his only full NFL season and made the Pro Bowl and in 1967 long-time Charger Keith Lincoln rushed for 601 yards and had nearly 1,200 scrimmage yards and made a Pro Bowl in his first year in Buffalo. So the Bills actually had a different Pro Bowl running back for four straight years under Mazur. The Ravens had a different Pro Bowl running back each year from 2007 through 2009 – Willis McGahee, Le’Ron McClain and Ray Rice – but they changed running backs coaches after 2007, all-time Eagle Wilbert Montgomery replacing Tony Nathan. As for Mazur, he actually spent 1973 through 1976 as a defensive coach with the Eagles under Mike McCormack and Dick Vermeil – before finishing his coaching career with the Jets. Mazur, who served in the Marines during the Korean War, settled in South Jersey after football. He died in 2013.

2A. Jeff Lurie is the 12th owner in NFL history whose teams have reached four Super Bowls and only the third to do it with at least three head coaches - Andy Reid, Doug Pederson and Nick Sirianni. The others are Pat Bowlen of the Broncos (Dan Reeves, Mike Shanahan, John Fox, Gary Kubiak) and Al Davis of the Raiders (John Rauch, John Madden, Tom Flores, Bill Callahan).

2B. Howie Roseman is the 13th general manager to take the same franchise to three Super Bowls.  

3. Isaac Seumalo, the Eagles’ 3rd-round pick in 2016, became a Pro Bowler for the first time Tuesday in his ninth NFL season. Seumalo spent his first seven years with the Eagles and was a backup on the 2017 Super Bowl team and a starter on the 2022 Super Bowl team before signing with the Steelers in 2023. One thing this means is that eight of 10 offensive linemen who’ve started at least 25 games for the Eagles since Jeff Stoutland became offensive line coach in 2013 have now made at least one Pro Bowl in their career: Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, Jason Peters, Brandon Brooks, Landon Dickerson, Evan Mathis, Cam Jurgens and Seumalo. The only two who haven’t are Jordan Mailata – who should have this year – and Allen Barbre. Stout isn’t a coach, he’s a sorcerer. 

4A. Having the Super Bowl in New Orleans reminds me of the Eagles-Saints 1992 wild-card game at the Superdome. I think about this a lot. The locker room was going bananas after the Eagles had just outscored the Saints 26-0 in the fourth quarter to win 36-20 after trailing by 13 in the third quarter. It was the Eagles’ first postseason win since the 1980 NFC Championship Game and first road postseason win since the 1949 NFL Championship Game over the Rams at L.A. Coliseum and the scene was chaotic. But over in the corner, backup quarterback Jim McMahon was sitting quietly at his locker watching the proceedings. It was in that same stadium seven years earlier that McMahon, Walter Payton, Richard Dent and the legendary 1985 Bears had destroyed the Patriots 46-10 to win Super Bowl XX. And I’ll never forget as the celebration went on around him, McMahon barking out to nobody in particular but to everybody these words: “It ain’t no fun till you win ‘em all.” It really isn’t.

4B. One other thing I remember from the locker room that day is a quote from right tackle Ron Heller, who was asked about how crazy the 26-point fourth quarter was. He replied, "Oh, I don't know, crazier things have happened." When asked to name one, he said, "Well, there was that time Moses parted the water."

5. Isn’t it weird to think that James Bradberry is still officially on the Eagles’ roster?

6. Jalen Hurts has played an NFL-record seven consecutive postseason games with 20 or more pass attempts and no interceptions. Only 10 quarterbacks have played more games with 20 passes and no INTs in their entire career: Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen, Joe Montana, Joe Flacco, Russell Wilson, Brett Favre and Drew Brees. 

7. It’s nuts really that a Hall of Fame center and six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle, two of the greatest Eagles of all-time, could retire and the Eagles would be better the next year. Having plans already in place to replace both Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox was huge, and Cam Jurgens and Jalen Carter have both done a remarkable job of continuing elite play at those two positions, play that Kelce and Cox can be very proud of. It helped so much that Jurgens had two years with Kelce before he retired and Carter had one year with Fletch. That’s so big. They were so unselfish sharing every bit of wisdom they had to help Jurgens and Carter excel after they hung ‘em up. And here we are. Jurgens and Carter both made Pro Bowls this year, Jurgens in his first year at center and Carter in his first year as a starter. Don’t forget, it took Kelce and Cox four years each to make their first Pro Bowl. Two legends retired and they left their old positions in good hands.

8. A week from Sunday, Lane Johnson will become the 13th offensive tackle in NFL history to start in three Super Bowls for the same team and only the third in the last 30 years, following Nate Solder (2014, 2016, 2017) and Matt Light (2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2011) of the Patriots. The last NFC offensive tackles to start in three Super Bowls are Mark Tuinei and Bartram’s Erik Williams of the Cowboys (1992, 1993, 1995). 

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9. Coaches who’ve won 70 percent of their regular-season games and at least five playoff games: Vince Lombardi, John Madden, Nick Sirianni.   

10. It was striking hearing everybody who was interviewed post-game Sunday at the Linc talk about how they weren’t playing for themselves, they were playing for their teammates, for their brothers. Hearing Cam Jurgens explain that the only reason he went out and played after Landon Dickerson was forced to leave the game was because he knew his teammates were depending on him. Zack Baun screaming, “It’s not about me! It’s not about me!” when an interviewer asked about his playmaking. Nolan Smith telling anybody who would listen that the only reason he’s getting sacks is because his teammates are setting him up. Saquon Barkley joyous not over his long run but over Will Shipley’s. And on and on and on. Every team talks about being unselfish, but I’ve never seen an Eagles team that buys into that philosophy like this one. They genuinely don’t care who makes the play as long as somebody makes the play. They genuinely are happier when their teammates excel than when they do. They genuinely play for each other in a way that makes them almost impossible to beat. The Eagles have a lot of great players, but even more importantly, they have a togetherness woven into the fabric of the locker room that is stronger than any collection of talented individuals. They are the ultimate team.

Tune in to Mission 59 specials all playoffs long on NBC Sports Philadelphia, presented by Toyota.

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