After beating the Commanders on Thursday night, the Eagles gathered in the winning locker room and celebrated together. Nick Sirianni broke down the team, then A.J. Brown presented DeVonta Smith with a birthday cake and the whole team sang — cha-cha-chas included — to the 26-year-old wideout.
A bit later, Stevie Wonder played throughout the locker room, a common occurrence during what is now an impressive six-game winning streak since an early bye.
The vibes are good again.
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It’s tough to live and die by vibes or feelings because they’re important but can’t be manufactured. But the best Eagles’ teams of the last decade had that “it factor” — the 2017 and 2022 Super Bowl teams had something special about them.
And something special might be brewing again.
That’s not to say the 2024 team is going to the Super Bowl. It’s still too early for that. But this team does have that little something special that makes you think it’s very possible.
And Sirianni is always looking for those signs.
Sirianni always says the best teams are the best teams for reasons beyond the playing field. He always says the best teams are the most connected. And there are always signs.
“There are a lot of things you can tell in interactions of team meetings,” Sirianni said last week. “You can tell things like that, just the energy, the flow, all those different things. I always think there is a lot to be said for how guys celebrate together. I think that's a big deal.
“There are a lot of different things you look at. Selflessness of players. I think about DeVonta Smith and how he blocks without the football. When he's not getting the football, how he's trying to change the game without it. You think about the hustle and guys selling out for each other.”
We’ll have to take Sirianni’s word for the interactions in team meetings but we can see the other things.
Celebrations are fun again this year.
The entire defense celebrates turnovers together, often in a choreographed manor — it seems like C.J. Gardner-Johnson is the main celebration manager. A couple weeks ago, Jalen Hurts gave Saquon Barkley the football to spike after a Tush Push vultured yet another touchdown from him. And then Barkley quickly retrieved Johnny Wilson’s first touchdown ball after the rookie basketball-shot it away in celebration.
All the skill players on offense have shown some level of selflessness this season, especially since the bye. The Eagles have gone to a run-first offense, which means fewer targets for their top pass-catching options. And Barkley hasn’t complained once about the frequent usage of a play that has taken several touchdowns from him at the goal line. None of that is easy, but the Eagles are winning and the recipe is working.
On offense, the Eagles have become the most dangerous rushing attack in the NFL and Barkley has become an MVP candidate playing behind a strong offensive line. And the Eagles haven’t even reached their peak offensively this season. That will happen when the passing offense catches up.
On defense, Vic Fangio’s unit is young and exciting. It’s already one of the best defenses in the NFL and could theoretically get even better. They’re getting contributions from all three levels, they’re taking the ball away and they’re playing with a level of physicality that was certainly missing last season.
Everything seems to be working and working together right now. The Eagles are playing complementary football and that goes a long way too.
So, sure, there are examples of how this team is strongly connected but even Sirianni couldn’t exactly put his finger on it.
“I don't think there is a handbook for that either,” he said. “There are a lot of things I look for on that, as far as that goes. But those are some of the things that you see.
“And then it's just that feeling you have when you're around the team. It's something that I can't really explain. It's just, hey, this is how it feels. I feel like we're continuing to come together as a football team. We can continue to get better at this, just like we can continue to get better at our details, and our physicality, and everything. It's the same thing with team.”
Of course, there wouldn’t be good vibes if the Eagles weren’t winning. And they have rattled off six wins since they sat at 2-2 at the bye week. But they were also 10-1 last season and it didn’t feel like this.
Remember all the talk about fun last year? The Eagles were winning but it seemed like everyone was tense. Some players were gritting their teeth and saying, “We are having fun!” through forced smiles.
None of it has felt forced this year. They really are enjoying themselves.
Good vibes can’t turn a bad team into a good one. But they can help turn a good team into a great one.
Before and after the Cowboys game, Sirianni’s message to the Eagles was about wanting to do “special s—” together. Not just sneaking into the playoffs, not just winning a wild card game, but “special s—.” Like go on a run and see you in New Orleans type s—.
That special s— is often reserved for a special team. This might be one of them.
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