Shedding the Tremendous Bowl is the loneliest future. After two weeks of buildup, there isn’t any parade ready for shedding groups upon their arrival, their championship shirts are dispersed in distant places around the globe and the sensation {that a} ring slipped away can endure all through the offseason. Even worse, my Deadspin colleagues, Criss Partee and Eric Blum and I’ve to throw salt within the wound by debating whether or not mentioned shedding workforce, the Philadelphia Eagles, can bounce again to achieve this apex once more. They did it earlier than in an identical local weather with the Eagles and with their appreciable benefit at quarterback in an NFC devoid of upper-echelon passers, they need to be a lock to contend once more, however we look at how their odds look in 2023 and past.

Eric Blum: Has anybody seen how a lot simpler the highway is for the Philadelphia Eagles to get again to the Tremendous Bowl than the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs?

Criss Partee: It received’t be. We are saying that yearly a few workforce and it not often occurs like that. The Bucs had been presupposed to return… and the Rams… Bengals too… may go on and on. With so a lot turnover within the league it’s by no means as straightforward as we need to suppose. We’re nonetheless caught up within the second proper now and people are saying all kinda wild stuff. So I doubt they’ll be again subsequent yr. Hell, the Chiefs had been presupposed to have received three or 4 extra after the primary they usually simply received it once more. They’ve been again nevertheless it hasn’t been “straightforward”. So I’m not shopping for it being all that straightforward for Philly to only bounce proper again in and make it once more. So it received’t be that straightforward for both, truthfully.

DJ Dunson: In protection of the Chiefs, they’ve been again to the Tremendous Bowl twice since that 2019 season. It’s solely simpler for Philly within the sense that they’ve an all-universe QB. Exterior of Aaron Rodgers who could also be gone quickly, the cabinet is barren within the NFC. Mahomes has Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Trevor Lawrence and Tyreek Hill’s new favourite Tua Tagovailoa (who had the very best QBR when wholesome) I imply, who’s the second-best quarterback within the NFC?

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Eric: Justin Herbert is in that group too. But for the NFC, it’s gross, but it’s Kirk Cousins. No one in the NFC South has a shot. As much as Daniel Jones improved this season, he’s still far from a reliable choice. Justin Fields showed potential, but his team has the No. 1 overall pick for a reason. It’s a severe drop, that’s for sure.

Criss: Probably a healthy Stafford.

DJ: Maybe. But that still doesn’t say much about the conference. Jalen was slinging that ball all over the field on the biggest stage all over the field and will get all his weapons back on offense. Elite quarterback play is the best predictor of repeat success.

Criss: Yeah, but I still just don’t think it’s that easy because a team like Philly or Minnesota always comes outta nowhere every year. Meaning a new team we didn’t expect or something like that. I just think there are too many variables. And the Eagles are gonna lose guys because they’re gonna pay Hurts soon. He had a really good team this year. That matters. So I’m not ready to just anoint them automatically knowing the turnover we see every year. And you’re looking just at QB, I’m looking at teams overall. That still matters as we saw last night. Hurts played a phenomenal game and didn’t receive the same support he had all year.

Eric: The only team set up well enough to compete with a mediocre QB is San Francisco. That defense is great, a solid offensive line, Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, and more? They could succeed with Taylor Heinicke at quarterback, much less someone who could be mediocre.

Partee: He played a little better than mediocre. Purdy wasn’t just handing the ball off and falling back. He made plays when the 49ers called on him and Kyle Shanahan trusted him to make passes he didn’t trust Jimmy G to make. He benefited from a great team but most winning QBs do. So, I can’t say Brock Purdy was only mediocre.

DJ: Elite QB play is 75 percent of the equation and Jalen proved he can rise to the occasion. Mahomes just has a higher ceiling. He also has more comp in the AFC too. Most of Philly’s secondary is returning. Haason Reddick will be back to bulldozing passers this fall and first-round giant Jordan Davis barely played this year. Obviously nothing is a guarantee, but Hurts puts them in the driver’s seat to get back and they’re a mile ahead of the field. The NFC is weaker than it’s ever been. No Brady, possibly no Rodgers. The 49ers’ QB position is up for grabs. The Rams have a lot of work to do. If anyone is going to sneak up on them, it’ll be those two, but COMPARED to the AFC, Hurts has a red carpet laid out for him.

Criss: The Eagles aren’t invincible. I never thought they were that good honestly. So I can’t say it’s gonna be that easy. They could prove me wrong but I doubt it.

DJ: Invincible? Nice unintentional Vince Papale reference. Philadelphia has a large head begin on the convention due to their quarterback coupled with their high-throttle protection. The Eagles are a Bentley parked in a tough a part of city earlier than free company takes place, no less than. The Chiefs are Jay Z on the Roc Nation brunch. It could be their present, however there are different heavy hitters round.

Eric: Philly is tough, however give me the Eagles or 49ers representing the NFC within the Tremendous Bowl subsequent yr towards the sector. It’s both the workforce with far and away the very best quarterback or the workforce with the one roster that may match the Eagles exterior of who’s taking the snaps. The Vikings have a complete downside on protection no matter Brian Flores coming in, Dallas might be Dallas and can regress on offense in ‘23, and who else even is a practical longshot? The Eagles will little doubt look totally different subsequent season, however they’ve sufficient nice items that can make them at worst the second-best workforce within the NFC.

Criss: Keep in mind when the NFC East was thought of the least? Oh yeah, that was simply final season. That’s all I’m saying. It flips so shortly due to the parity that you may’t say it’s straightforward for anyone, actually.

DJ: You’re precisely proper. The NFC East has been a parody. However the Eagles flew away with that division. Their solely competitors might be the Dallas Cowboys, however the Eagles’ depth chart is vastly superior. Hurts’ rookie contract runs by way of subsequent season, so the clock is working out on them retaining a majority of their expertise, so it may get a bit extra difficult after their 2023 run.

Criss: And that’s the place I’m going with it — that due to the contract scenario coupled with a lot turnover within the league total, it’s by no means as straightforward as we prefer to suppose will probably be for groups to return. It’s exhausting to repeat as convention or division champs yr after yr. I don’t suppose it’s ever straightforward. We get so forward of ourselves in crowning people or giving them “flowers” that we lose observe of the competitors and the way powerful it’s to be that good for a number of years. There’s a motive we don’t often see dynasties on a regular basis and even multiple in an period.

DJ: Dynasty discuss is robust. I feel it’s protected to say they’ll win and lose just a few NFC Championships over the subsequent few years. Philadelphia has a bevy of picks together with New Orleans’ tenth choose within the upcoming draft. I simply have belief in Howie Roseman surrounding Hurts with younger, low-cost expertise like he’s accomplished for the previous 20 years. And within the fast future, Hurts is the differentiating issue for me in that convention.