Mile High Report
The Denver Broncos came away with a big victory against the Cincinatti Bengals on Monday Night Football to move to 2-2 on the season. This Sunday, they have a much tougher opponent in the Philadelphi Eagles. Without question, this road matchup will easily be their most difficult of the season to date. With that said, let’s take a deeper look at the Eagles, some key players, and what the Broncos have to accomplish on the road to topple the defending Super Bowl champions.
2024 Philadelphia Eagles Season Review
The Eagles won the NFC East with a 14-3 record last season. They would go on to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs and win Super Bowl LIX. On offense, they were seventh in points scored and eighth in yards gained. On defense, they were second in points allowed and first in yards allowed.
2025 Philadelphia Eagles Offseason Additions and Departures
When you’re the Super Bowl champs, it’s hard to keep your roster intact. The Eagles had a lot of departures this offseason including veteran cornerbacks Darius Slay and James Bradberry who were released to help free up cap space. They even traded away safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Texans.
As far as outside additions, they add veteran running back AJ Dillion to backup Saquon Barkley on the offensive side of the ball. They also brought in several defenders such as Adoree Jackson, Joshua Uche, and Azeez Ojulari to replace the production of several key players who left.
The Eagles made upgrading their defense long-term a big focus of their efforts in the 2025 NFL Draft. In the first round they picked Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell. In the second round, they picked Texas safety Andrew Mukuba. Both players are already starters in Vic Fangio’s defense and should be quality long-term high-level starters for their franchise.
Offensive X-Factor: Running Back Saquon Barkley
The Eagles have a handful of players on offense that you could legitimately designate as an X-Factor. However, I’ve opted to go with running back Saquon Barkley for Sunday’s matchup. He was the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year last season after a historic performance that will forever be etched in the record books.
Barkley had 345 carries for 2005 yards, 13 touchdowns, and added 33 receptions for 278 yards with two touchdowns in ’24. This season, Barkley and the rest of the Eagles offense has struggled to take flight. He is averaging only 60 yards a game on the ground and sports a paltry 3.1 yard per carry average. Nevertheless, the Broncos are going to have to limit his big-play ability as a rusher and receiver.
Denver’s run defense has been strong in three of their first four performances. The exception would have been against Jonathan Taylor and the Indianapolis Colts. Barkley’s talent and ability are something the Broncos’ defenders are going to have to keep at bay on Sunday. This can’t be a game where he breaks out. One player who is going to have to set up is inside...
