Didinger: Eagles 'Shock And Awe' Offense Best In Team's Preseason History
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Get excited about this Eagles team. You're allowed.
The Eagles have now scored 115 points in three preseason games, after their 39-26 win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night. Impressively, the Eagles led the Packers 25-0 after the first quarter, 39-14 after the first half, and starting quarterback Sam Bradford was flawless---10-10 with 121 yards passing and three touchdowns.
So let's get real. Have the Eagles ever had an offense that has looked this good in the preseason?
"Boy," Hall Of Fame NFL analyst Ray Didinger said, after a long pause. "Umm. No. No, I can't. They're obviously---in the Andy years, in the years when Jon [Runyan] was there they looked good. But not this devastating. I mean, not this. This is real shock and awe stuff what they're rolling out there now. And just, and the way Chip calls this thing.
Listen: Ray Didinger on the 94WIP Morning Show
"The thing that just jumps out at you is the pace at which their offense plays. It's breathtaking. It really is."
Merrill Reese is entering his 39th season as the voice of the Eagles. 94WIP's Rob Charry asked him the same question about 40 minutes after asking Didinger.
Has the Eagles' offense ever looked better in preseason?
"No. No. Everything is comign together right now," Reese said. "I can't remember a preseason where they have scored what 36, 40, and 42 [39] points in three games. I can't remember them ever looking like this."
Listen: Merrill Reese on the 94WIP Morning Show
The Birds lead the NFL in total yards per game (429.7) through three preseason weeks. The next closet team is the New Orleans Saints (395.7). The Eagles also lead the NFL in rushing yards per game (150.7) and they're second in passing yards per game (279.0).
Is it fair to put the Eagles in the Super Bowl contender conversation?
"They're really good," Didinger continued Monday on the 94WIP Morning Show. "I spent yesterday kind of looking around the rest of the NFC just trying to asses who the other teams out there that look like they have the potential to really go the distance. And you still have to say Green Bay, even despite the injuries because their offensive line will be intact and obviously [Aaron] Rodgers will be there for the season. And I think Minnesota will be improved, and Arizona I think is pretty good, and obviously Seattle is Seattle. But I'm telling you---if you want to put this team in the conversation of a team that can go all the way, I mean right now, I'm not gonna tell you no."
While the Eagles have dominated this preseason, it is just preseason. However, Didinger isn't going to curb anyone's enthusiasm.
"If people want to get really excited, I'm not gonna tell them no," Didinger admitted. "I'm not gonna tell them to stop. If you really wanna feel that good about this team based on what you've seen so far, go right ahead.
"You can try and create worry and you can try to create concern, and just kind of look for things to worry about. And you can talk about depth in areas, boy if they get some injuries here or what not, but you can say that about almost any team at this point in the season. But if you just go by what you've seen on the field through three games, you have to feel really good about where this team is right now."