Eagles on Right Track Long-Term, but Not Ready for Playoff Run in 2014

After falling 27-24 to the now 4-11 Washington Redskins Saturday, the Philadelphia Eagles have lost three consecutive games in December. Two were at home, and they were favored in all but one of them. We had a clue they weren't a contender when they dropped back-to-back late-season games to fellow NFC heavyweights Seattle and Dallas, and now—with a loss to a team that hadn't won since Week 8—we have confirmation. 

Even if by some miracle the division-leading Cowboys lose each of their final two games and Philly beats the New York Giants in Week 17 to make the playoffs, this is a one-and-done team. What else should we believe when looking at a team that has gone 2-4 this season against opponents that currently hold winning records? 

A lot of folks will want to pin this squarely on backup quarterback Mark Sanchez, who lacked consistency and made too many mistakes to be relied upon in relief of injured starter Nick Foles. Sanchez threw the interception Saturday that basically ended Philadelphia's season when he tossed a terrible pass toward Jeremy Maclin on what should have been an easy two-minute drill to break a 24-24 tie. 

But this goes beyond Sanchez. The Eagles simply aren't ready for prime time. 

Even with Foles under center early this season, Philly lost big games to conference contenders San Francisco and Arizona. The defense is talented up front, but it gives up too many big plays. The team takes too many penalties (including a ridiculous 13 for more than 102 yards Saturday) and lacks discipline altogether. 

It has to be disappointing for fans that the Eagles have progressed at such a slow rate during what once appeared to be such a promising season, but that doesn't mean the majority of the right pieces aren't in place. It's easy to forget that this was only going to be Foles' first full season as a starter, and let's also remember that Chip Kelly has only been an NFL head coach for 23 months. 

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Kelly inherited a team that won just four games in 2012. His defense needed to be completely retooled, and it gave up a league-high 4,636 yards through the air in Year 1. The secondary is still a soft spot, but the Eagles learned this year that they have long-term answers in Fletcher Cox, Mychal Kendricks and Brandon Graham. 

But this just wasn't Philly's year. That's often the case when you lose your starting quarterback, regardless of how well he was playing. The defense is a year away, assuming the Philly front office makes an effort to bring in new safeties and cornerbacks in the offseason. And while the offense appears to be locked in at most positions, let's also keep in mind that the Eagles spent the majority of the first half of the season with a patchwork O-line. 

I'm not making excuses for the Eagles. The point, though, is that this team has progress to make, and that's hard to do when the chips have been stacked against you. There's no need to blow this thing up—no need to panic.

More than anything, what the Eagles have to learn to do is rise to occasions. Unfortunately, there isn't a specific formula for that. The Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons have endured similar growing pains in recent years. Sometimes, it takes time; sometimes, it never comes together. 

That's on Kelly and his coaching staff. Because the Eagles simply can't lose back-to-back key home games in December, and they can't afford to lose to bad teams in the penultimate week of the season. Those things don't happen to true contenders. And regardless of the changes they make between now and September, we won't know if they've changed in that regard until next December. 

Patience, Eagles fans. If you have any left. 

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFC East for Bleacher Report since 2012.