10 Reasons the "Dream Team" Philadelphia Eagles Are Back on Track

Who could have predicted that heading into Week 9 of the NFL season there would be roaring debates about whether the Philadelphia Eagles even had a chance to make the playoffs?

Sure, there were skeptics, but the Eagles' start has been worse than anyone foresaw. So where do they go from here?

It's all a matter of perspective.

You can look at them as the bumbling team that routinely throws away games.

Or, you can believe that, in spite of a horrendously sloppy start, this team will gradually work out the kinks.

The Eagles have been close in each of their losses and slow, steady improvement will turn some of these collapses into wins. 

The Eagles will not become a well-oiled machine overnight, but there is hope.

Here are 10 reasons that the darlings of the shortened offseason will get back on track.

1. Receiver Play

The Eagles' receiving corps is supposed to be the team's strength. So far, this unit has been underwhelming, but, more importantly, has coughed the ball up at critical moments.

Jeremy Maclin dropped a catchable pass that would have given the Eagles a first down inside the red zone, in a four-point loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

Two weeks later, Maclin was stripped while carrying the ball into field-goal range at the end of a one-point loss to San Francisco.

The following week, Jason Avant had the ball ripped away from him twice—one went as a fumble and the other as an interception. That interception took place at the Buffalo 26-yard line, as the Eagles attempted to tie the game with five minutes remaining.

There are no excuses for these plays. The Eagles deserved to lose those games.

However, it's highly unlikely that Maclin and Avant will continue to give the ball away during key fourth-quarter drives.

The playmaking ability is still there. DeSean Jackson and Maclin make up a difficult tandem of speedsters to match up with.

The receiving corps must—and will—play better.

2. Steadying Offensive Line

Jason Peters' return from a hamstring injury will strengthen both sides of the offensive line. Having the Pro Bowler back at left tackle allows Todd Herremans to slide back to the right side.

Peters, Herremans and guard Evan Mathis have all played well this season.

The question marks continue to be rookies Jason Kelce and Danny Watkins.

These two have taken their lumps, but should get better as they continue learning and adjusting to the NFL.

Watkins has been decent since being activated three weeks ago. His progress has been slower than expected, but the Eagles obviously feel he has first-round talent.

Kelce has shown the ability to get out in front of running plays as a lead blocker, and more experience in reading defensive fronts will only help.

The line was a major area of concern, but it looks like this unit might finally be rounding into shape.

3. McCoy as Good as Advertised

LeSean McCoy has been spectacular.

The third-year back has easily been the Eagles' most consistent and productive player. "Shady" has a knack for turning nothing into a four-yard gain. Both his lateral movement and cutback vision are terrific.

McCoy is averaging just under 100 rushing yards per game despite having a total of just 20 carries during Weeks 4 and 5.

Andy Reid is notorious for not committing to the ground game, but in Week 6, McCoy got 28 carries. That number is probably a little high, but it's nice to see the dynamic back getting work.

The Eagles offense is at its best when McCoy sees at least 20 carries to go along with his receptions out of the backfield. 

4. Add Brandon Graham and Cole to D-Line

The Eagles' defensive front will receive several boosts in the coming weeks.

Trent Cole has returned to practice and is expected to be ready to go this week. He got off to a great start this year before going down with a calf strain.

Cole is one of the team's best pass rushers and was one of the few bright spots in stopping the run early on. The defense will be happy to have its best player and leader back on the field.

Also returning to action will be last year's first-round pick Brandon Graham.

The Eagles have three weeks to decide whether or not to activate Graham from the PUP list, but after he performed well in Monday's practice, it seems he'll be active soon.

Graham is coming off an ACL injury and microfracture surgery, so it will likely take some time for him to regain his strength and explosiveness.

Anything that Graham can add to the pass rush of Cole, Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins will be gravy.

5. Kurt Coleman

Kurt Coleman has had a roller coaster ride of a season.

After being named an opening game starter, Coleman found himself on the bench after missing several key tackles and proving ineffective in both coverage and run support.

Coleman got a second chance to start in Week 6 due to Jarrad Page's struggles. He got the opportunity to reassert himself and made the most of it, hauling in three interceptions.

He will not be a game-changing player most weeks, but the Eagles only need Coleman to be steady.

Coleman simply has to make the routine tackles. The big plays on this defense will come from the defensive ends and cornerbacks.

6. Nate Allen

Nate Allen was the Eagles second-round pick last year and was brought in as an immediate starter. He played well in 2010 before going down with a knee injury.

While battling tendinitis in his knee during the early parts of the season, Allen clearly wasn't at full speed.

Now, he is starting to be the consistent player that the Eagles need. He recorded 13 tackles against the Bills, then snatched an interception against the Redskins.

Allen has the skills to be a big contributor for this defense.

Having stability from Coleman and Allen would go a long way in helping the Eagles' corners to establish a rhythm.

7. Let Nnamdi Be Nnamdi

The Eagles' biggest splash in an offseason full of moves was the signing of Nnamdi Asomugha.

Bringing in the All Pro to play across from Asante Samuel gave Philadelphia one of the best cornerback tandems in the league.

Through six games, the duo has not been the dominant force that many expected.

In Oakland Asomugha often faced the opposition's top receiver man-to-man throughout the game. However, with the Eagles, he has been used all over the field in a variety of coverage schemes.

The Eagles seem to have finally realized that this is not the best plan. Defensive Coordinator Juan Castillo has said that the team will simplify things for Asomugha, since he did not get a full offseason of reps to learn this defense.

It sounds ridiculous to blame the offseason, but Castillo is right about cutting down Asomugha's responsibilities.

Let Asomugha do what he does best and shut down a single receiver.

With more man-to-man looks, expect him to be the same dominant player he was in Oakland. 

8. Stability at LB

The Eagles' linebacker play has been extremely poor this year. This unit has nowhere to go but up.

Rookie Casey Matthews was overmatched from day one and was finally moved to the bench. This allowed Jamar Chaney to move back into the middle, a more comfortable position for him.

Rookie Brian Rolle moved into the lineup at the weak-side position and has proven to be the best option there. Rolle is undersized, but still brings a physical style of play and better coverage skills than his teammates.

The linebacker unit will be a weak spot all year long, but at least each player will now have a chance to settle into his role.

After shuffling bodies to different positions, as well as in-and-out of the lineup, the current stability should help.

9. More Experience for Rookie Kicking Game

No matter how accomplished a player is in college, it's risky to pair a rookie punter and rookie kicker, but that's just what the Eagles have done.

They removed the transition tag from David Akers, let Sav Rocca walk and hitched their wagon to a pair of first-year players.

Alex Henery missed two field goals during the loss to the 49ers.

Although every kicker misses, both of Henery's misses came at bad times. He missed on consecutive possessions in the third and fourth quarters as the Eagles tried to extend their lead to nine points. Both of these attempts came from within 40 yards.

Henery has the leg, but inconsistency has plagued him all the way back to training camp. Obviously, against San Francisco the pressure got to him. That's the risk that comes with young kickers.

The Eagles rookie must settle in and deliver for a team that has a tendency to stall in the red zone.

10. Defensive Adjustments

The puzzling promotion of Juan Castillo has proven disastrous thus far.

Pairing an inexperienced coordinator with a new defensive line coach has meant bad things for the Eagles' run defense.

Even with inadequate linebackers, the coaching staff needs to show the ability to adjust and correct its weaknesses.

After five weeks, the Eagles finally made needed changes against the Redskins.

The much-discussed wide-nine technique was tightened up, and the Eagles held Washington to only 3.0 yards per carry.

Teams will still try to abuse Philadelphia on the ground, but it was encouraging to see the coaching staff trying to adjust.