August 24, 2018
The results of preseason games may be meaningless, but don't tell that to the oddsmakers setting the lines out in Vegas — or the fans betting on the NFL, depending on how you look at it. After an ugly 5-0 loss to the Browns on Thursday night, it appears faith in the Eagles in on the decline.
The Eagles’ Super Bowl odds have dropped from 8/1 to 10/1, per @BovadaOfficial. pic.twitter.com/ZvpMT91hwO
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) August 24, 2018
[UPDATE: It looks like these odds were actually as of 8/20, so it appears Thursday night's loss to the Browns has not been factored in them. ... h/t to @thebarryman on Twitter for pointing that out.]
Sure, there are some reasons for concern after three straight sloppy losses, but for the most part, the defense has looked just fine. And let's not forget that we're watching an intentionally vanilla offense that's been playing without its starting quarterback, it's top two wide receivers and, in some cases, without its top three running backs. Oh, did I forget its starting, perennial Pro Bowl left tackle?
And for those concerned about the status of the team's starting quarterback, he was seen on the field going through what looked like a more standard pre-game routine, almost as if he was preparing to play.
Could that — combined with his recent return to 11-on-11 drills — mean he's getting closer to a Week 1 return? Perhaps, although that would mean Wentz getting thrown right into live action without any preseason game reps. But don't worry, that's not entirely new territory for the third-year QB. In his rookie year, Wentz was injured in the first preseason game — a game in which he completed 12 of 24 passes for just 89 yards — and then missed three weeks before being named the starter just eight days prior to the opener.
In his first three regular season games, Wentz threw five touchdown passes and no interceptions as the Eagles opened 3-0.
More to the point of this story, the Eagles went 4-0 that preseason and saw their Super Bowl odds increase ahead of the season opener. But after a 3-0 start, the Birds went just 4-9 the rest of the season. And that's simply another reminder not to read too much into the results of these games.
But you already knew that, right?
Some perspective for you... 👀
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) August 24, 2018
Let’s take a look at how preseason success compares to regular season success for the Eagles. pic.twitter.com/4WQC5VBz9y
So go enjoy this beautiful Friday afternoon. The sky is not falling. At least not yet.
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