What Must Go Right For Eagles This Season And What Could Go Wrong

Here are three things that need to go right for the Eagles to win a third straight division title, and three things that could ruin that goal.

Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley at the Eagles public practice at Lincoln Financial Field on Aug. 25, 2026. | John McMullen/Eagles On SI

PHILADELPHIA – It’s game week, with the Eagles preparing to host the Washington Commanders on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Here is a small sample of what to keep an eye on as the season progresses, as the Eagles try to win a third straight NFC East title:

3 THINGS THAT CAN GO RIGHT (Jalen Hurts excluded)

Rediscovering run-game juice. Finding a way to get Saquon Barkley more than the 1,140 yards he ran for last season, a paltry number compared to 2024 when he ran for 2,005, would go a long way. It’s not just about Barkley, though. It’s about finding ways to allow Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley to help, too. It’s a deep position, and Barkley is 29.

O-line health. That didn’t happen last year, and the struggles the offense had were evident. Everybody wants to blame former OC Kevin Patullo, and he has a stake in the failures from a season ago, but the line was a walking MASH unit. This year, it’s all about staying healthy and adjusting to a new scheme from new OC Sean Mannion and new offensive line coach Chris Kuper.

If an injury does occur, the Eagles seem better equipped to handle it in the short term with some good, if unproven, interior depth. If Lane Johnson goes down for any length of time, Markel Bell could be the top option, though it would likely be Fred Johnson, as it has been for the last couple of seasons.

“We've come a long way,” Kuper told reporters last week when asked about the starting five. “Still not there yet in terms of what we're gonna be at the end of the season, but these guys make it really fun to come to work every day. They're very much into their job and mastering their craft, which is kind of what we harp on in the room every day, and they're doing a good job bringing up some of the younger guys.”

Receivers step up. The only two returning players on the roster are DeVonta Smith and Darius Cooper. Everyone else is new to the team- Dontayvion Wicks, Hollywood Brown, Elijah Moore, and Makai Lemon.

“It's a good mix of different guys from different places,” said receivers coach Aaron Moorehead. “We've had a really fun spring and a really fun camp and … the guys we have in this room right now, it's a good group of guys and I think it's gonna be a really fun year.”

Somebody – or several somebodies - will need to replace the production A.J. Brown delivered for four seasons that led to two Super Bowls.

Riq Woolen In Secondary Spotlight

Riq Woolen at Eagles practice on June 2, 2026. | John McMullen/Eagles On SI

3 THINGS THAT CAN GO WRONG (injuries excluded)

Turnovers. Throwing across the middle brings greater risk than throwing outside the numbers. It’s up to Jalen Hurts to know where he’s going with the ball and to get it there without hesitation. He has thrown just 11 picks in the last two years combined, a span covering 542 pass attempts.

Secondary breakdown. The depth behind the top three is suspect, so it is incumbent on All-Pros Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean to be at the top of their game again – and based on their summer, there is no reason to indicate they won’t be – but Riq Woolen needs to show he is the same player he was as a rookie four years ago.

If he can't, then who steps in?

Failure to launch. The Eagles need some production from their first-round pick, Makai Lemon. An injury has slowed his progress, raising concerns about whether he can become the player the Eagles hoped he would be when they traded up for him. With a brand-new room of receivers, some production from Lemon is essential for the team to get where it wants to go.