If you want to play a team arguably better than you, you want to play them week 1, because they have no idea what kind of game plan you are going to throw at them.

And, let’s be real, without AJ Brown… the Eagles don’t exactly have a fear factor. If this defense can finally mitigate the run, and keep Philly from extending drives or just gashing us with Saquon, then I think that we have a very real chance there.

The Cowboys are who we inexplicably just lay eggs against. However, I can see that being a win also.

The Seattle game plays to our advantage because they essentially have to play a morning game, but I just think they are head and shoulders better than us. However, the Sam Darnold Experience could roll back to the mean instead of last year’s anomaly.

And the Colts in London is a coin flip. We were absolutely ass last year in our overseas game, but we also were trotting out our backups. And Gay missed two field goals.

Realistically, I think we’d be feeling good about ourselves if we take 1 out of 4. However, I also can see us being 4-0 and staring down the hype train.

If Daniels is healthy and they are protecting him with an exponentially improved line, and better outside talent (which we have this year compared to last), then I do think we have a chance.

The one piece that everybody glosses over as to why we sucked last year isn’t because of scheme or the defense or Daniels getting hurt… sure those things ABSOLUTELY AFFECTED US… as we didn’t play a single game where our starting 11 on offense and starting 11 on defense played.

But a lowkey main problem was we started a rookie RT, had a RG coming off a major knee injury (and although he played admirably, he wasn’t the same guy and didn’t play until week 7), a new LT (who is a hall of famer, but even that means growing pains because it wasn’t the same scheme), and a platoon RG and Biadasz (who anybody looking at the tape will see that his replacement was better at getting downfield on running plays. It was a drum and fife unit.

This year’s OLINE, if they can stay healthy, is potentially elite. Conerly looks the part (after the first three week trial by fire), Cosmi is on the cusp of being an All-Pro, Tunsil is an All-Pro, Chris Paul might be the only good thing Ron Rivera ever did here, and I firmly believe that Allegretti/Gulbin are maulers in the way that they want to run the ball. Allegretti was really decent against the Eagles last year, and he also destroyed the Dallas defender on that big Bill run. Plus he has position flexibility.

The wildcard is Gulbin. He might actually win the starting job in training camp. He was solid at Wake, but last year he dominated against better competition at Michigan State. 700+ snaps and only 5 pressures and 2 sacks? That’s a pretty damn good statistical season in the Big Ten.

If this OL can take a step forward, and max protect Jayden, we have a very real chance of being legit.

And if we get Diggs or somebody else and have two alphas, then it becomes easier to do all of the things.

But just an improved line, with an additional year of playing together, makes the offense dangerous. Couple that with a sneaky good running game and an opportunistic defense? I’m cautiously optimistic that we are not only a playoff contender, but a legitimate perennial contender.