"We haven't accomplished anything yet." Jalen Hurts' postgame quote following the Eagles' win over Houston on Thursday night is largely true. The win propelled the Eagles to the franchise's first 8-0 start, but other than that, Hurts and his teammates have a lot of work ahead of them if they are ultimately join the 2017 Eagles as Super Bowl champions.
That being said, Philadelphia's win over Houston did put put them in a small category of teams that have started 8-0. Since the start of the Super Bowl era, 29 teams, including the 2022 Eagles, have won at least eight games before losing their first game. Of the 28 previous teams, 15 reached the Super Bowl, with eight of those teams ending the season with the Lombardi Trophy in tow.
Here's a look at each 8-0 NFL team since the start of the Super Bowl era.
| Started | Finished | Won Super Bowl? | |
|---|---|---|---|
1969 Rams | 11-0 | 11-3 | No |
1972 Dolphins | 14-0 | 14-0 | Yes |
| 1973 Vikings | 9-0 | 12-2 | No (lost to Dolphins) |
| 1975 Vikings | 10-0 | 12-2 | No |
| 1977 Cowboys | 8-0 | 12-4 | Yes |
1984 Dolphins | 11-0 | 14-2 | No (lost to 49ers) |
1985 Bears | 12-0 | 15-1 | Yes |
| 1990 49ers | 10-0 | 14-2 | No |
| 1990 Giants | 10-0 | 13-3 | Yes |
1991 Washington | 11-0 | 14-2 | Yes |
1998 Broncos | 13-0 | 14-2 | Yes |
| 2003 Chiefs | 9-0 | 13-3 | No |
| 2005 Colts | 13-0 | 14-2 | No |
| 2006 Colts | 9-1 | 12-4 | Yes |
2007 Patriots | 16-0 | 16-0 | No (lost to Giants) |
| 2008 Titans | 10-0 | 13-3 | No |
2009 Colts | 14-0 | 14-2 | No (lost to Saints) |
| 2009 Saints | 13-0 | 13-3 | Yes |
2011 Packers | 13-0 | 15-1 | No |
| 2012 Falcons | 8-0 | 13-3 | No |
| 2013 Chiefs | 9-0 | 11-5 | No |
| 2015 Bengals | 8-0 | 12-4 | No |
| 2015 Patriots | 10-0 | 12-4 | No |
2015 Panthers | 14-0 | 15-1 | No (lost to Broncos) |
| 2018 Rams | 8-0 | 13-3 | No (lost to Patriots) |
| 2019 49ers | 8-0 | 13-3 | No (lost to Chiefs) |
| 2019 Patriots | 8-0 | 12-4 | No |
| 2020 Steelers | 11-0 | 12-4 | No |
| 2022 Eagles | 8-0 | ? | ? |
As you can see, recent teams that managed to start 8-0 haven't fared well as far as winning the Super Bowl is concerned. The last 11 teams to start 8-0 were not standing at the Super Bowl championship podium at season's end. The 2019 Patriots and 2020 Steelers didn't even win a playoff game after their strong starts. The 2018 Rams, 2018 49ers and 2018 Rams made it to the big game before ultimately coming up short.
Injuries have played a significant factor in recent teams coming up short after strong starts. The Eagles' impressive depth, however, should allow them to handle possible injuries better than some of the other recent teams that faltered after strong starts. Philadelphia recently added to their depth by acquiring former All-Pro pass rusher Robert Quinn before the deadline. Quinn joins an Eagles defense that is currently fourth in the NFL in points allowed. The unit has been led by defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, linebacker Haason Reddick, and defensive backs C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Darius Slay and James Bradberry.
Philadelphia's defense has been complemented by an offense that is currently third in the NFL in scoring. The unit has been led by quarterback Jalen Hurts, whose strong start to the season has generated considerable MVP buzz. Hurts added two more touchdown passes to his season tally on Thursday night, A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert were on the receiving end of Hurts' touchdown passes, while running back Miles Sanders also found the end zone during the Eagles' most recent win of the season.
While the Phillies were unable to take care of business on Thursday night (losing to Houston in Game 5 of the World Series), the Eagles were able to defeat Houston while keeping their undefeated season alive. The Eagles now have 10 days before their next game, a home date with the Commanders in front of a "Monday Night Football" audience.
"I know it's special for the city of Philadelphia," Hurts said of the Eagles' 8-0 start, via NFL Media. "I mean, I've been 8-0 before and lost the national championship. Just take it day by day. Take it day by day. We haven't accomplished anything yet. It's a day-by-day thing of us controlling things we can, playing to our standard and trying to grow every day. I think that's truly what it's about."
