Team MVP? Favorite moments? The turning point? Five takeaways from Jeff McLane’s Eagles player survey.

The Eagles regular season has come to a close. Now, the real season begins.

But before the team goes full throttle into the playoffs, Jeff McLane talked to the players in the locker room to conduct his annual end-of-season survey, talking to 45 members of the 53-man roster to get their reflections on the year so far.

Here are five takeaways from the latest episode of unCovering the Birds …

Obviously, most of the team picked Saquon Barkley as Team MVP.

“Everybody knows who the team MVP is — Saquon,” cornerback Darius Slay said.

Other players, like receiver Jahan Dotson, shouted out the offensive line alongside Barkley: “I feel like offensive linemen don’t get the recognition they deserve. … It all starts with them. I feel like they’re by far the best group in the league.”

And Barkley himself picked right guard Landon Dickerson as his own team MVP.

On defense, linebacker Zack Baun got the most mentions, some alongside Barkley and some solo. Defensive lineman Jalen Carter and defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson each received a mention as well.

» READ MORE: Saquon Barkley’s fashion diary: How a former teammate helps the Eagles star pull off perfect gameday styles

The Birds’ season started with the trip down to Brazil to play the Green Bay Packers, now the Eagles’ wild-card opponent. The trip was somewhat controversial for players at the time, but kicker Jake Elliott said in retrospect it was one of his favorite moments of the season and “was a lot more fun than guys made it seem.”

But the game that got the most mentions from players was the Nov. 3 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, with Barkley’s backward hurdle, Nakobe Dean’s game-sealing interception, and incredible catches from DeVonta Smith and Dotson.

Barkley reaching 2,000 yards, the Birds’ close September win over the Saints in New Orleans, and the Nov. 14 game against the Washington Commanders all got mentions as well, and of course, clinching the division title against the Dallas Cowboys.

The bye week came after a bad loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which saw the Birds down 21-0 before the end of the first quarter. But that bye week gave them the chance to refocus and make adjustments — and the Birds promptly ripped off 10 straight wins.

“The coaching was a lot more detailed,” left tackle Jordan Mailata said. “I think that was a difference.”

The bye week was gut-check time for the entire defense as well, after the embarrassing showing in Tampa. They answered that call by becoming the NFL’s top-ranked defense.

“Just looking at yourself in the mirror honestly, and that was with everybody,” safety Reed Blankenship said. “It worked, whatever we did worked, just being real and having uncomfortable conversations.”

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Despite his Pro Bowl nod, many Eagles still picked Baun as their unheralded player of the year.

“Obviously, he’s gotten some recognition, but he’s playing lights out,” Blankenship said. “He should be getting even more stuff talked about him. He’s a freaking phenomenal player, and more than that, he’s a great person too.”

But the Eagles spread the love on this question. Mailata, Carter, Dean, Blankenship, Josh Sweat, Grant Calcaterra, Milton Williams, Mekhi Becton, Kenneth Gainwell, and more all received mentions from teammates as players who don’t get enough recognition.

McLane’s final question asked players about the personal growth they’ve experienced through the 2024 season. A number of players shouted out A.J. Brown for playing an important role in keeping them motivated and helping during the low moments.

“A.J. helped me a lot,” cornerback Isaiah Rodgers said. “A.J. keeps me grounded. A.J, we built a bond. He knows when I’m having one of those days, or when I’m down or anything. We talk a lot outside of the building too. He knows me a little bit better than most people.”

» READ MORE: 14 plays, 14 wins: One key moment from every Eagles win this season

Brown also guides the team through his own example.

“Being able to watch him day to day, because I feel like he is a top, top receiver in this league, arguably the best,” Dotson said. “ … I’m not 100% at the peak of where I want to be, but I feel like coming here was a blessing for me, just to be able to be around someone like him and just see how he goes about it.”

For the full survey and to hear more player answers, listen to the latest episode of Jeff McLane’s podcast, unCovering the Birds.