Predicting Rest of Philadelphia Eagles Schedule: NFC's No. 1 Seed?
PHILADELPHIA – Nine down, eight to go for the Philadelphia Eagles.
The final three look like layup wins, against the sad-sack New York Giants, who lost all three games to the Eagles last year, including in the divisional round of the playoffs, and the one-win (so far) Arizona Cardinals.
So, chalk up three wins there, and the Eagles are sitting at 11 wins. The over-under in many of the betting odds leading into the season was 11.5 wins.
Hope you took the over, because the odds are now up to 12.5 wins and you know the Eagles will find at least one victory in what will be a gauntlet of epic proportions over the ensuing five weeks once they emerge from Sunday’s Week 10 bye.
What would a suitable record be for a five-week stretch that has three road games and goes at Chiefs, home Bills, and 49ers, at Cowboys, at Seahawks?
Could they find a way to match last year’s franchise record for most wins in a regular season with 14 and, dare we think it, better that and make it to 15?
Read on and see my thoughts:
NOV. 20, at KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: Ah yes, a Monday night rematch of Super Bowl LVII and the Chiefs’ 38-35 win. Both teams are coming off a bye week, and that right there is advantage Chiefs, specifically Andy Reid. KC’s coach is an incredible 27-4 coming off a bye. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has less of a track record but is 2-0 coming out of a bye.
Reid has never lost to the Eagles. After leaving them after 14 seasons as their head coach, he is 2-0 against them.
As for the teams themselves, both are flawed, yet both are two of the best the league has to offer.
In picking a winner, my thinking goes like this:
- Will Jalen Hurts fumble away the football to allow a Chiefs defensive touchdown like he did in the Super Bowl?
- Will James Bradberry be called for holding like he was in the waning moments of the big game to allow KC the ability to drain the clock and kick a winning field goal?
- Will the Eagles find a way to win?
My answer to all three is no, no, and no.
Reid’s experience with two weeks to prepare wins out, but barely…
Chiefs 28, Eagles 27
Record: 8-2
NOV. 2 BUFFALO BILLS: The Bills have been maddeningly inconsistent, sporting an unsightly 5-4 record after Week 9. More was expected, but they have had trouble delivering. They may ultimately figure it out and make the playoff run most expected at the start of the season, but they’ll hit a roadblock in Philly.
Eagles 29, Bills 23
Record: 9-2
DEC. 3 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: The 49ers have been waiting for this one considering all the whining they did after getting drilled in last year’s NFC title game. A three-game losing streak left them at 5-3 after eight weeks, but they made a move for Chase Young to bolster an already standout defense. None of it will be enough.
Eagles 30, 49ers 24
Record: 10-2
The Philadelphia Eagles have been the top team in the NFL once again this season.
USA Today
DEC. 10 at DALLAS COWBOYS: The Cowboys missed on several opportunities to win round 1 in this always-fun NFC East rivalry. They won’t miss them this time.
Cowboys 27, Eagles 24
Record: 10-3
DEC. 17 at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: The Seahawks always seems to give the Eagles fits, especially in their very, very far away from Philly home. Actually, it doesn’t seem to matter where the Eagles play the Seahawks, they lose.
In fact, the Eagles haven’t beaten Seattle since a November day in 2008 when Donovan McNabb threw for 349 yards, Brent Celek caught six passes for 131 yards.
Since then, Philly has lost seven in a row to Seattle, including a home wildcard playoff game, the only playoff game former quarterback Carson Wentz started but played less than a quarter after suffering a concussion in that game.
The Eagles don’t lose two in a row often, but this will be one time they will.
Seahawks 22, Eagles 21
Record: 10-4
DEC. 25 NEW YORK GIANTS: Tommy DeVito may still be the starter by now. The Giants would be better with Danny DeVito. The Eagles will deliver a lump of coal for a Christmas gift to an organization that, for the past decade, never gets it right.
Eagles 33, Giants 14
Record: 11-4
DEC. 31 ARIZONA CARDINALS: Raise your hand if you can’t wait to hear the boos that will cascade down for Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon. Arizona is getting Kyler Murray back, so maybe he will help the Cardinals right a ship that was sunk after nine weeks at 1-8. Why bother winning now when you can get a high draft pick?
Eagles 38, Cardinals 17
Record: 12-4
JAN. 7 AT NEW YORK GIANTS:
Rinse and repeat. Jalen Hurts and many starters may not even have to play if Philly has the No. 1 seed in the playoff already locked down.
It won’t matter who plays for the Eagles, New York isn’t a threat.
Eagles 24, Giants 0
Final Record: 13-4
Some notes: The Eagles navigate the schedule gauntlet at 2-3, with all three losses coming on the road…
The Eagles will once again be the No. 1 seed in the playoffs and find their way to the Super Bowl, being held this year in Las Vegas.
