NFC East Schedule Analysis: Eagles
Eagles 2020 Schedule Analysis
With the NFL finally releasing the 256-game regular-season slate for 2020, it’s time to look ahead and predict how teams will fare. Here is this year’s schedule analysis for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Last Year’s Record: 9-7
Last season, the Eagles had one of the most injury-ravaged rosters in the entire league. Despite that, they still managed to stumble into the playoffs, ultimately falling to the Seahawks in the first round. Philadelphia has made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons, but an extremely difficult schedule stands between them and a continuation of the streak. Can they handle it?
Schedule:
Week 1
@ Washington (9/13, 1:00pm)
Week 2
vs. LA Rams (9/20, 1:00pm)
Week 3
vs. Cincinnati (9/27, 1:00pm)
Week 4
@ San Francisco (10/4, 8:20pm)
Week 5
@ Pittsburgh (10/11, 1:00pm)
Week 6
vs. Baltimore (10/18, 1:00pm)
Week 7
vs. NY Giants (10/22, 8:20pm)
Week 8
vs. Dallas (11/1, 8:20pm)
Week 9
BYE
Week 10
@ NY Giants (11/15. 1:00pm)
Week 11
@ Cleveland (11/22, 1:00pm)
Week 12
vs. Seattle (11/30, 8:15pm)
Week 13
@ Green Bay (12/6, 4:25pm)
Week 14
vs. New Orleans (12/13, 4:25pm)
Week 15
@ Arizona (12/20, 4:05pm)
Week 16
@ Dallas (12/27, 4:25pm)
Week 17
vs. Washington (1/3, 1:00pm)
Most Intriguing Game: Week 6 vs. Baltimore
Since they only take place once every four years, interconference games tend to have more intrigue. Last time the Eagles and the Ravens went at it, a rookie Carson Wentz went toe-to-toe with Joe Flacco in a game that came down to the wire. This time, it’s completely different. The Eagles have since won a Super Bowl, and Wentz has become one of the premier passers in the game. On the other hand, Baltimore drafted MVP QB Lamar Jackson and put together a record-setting offense last season. If the Eagles can topple Baltimore, a team that went 14-2 last year, it will provide some important momentum for the rest of their schedule. This game will also mark the end of an important litmus test for Philadelphia. In the three-week stretch including this game and the two before against San Francisco and Pittsburgh, they will have faced three of the top five defenses from last year.
Most Important Game: Week 16 @ Dallas
This year, the Redskins and the Giants shouldn’t pose much of a threat to the Eagles for NFC East supremacy. Dallas, however, should be a problem as usual. They’ve underwhelmed for a team with a roster of their caliber, but they still have a combined winning record over the past two seasons, including a division championship in 2018. After adding CeeDee Lamb, their offense could reach another level, a scary sight for any defense. Expect Week 16’s clash to serve as the de facto NFC East championship.
Most Important Stretch: Weeks 11-16
I expect the Eagles to come out of the first ⅔ of the season in prime position to secure a high seed. The following six weeks could pose a huge problem to their spot in the playoff race. In that span, they face an absolute murderer’s row: Cleveland, Seattle, Green Bay, New Orleans, Arizona, and Dallas. If the Eagles can enter this stretch 6-3 or better, they should be fine coming out of it. An early-season stumble, though, could spell doom for Philadelphia. I fully expect them to handle Arizona and Green Bay (who simply wasn’t as good as their 2019 record indicated), but my enthusiasm doesn’t carry over to matchups against Seattle and New Orleans. Seattle especially has been a thorn in the Eagles side: Philadelphia hasn’t beat them since 2008.
Prediction:
The Eagles should be able to sweep the Giants and Redskins while splitting with Dallas, bringing them to 5-1 in the NFC East. Out of the brutal five-game stretch mentioned above (excluding Dallas), I expect the Eagles to win three of them, bringing their record to 8-3. I believe Philadelphia can handle the other tough stretch against Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and Baltimore, winning two of those and bringing their record to 10-4. A surprise loss to either Cincy or LA in the first three weeks will bring them to 11-5, just enough for a division title.
Scheduling information comes from the Eagles’ official website, and statistics come from Pro Football Reference.
Writer