Game-by-Game Breakdown of the Eagles 2019 Season
The NFL 2019 regular season schedule is official and the staff at PHLEaglesNation is excited and hopeful for a successful season. The team has been busy the past couple of months re-signing, signing and trading for many skilled players to bolster the roster and support Carson Wentz’s attempts to reach his first career playoff game.
This Eagles team is full of game-changing players who look to lead the team to win the NFC East. Before we begin to think about the playoffs, there are 16 regular season games to be played. In this article, our staff contributed our own thoughts and analysis to provide a game-by-game breakdown.
Week 1: vs. Washington Redskins (9/8 1:00 PM) / Result: Win
By: Matt Lupi
Photo via: philadelphiaeagles.com
The Eagles will open up the 2019 season the same way they did in 2017, against the Washington Redskins. This time, at Lincoln Financial Field. In 2017, this matchup was the start to a Super Bowl season, and the emergence of Carson Wentz as an elite quarterback. The Redskins had a quiet offseason, highlighted by signing Safety Landon Collins to a huge deal. Unfortunately, bringing Collins into the secondary will not be enough to slow down the Eagles revamped offense. This is the Eagles home opener and the Philadelphia fans will see Carson Wentz, and new acquisitions DeSean Jackson and Jordan Howard run through the tunnel to kick off the season. The Redskins won’t be able to handle the energy inside the Linc the afternoon of September 8th.
The Eagles will kick off the season with a chance to showcase their talent on both sides of the ball against the divisional foe. Doug Pederson will have a lot of time to create a perfect game plan and give this team a chance to put on a show in front of the home crowd. Looking at the opponent, there are very few players that stand out as threats to the Eagles. Also, last time the Eagles faced Case Keenum, the final score was 38-7. The Eagles begin the season 1-0.
Week 2: @ Atlanta Falcons (9/15 8:20PM) / Prediction: Win
By: Mateus Amaral
Photo via: philadelphiaeagles.com
Falcons Major Offseason Moves: Signed DE Adrian Clayborn (NE), G James Carpenter (NYJ), G Jamon Brown (NYG)
The Falcons have tried to address their offensive line and pass-rushing woes with the signings above, but it remains to be seen whether these journeymen will fix the issues. As things stand right now, their offensive unit should be no match for the Eagles rotation of pass rushers, even with QB Matt Ryan being an expert at getting rid of the ball quickly. He should be highly pressured and the offense, captained by returning OC Dirk Koetter, should have a hard time getting its playmakers on the outside involved.
On the other side of the ball, the Falcons get two high-impact Pro Bowlers back from injury in LB Deion Jones and S Keanu Neal. The good news ends there for the defense though, as DT Grady Jarrett is the only consistent pass rusher the Falcons currently have, with DE Takk McKinley still developing and Vic Beasley having regressed every season since his rookie year. Couple that with a depleted secondary that, despite getting Neal back, lost two starters in CB Robert Alford and slot man Brian Poole, and the offense led by QB Carson Wentz should be very happy with their matchup.
Week 3: vs. Detroit Lions (9/22 1:00PM) / Prediction: Win
By: Lizzie Nguyen
Photo via: philadelphiaeagles.com
The Eagles have yet to play a revamped Lions team under HC Matt Patricia, but the odds are in their favor. If we remember correctly, the Eagles scored 41 points the last time they played against a Patricia defense. However, it’s wise for the Birds to prep their defense against a formidable running back corps that now boasts Kerryon Johnson, Theo Riddick, and recent L.A. import C.J. Anderson.
Week 4: @ Green Bay Packers (9/26 8:20PM) / Result: Loss
By: Matt Lupi
Photo via: philadelphiaeagles.com
The Eagles lucked out with this matchup. Although they have to travel to Green Bay, it will be in the early fall as opposed to the frigid winter which would be difficult for the Eagles to play in. Although the Eagles will be looking to start off the season hot, they may be slowed down by QB Aaron Rodgers and new HC Matt Lafleur. Aaron Rodgers will present a problem for the Eagles defense with his ability to extend the play and find open receivers. On offense, the Eagles will have their hands full too. With Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith and Adrian Amos joining the squad, Green Bay will be tough to score on.
Carson Wentz and the rest of the offense will have enough firepower to keep the game close, but Aaron Rodgers’ late-game experience and home field advantage will be played to the Packers advantage. The Packers have the Eagles number, as they have won 5 of their past 6 matchups. After a hard-fought game, the Packers will hand the Eagles their first loss and they will head home to prepare for the Jets.
Week 5: vs. New York Jets (10/6 1:00PM) / Prediction: Win
By: Matt Modi
Photo via: philadelphiaeagles.com
You would hope that this is one of the games where the Eagles can flex their muscles on a lesser opponent and win without making the fans sweat. Diving into the individual matchups, the Eagles have advantages on both sides of the ball. Specifically by looking at PFF (Pro Football Focus) player grades and using the matchup tool to see individual player matchups. While PFF is not a perfect metric, it is helpful for the broad analysis for this matchup. All of the ratings below are out of 100. Assuming a 3 wide receiver set:
• Alshon Jeffery (79 rating) goes against Trumaine Johnson (74.9 rating)
• In the slot Nelson Agholor (64.7 rating) is matched up against Brian Poole (61.7 rating)
• DeSean Jackson (79.4 rating) lines up opposite Darryl Roberts (68.9 rating)
The Eagles have the advantage in all three individual matchups and as a group with their top 2 wide receivers rating higher than the Jets top CB. They should not have any issues moving the ball.
On the defensive side of the ball, this is a game where the Eagles line should feast. Fletcher Cox (92.5 rating) and Brandon Graham (88.4 rating) are the two highest rated players on the Eagles’ defense and happen to go against what was a terrible Jets offensive line in 2018. Individual grades can be tough on offensive linemen because we don’t necessarily know what the assignments were, so let’s take a look at that unit as a whole. According to Football Outsiders, the Jets had the worst ranked rushing offensive line, and were ranked 18th in pass protection. With no notable offseason additions heading into the draft it is safe to assume these trends will continue in 2019. For perspective, the Eagles were the 6th ranked rushing defense and 26th ranked pass rush. With the addition of Malik Jackson (70.1 rating as a pass rusher) and the return of a healthy Derrick Barnett back into the rotation, the Eagles should be an improved pass rushing unit.
Notable Additions: Le’Veon Bell, CJ Mosely, Jamison Crowder.
Week 6: @ Minnesota Vikings (10/13 1:00PM) / Prediction: Win
By: Lizzie Nguyen
Photo via: philadelphiaeagles.com
Philly owes Minnesota for giving Eagles fans a boatload of good memories, including a scintillating 38-7 win in the 2018 NFC Championship Game. The Vikings may have re-signed WR Adam Thielen to a massive extension and added a few pieces to their defense in the likes of OLB Anthony Barr and DT Shamar Stephen, it doesn’t cancel out how QB Kirk Cousins is 4-23 against teams with over 9 wins.
Week 7: @ Dallas Cowboys (10/20 8:20PM) / Prediction: Loss
By: Matt Modi
Photo via: philadelphiaeagles.com
Week 7 brings the Eagles to Dallas for a Sunday night showdown. This game comes in the middle of a tough road stretch for the Eagles between games at Minnesota and at Buffalo, respectively. Dallas boasts a talented defense with a lot of young, ascending talent that was ranked 9th in DVOA according to Football Outsiders. Key players on that defense include Jaylon Smith, Leighton Vander Esch, Demarcus Lawrence, and Bryon Jones. According to PFF, Smith was the 4th ranked MLB, Vander Esch the 6th best WLB, and Demarcus Lawrence ranked 9th Defensive End in 2018. These will be tough matchups for the Eagles and their 16th ranked offense from 2018. In both games last year, the Eagles started slowly in the first half scoring a combined 3 points but came on hot in the second half with a combined 40 points. It is my expert opinion that they should try to score more than 3 points in the first half if they want to win this game #analysis.
On the other side of the ball, the key to stopping Dallas will always be containing Zeke, who finished as the 9th ranked rusher in the NFL last year according to Football Outsiders. This is something the Eagles did not do a good job of last year as he averaged 132 rushing yards per game against them. This was normally a strength of the Eagles as they were ranked the 6th best rushing defense and should only be better this year with the addition of Malik Jackson opposite Fletcher Cox. The Eagles will also need to do a better job against Amari Cooper, who torched them for over 200 yards and 3 touchdowns in the December matchup in JerryWorld last year. They are hoping a healthy Ronald Darby (70.6 rating) and an ascending Rasul Douglas (72.5 rating) will be able to do the trick.
Notable Additions: Randall Cobb, Robert Quinn, George Iloka
Week 8: @ Buffalo Bills (10/27 1:00PM) / Prediction: Win
By: Logan Banker
Photo via: philadelphiaeagles.com
Luckily for the Eagles, they will avoid going to the freezing weather in Buffalo late in the season. Instead, on October 27, the Eagles will travel to face the Bills. The Bills had a lot of turnover this offseason, signing 17 free agents, most notably bringing in RB Frank Gore, WR’s John Brown and Cole Beasley, and CB’s E.J. Gaines and Kevin Johnson. Along with the newcomers, the Bills will be mid-way through the second season of Josh Allen’s pro career. Allen isn’t the most prolific passer, throwing for just 2,074 yards in 12 games during his rookie season, but he poses an impressive run threat for a quarterback that can give the Eagles some trouble.
The Eagles will also be facing a former player of their own in LeSean McCoy, which is sure to add excitement to the game. All in all, though, the Bills simply do not have enough talent to compete with the Eagles for a full four quarters. It is also worth noting that the crowd may end up being dominated by traveling Eagles fans, which may make a home game more difficult than usual for the Bills.
Week 9: vs. Chicago Bears (11/3 1:00PM) / Prediction: Win
By: Riley McMahon
Photo via: philadelphiaeagles.com
The final game before the Eagles’ bye week, the Birds will host the Chicago Bears in a rematch of last year’s Wild Card round playoff game. This should be one of the more interesting games of the year, both for fans watching and from an X-and-O’s standpoint. Adding to the storylines of this game is that it is the Jordan Howard Revenge Game. Traded from the Bears to the Eagles this offseason, the Eagles must prove it was worth the trade. This game, similar to how the playoff game went last year, will definitely be on the lower side of scoring for both teams. As each come in with stout defense, it will be up to either Trubisky or Wentz to bring it home for their respective team at the end of this one. This close one ends with a Wentz game winning drive. Eagles get the W, heading into their bye week.
Week 10: BYE WEEK
Photo via: philadelphiaeagles.com
The Eagles will catch some much needed rest after all of these wins thus far.
Week 11: vs. New England Patriots (11/17 4:25PM) / Prediction: Win
By: Nick Alfano
Photo via: philadelphiaeagles.com
In the first game following their BYE week, the Eagles face off against reigning Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots, at Lincoln Financial Field. This marks the third time quarterback Tom Brady has ever played in Philadelphia in his 19-year career (2003, 2011). While the Patriots have been able to fly back to Foxborough with an extra check in their win column following their past two excursions to the City of Brotherly Love, this season’s matchup will end with the Eagles as victors.
The last two times the Birds and Pats were pitted against one another ended in Eagles victories, most notably in Super Bowl LII. Additionally, this season could prove to be the most strenuous Brady has ever endured and playing his first game in Philly after somewhat unanimously being crowned the GOAT should make the NFL’s most hated pretty boy nervous around the Eagles’ ravenous fans. Brady will also be left without who some consider the greatest tight end to ever grace the NFL, the recent retiree Rob Gronkowski. That leaves Brady with a pair of injury-prone 31-year-old receivers and potentially a currently suspended rehab admittee. Things are finally starting to look bleak in New England and the new-look Eagles defense should be able to pounce on the Patriots’ glaring offensive holes in Week 11.
Week 12: vs. Seattle Seahawks (11/24 8:20PM) / Prediction: Win
By: Manny Chang
Photo via: philadelphiaeagles.com
The Seattle Seahawks visit the Philadelphia Eagles at the Linc in this Week 12 matchup on Sunday Night Football. With the richest QB in the league coming to town, the Birds defense will once again need to play huge on this very night. In the last matchup vs the Seahawks in Seattle which was also on SNF in 2017, Russel Wilson threw for 227 yards and 3 touchdowns. Seattle converted on 50% of their 3rd downs and forced two Eagles turnovers.
With an aging/young Seahawks defense on the rise, I see Doug Pederson coming up with a great game plan to neutralize that Hawks D and holds possession for most of the game. As for the defense, I see Jim Schwartz doing what he does best. Blitz, blitz, blitz. Try and make Wilson second guess your coverages by dummy pre-snaps at the line of scrimmage and fake audibles.
Tackling will also be key. You need to bring Wilson down. If you miss on the tackle, he will beat you with his legs for the big play. Eagles win but in a tight one.
This will be the final game in 3 weeks that Philly would have played playoff teams of last season. With a game in Miami vs a rebuilding team the following week, this win at home against the Seahawks, would kick start the Birds momentum heading towards the postseason.
Week 13: @ Miami Dolphins (12/1 1:00PM) / Prediction: Win
By: Manny Chang
Photo via: philadelphiaeagles.com
The Philadelphia Eagles return to Miami for the first time since December of 2011. On that day, Michael Vick was the starting QB with Desean Jackson at WR and Jason Peters at LT. Jackson had 4 receptions for 59 yards and a long touchdown. This time around it will be the Wentz-Ertz show along with D-Jax.
For this week 13 matchup, it will be critical for the Birds to get the victory. The previous three weeks prior to this game, the Eagles will play 3 consecutive playoff teams of last season including the defending Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots. A win here on this sunny day in South Florida will give the Birds an opportunity to build on their overall record and confidence heading into the playoffs.
Going into the game, Philly will be facing a rebuilding Miami squad with a lot of questions on both offense and defense. With Miami’s only Pro Bowler on defense in Xavien Howard, Carson Wentz and company shouldn’t have issues moving the ball up and down the field and putting up points on the scoreboard. As for the defense, I expect lots of pressure on Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick with multiple INT’s along the way. No Fitz-Magic will be occurring today.
Eagles win BIG!
Week 14: vs. New York Giants (12/9 8:15PM) / Prediction: Win
By: Mateus Amaral
Photo via: philadelphiaeagles.com
Giants Major Offseason Moves: Traded WR Odell Beckham Jr., Traded EDGE Olivier Vernon; Lost S Landon Collins to free agency; Acquired S Jabrill Peppers, G Kevin Zeitler (CLE); Signed S Antoine Bethea, EDGE Markus Golden (ARI), WR Golden Tate (PHI)
Big Blue’s front office has done an… interesting job so far this year, to say the least. By failing to move on from 38-year-old QB Eli Manning in the last offseason, the team managed to upset its superstar receiver in Beckham and ended up having to trade him away to the Browns. Now, even as Eli ages, the Giants offense is still loaded with playmakers everywhere, from rookie sensation RB Saquon Barkley to ex-Eagle Golden Tate, to WR Sterling Shepard, who just got paid like the team’s #1 option, and dynamic TE Evan Engram. Their offensive line, which played a lot better in the second half of last season, should be even better after the addition of Zeitler. So, this side of the ball figures to be an intriguing and challenging matchup for the Eagles defense.
However, on the defensive side, as of right now the Giants are a mess. Zero proven pass-rush presence outside of Golden, paired with a lack of experience on the defensive line and underwhelming veterans at the linebacker spots make this front seven a prime candidate to be exploited by new RB Jordan Howard and tight ends Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert. The best position group here is the defensive backfield, with promising players in CB Sam Beal and Peppers, as well as an established star in CB Janoris Jenkins but their talent doesn’t make up for the rest of the unit. All things considered, the Giants defense should not pose too much of an obstacle.
Week 15: @ Washington Redskins (12/15 1:00PM) / Prediction: Win
By: Riley McMahon
Photo via: philadelphiaeagles.com
Come Week 15, the Eagles will take the trip to Washington DC to face the division rival Redskins. In the last two years the Eagles have handled the Redskins with ease, sweeping them 4-0. And this year seems no different. While the draft is still yet to come, the Redskins roster has evident holes on their roster, especially at the QB position. Due to this, along with the firepower of the Eagles offense, this seems a game the Eagles should win with no problem, leading them into another division game against the Cowboys.
Week 16: vs. Dallas Cowboys (12/22 4:25PM) / Prediction: Win
By: Logan Banker
Photo via: philadelphiaeagles.com
Considering how late in the season this matchup is, it may end up being a crucial game for both the Eagles and Cowboys in terms of their playoff fate. Luckily, it will be in Philadelphia, though the Eagles did fall to the Cowboys at home in 2018. The Cowboys lost Cole Beasley and failed to bring in Earl Thomas, who was a long-time coveted target for the team. However, the Cowboys were able to solidify their defensive line after retaining DeMarcus Lawrence and trading for Robert Quinn, and they still have Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliot, and Amari Cooper, among other foundational pieces.
Cowboys-Eagles, which is arguably the best rivalry in football, never fails to produce a great game, and week 16’s matchup should be no different. If everything goes as planned, the Eagles will be fighting for one of the top seeds in the NFC with Carson Wentz at the helm in week 16, and will ultimately get the better of the Cowboys on their home turf.
Week 17: @ New York Giants (12/29 1:00PM) / Prediction: Win
By: Nick Alfano
Photo via: philadelphiaeagles.com
To wrap up the season, the Eagles face their divisional rival, the New York Giants, in Week 17. Given how the NFC East is currently stacking up, this should be a throwaway game between a win-heavy Philadelphia squad and a potentially 0-15 group of G-Men. The entire Giants organization has become the laughing stock of the NFL this offseason with GM and walking dumpster fire Dave Gettleman essentially draining the team of all of their skill position talent in favor of bolstering their offensive and defensive lines and protecting the washed-up corpse of Eli Manning, who currently has same degree of usefulness and owner’s admiration as a pet rock.
The only real threat the Giants currently possess is standout running back Saquon Barkley, who, in all fairness to the Giants organization, gave the Eagles some problems in 2018. However, unless the Eagles need to win this game for the sake of home field advantage, or even (God forbid) a playoff berth, Barkley could rush for 500 yards and 7 touchdowns and it would prove to be ultimately inconsequential. As the division currently stands, this game should allow Nate Sudfeld to earn his paycheck and give some stars and veterans an extra week of rest heading into the postseason.
Final record prediction: 14-2
Featured Photo: Bill Streicher/USA Today Sports
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