Final Record Prediction for the 2020 Eagles
Since the 2020 NFL season is set to kick off in just a few hours, it is essential we give a final record prediction for our Eagles.
A lot has transpired for the Birds since the initial schedule release. The Eagles are certainly a different team since May, as they have sustained injuries at key positions, been in the trade rumor mill, dealt with a player mishandling his social media at a sensitive time, and even had to quarantine their head coach for a while…
Sounds like your typical off-season in Philly huh?
Nonetheless, the Birds are prepared for an unusual 2020 season!
Week 1 @ Washington Football Team // 1:00 PM EST
For the third time in four years, the Eagles open up the season against Washington…this time their team just doesn’t have a name! All jokes aside, the Birds should win their opening game.
After losing six straight to Washington, the streak was snapped as the team flipped their fortune and beat the “Football Team” six consecutive times of their own. Wentz has a career record of 5-2 against Washington, with him winning the last five matchups.
Speaking of Wentz, it seems as though he will have a full arsenal of weapons to work with since rookie WR Jalen Reagor will play in the season opener, despite being listed as doubtful earlier in the week.
Fans are probably expecting the Eagles to blow out Washington in Week 1, but that might not be a likely outcome. In 2019, the Birds had a tough time with Washington in both matchups before pulling away late in-game in both respective matchups. Expect Washington’s young defensive line to give the new-look Eagles offensive line some trouble, but the Birds will ultimately prevail and start off the season 1-0.
Score Prediction: PHI: 24, WAS: 13
Week 2 vs Los Angeles Rams // 1:00 PM EST
LA seems to be a mystery team this year.
After a 9-7 season that did not result in a playoff berth last year, many Rams fans recognized the regression in QB Jared Goff’s play, as well as their entire defensive unit.
Sure, the Rams were able to have a solid draft by picking up RB Cam Akers from Florida State as well as WR Van Jefferson from Florida, but will these rookies be enough to substitute the Rams prolific offense that made it to the Super Bowl back in 2018? In our eyes, L.A is on the decline.
It will be interesting to see who Jalen Ramsey matches up against from the Eagles offense…our guess is DeSean Jackson. Although the Rams do have a former Defensive Player of the Year in Aaron Donald on their defense, the Eagles offensive line has done a great job neutralizing Donald the last two times these teams played, with Donald accumulating ZERO sacks in both games. Expect Cox to have a big day against a Rams offensive line that has struggled since the team’s Super Bowl slump.
A win here against the Rams would make the Eagles 3-0 against the Rams in the Doug Pederson era.
Score Prediction: L.A: 17, PHI: 24
Week 3 vs Cincinnati Bengals // 1:00 PM EST
The first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft (Joe Burrow) comes to town in what will be his presumed third career start in the NFL.
Despite the bad wrap that the Bengals get, do not be surprised if their offense makes strides in 2020. A healthy receiving trio of A.J Green, Tyler Boyd, and Tee Higgins are some pretty reliable pass catchers for any QB in the league. Expect to see Slay travel the Bengals top target in Green, while Avonte Maddox will likely mirror the shiftier receiver in Boyd.
The Eagles should win this one handsomely though.
Score Prediction: CIN: 13, PHI: 34
Week 4 @ San Francisco 49ers // 8:20 PM EST
Remember the last time the Birds started off a season 3-0?
The team fell to 3-1 the following week in a one-possession contest on the road…unfortunately we are predicting the same outcome for this team as well.
San Fransisco ran their way to the Super Bowl in 2019 behind their prolific zone run scheme and exceptional offensive line play. Kyle Shanahan will likely not ask his QB Jimmy Garoppolo to do too much again in 2020, but expect him to take a bit of a jump from where he was last season.
In recent memory, Philly has faired well on West Coast with a 3-2 record since 2017, but the Super Bowl runner-ups will likely be too much in this clash of two NFC heavyweights.
Score Prediction: PHI: 10, SF: 20
Week 5 @ Pittsburgh Steelers // 1:00 PM EST
The Eagles hold the all-time lead in the “Battle of Pennsylvania” 48-28-3, with their most recent win coming in Wentz’s third career start back in 2016. This time…the tables might turn.
The Steelers’ defense is what separates them here, although not by much. Who knows what Ben Roethlisberger has left in the tank in his 16th season, especially coming off an injury?
Although it will be a homecoming for Miles Sanders, the Steelers defense will probably take him away and force Wentz to throw the football more than Doug Pederson and company would like. Despite these facts, this game will still be down to the wire.
Score Prediction: PHI: 17, PIT: 20
Week 6 vs Baltimore Ravens // 1:00 PM EST
This week, Lincoln Financial Field will feature two MVP Quarterbacks battling it out in a highly anticipated Week 6 matchup.
Lamar Jackson took the league by storm in his second season last year, much like Wentz did back in 2017. Although these two QB’s do have different skill sets, they are both essential in leading their respective squads to victory. In this game, Wentz will look like the player of old, and help Philly persevere through their two-game slump.
In order to complement the athletic ability of Lamar Jackson, do not be surprised if Jalen Hurts gets a bit more action.
Despite Baltimore having the top-ranked defense in heading into 2020, expect this to be a bit more high scoring than some predict.
Score Prediction: BAL: 26, PHI: 28
Week 7 vs New York Giants // 8:20 PM EST
The New York vs Philadelphia rivalry will add another chapter in a Thursday Night Football clash at the Linc. Luckily, we should not expect the Eagles’ success against the Giants to change.
Philadelphia has not lost to the New York since 2016, in Pederson’s and Wentz’s first game against the Giants. Since then, the Birds have swept the G-men for three consecutive seasons, so do not expect this season to be much different (spoiler alert).
Sure, Saquon Barkley is one of the top two backs in the game, but where are the WINS to show for it? The G-Men do seem to be trending in the right direction with some of their younger guys beginning to flourish, such as Evan Ingram and Darius Slayton, but their squad is no match for the Eagles.
Learning Joe Judge’s system with an abbreviated offseason will be too much for the Giants’ young roster.
New head coach or not, the latter will not prevail against Pederson’s Birds.
Score Prediction: NYG: 17, PHI: 34
Week 8 vs Dallas Cowboys // 8:20 PM EST
Philadelphia’s three-game home stand will conclude against their arch-nemesis Dallas Cowboys on the first day of November, but unfortunately, the Birds will not be on the winning side of the spectrum.
For some odd reason, these two teams typically split their season series no matter the circumstances. Oddly enough, the road teams usually escape with the victories as well (2019 was an exception). We all know that Dallas usually gets off to a fast start, but then crumble later on in the year because of…wait, we might be getting ahead of ourselves here.
The trio of Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and newly acquired CeeDee Lamb might be too much for the Birds to handle during their first matchup, and that’s not even mentioning their All-Pro RB Ezekiel Elliot. The three will be fresh and ready to go since it will still be early in the season, but do not expect the Birds to go quietly into the night.
A field goal will be the determining factor in this one.
Score Prediction: DAL: 27, PHI: 24
Week 9: BYE WEEK
It’s impossible to lose this week!
Week 10 @ New York Giants // 1:00 PM EST
Like the first game, the Eagles will win…but not in blowout type fashion.
Similar to 2019, the Giants will defend the Meadowlands well but will wind up losing the game in the end. We are not expecting a fourth rendition of the “Miracle at the Meadowlands” but the Eagles will escape this one in close fashion.
Score Prediction: PHI: 30, NYG: 27
Week 11 @ Cleveland Browns // 1:00 PM EST
The national media considers this game a toss-up, but here at Eagles Nation, we will give Philly the edge.
Even with a plethora of talent around him, QB Baker Mayfield still found a way to regress in 2019. The former Eagle killer (Odell Beckham Jr.) will bounce back from his 2019 campaign as well. The matchup between Beckham Jr. and Slay will be a must-see T.V for any football fan.
Containing Cleveland’s playmakers will be the key to victory in this matchup. Having reinforcements in the secondary with the aforementioned Slay, and Nickell Robey-Coleman should help the Birds do just that.
Score Prediction: PHI: 27, CLE: 17
Week 12 vs Seattle Seahawks // 8:20 PM EST
For some reason, the Seattle Seahawks have had the Philadelphia Eagles number as of late…do not expect this to change in 2020.
In Deja-Vu fashion, the Seahawks are set to travel to the Linc for the third time in one year, this time on Monday Night Football. When these two teams met last year in Week 12, Seattle squeaked out with a 17-9 win after Wentz and the Eagles woke up on their final drive of the fourth quarter. Wentz had arguably the worst performance of a career, with a 75.8 QBR, paired with 2 INTs and a lost fumble. We all know what happened when happened in the Wild-Card rematch, so there is no need to bring up any bad memories…
Even when Philly traveled to Seattle in 2017, they were not able to win either. Pete Carrol’s teams just seems prepared to play the Birds whenever these squads clash.
Score Prediction: SEA: 24, PHI: 10
Week 13 @ Green Bay Packers // 4:25 PM EST
Although the Eagles were able to squeak one out against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers last year, it is going to be tough to replicate that type of performance in consecutive seasons.
Rodgers is 64-11-1 at home as the Packers starting QB. Despite the lack of playmakers at his disposal, Rodgers always seems to know how to exploit a defense, and check out of a bad play call if necessary. The chemistry between A-Rod and DeVante Adams is lethal, and the Birds has a tough time stopping the two as Adams caught 10 balls for nearly 200 yards last year.
Similar results will likely occur in this contest, except the Packers will prevail victorious this time around.
Score Prediction: PHI: 17, GB: 27
Week 14 vs New Orleans Saints // 4:25 PM EST
Two playoff losses in 2013 and 2018 seem to have sparked a new animosity towards the New Orleans Saints.
Although the Saints have not won or even been to the Super Bowl since that time (cough cough), Sean Payton’s squad always seems to stand in the Eagles way. This time, things will be different…
The Birds have not beaten the Saints since 2016, but the tides will turn this afternoon. Philly will be looking to rebound after another two a game skid, and what better way to do it at home against one of the better teams in the NFC?
Fans or no fans, Lincoln Financial Field will be rocking when the Saints come marching in, and walking out with an L.
Score Prediction: NO: 15 PHI: 21
Week 15 @ Arizona Cardinals // 4:05 PM EST
Many are projecting the Cardinals to be a bit of a dark-horse this year with second-year QB Kyler Murray at the helm. History projects these predictions to be true.
Since 2017, these QB’s have made phenomenal from their first to second seasons:
- (2017) Carson Wentz
- (2018) Patrick Mahomes
- (2019) Lamar Jackson
- (2020) Kyler Murray
Yes, we are placing Murray on the list. The former Heisman Trophy winner has such an athletic skillset, much like the other QB’s on the list featured above. Adding All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins to his arsenal only makes him more of a breakout candidate for the 2020 season.
After an emotional home win against New Orleans the week prior, expect the Eagles to let the fans down when they travel out west to face the potential league MVP in Murray.
Also, the Eagles ALWAYS drop a game or two that they are not supposed to, so this would just be a classic example of the team living up to their history. Eagles will lay an egg against Arizona.
Score Prediction: PHI: 13, AZ: 27
Week 16 @ Dallas Cowboys // 4:25 PM EST
Well, isn’t this what they’ve been waiting for? (Meek Mill voice)
The Philadelphia Eagles will travel to Arlington, Texas to take on Dallas Cowboys in a winner takes all matchup for the NFC East. No team has won the NFC East for consecutive seasons since 2003-2004…and 2019-2020?
Philly will beat Dallas once again in Week 16 to claim their third division title in four years. Whenever the stakes seem high, Dallas is always subjected to self-implosion.
The Cowboys will be able to sneak into the playoffs with a Wild-Card berth, but a division crown will not be in their sites for the 2020 season. We also predicate that Dallas Goedert will have a score, as he typically does against his namesake.
New coach, same ol’ Cowboys
Score Prediction: PHI: 17, DAL: 10
Week 17 vs Washington Football Team // 1:00 PM EST
After the Eagles secured the NFC East in their last game, Pederson will look to sit some of his starters in preparation for the playoffs.
Jalen Hurts will receive his first career start against Washington in Philly’s final game of the season. Hurts should make things happen with his legs in order to escape the pressure from a young defensive line that has improved over the course of the season. Nevertheless, Hurts is a better playmaker than Haskins with more pieces around him, edging the Eagles to victory in this one.
Score Prediction: WAS: 10, PHI: 26
A final win against Washington will cap off Philadelphia’s season with a 10-6 record, and a 4th seed Playoff Berth in the NFC.
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