The Eagles Road to the Playoffs
The Eagles came into the season with high goals set for this team, win the division, make a playoff run, hell even the Super Bowl was brought up.
We even went into halftime of the opener in Washington thinking we had an MVP candidate at quarterback.
Then it all started falling apart, the Football Team came back and spoiled our opener, Wentz has been turning the ball over at an alarming rate, we’ve been decimated on offense due to injuries, and our linebacking core is poor, to put it nicely. We tied the Bengals but then almost came back against the Steelers and Ravens, we almost lost to the Giants but completed a comeback late and the Cowboys win was just an ugly game all around.
And yet, the Eagles come off the bye week with a game and a half lead for first place in the NFC East, a healthier offense (Sanders is coming back is HUGE), a star in the making (Fulgham), and hopefully a rejuvenated team for the second half of the season.
In looking at the remaining 8 games, here is the absolutely 100% correct way the season is going to play out which will have the Eagles winning the division and making the playoffs.
Week 10 @ New York Giants
With Eagles coming off a bye and getting Miles Sanders and Lane Johnson back in the lineup, the Birds should have no problem going up to MetLife and winning this game. However, the Giants are playing good football for a team that is 2-6.
They coughed up a late lead here in Philadelphia, they hung with Tampa Bay on Monday Night and they were able to hang on this past Sunday against Washington to secure their second win of the season. While I think it will be tighter than we expect, the Eagles have enough firepower back on offense to win a key divisional game in New York.
WIN 4-4-1
Week 11 @ Cleveland Browns
The Browns are coming off a bye this past weekend also and are one of the most confusing teams in the NFL. Is Baker good? Is he better without OBJ on the field?? Time will tell that answer because Beckham Jr. is out for the year with a torn ACL but it appears that the Browns will have their dynamic duo at running back, back for the game against the Eagles with Nick Chubb working his way back into practice this week.
Even with the return of Chubb, I do not think Mayfield is good enough to beat this Eagles’ defense and the Eagles’ offense should have a big day in Cleveland.
WIN 5-4-1
Week 12 vs Seattle Seahawks
Even before the season started, this was the three week stretch of hell that the Eagles would have to endure and it will start with Seattle. Including last season’s post-season loss to Seattle, the Eagles are 0-6 in their last six meetings against Seattle. Russel Wilson has had an unbelievable first half of the season even though he had a subpar game last week in Buffalo.
While I think this game is much closer than people will expect because of Seattle’s terrible defense, I do not see the Eagles being able to break the Seattle curse and they fall to 0-7 in their last seven against them.
LOSS 5-5-1
Week 13 @ Green Bay Packers
The Eagles move on from MVP candidate Russel Wilson to facing MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. Last year the Eagles shocked a lot of people by going into Green Bay on a short week and beating the Packers thanks to a last-second pass breakup by Craig James.
This is another week where the game will be closer than expected because the Packers’ defense is also suspect, but I see Rodgers outdueling Wentz and dropping the Eagles below .500 again.
LOSS 5-6-1
Week 14 vs New Orleans Saints
To finish off the Eagles three weeks of hell, the NFC favorites (as of 11/10) come into town with an offense that looks like it is finding its groove and a defense that will be fired up to help Malcolm Jenkins win a road game against his former team. My fear is that this game will be similar to 2018, 48-7, beat down in New Orleans and Philadelphia will be on fire before the Eagles’ final three-game stretch of the season.
LOSS 5-7-1
Week 15 @ Arizona Cardinals
Photo: Sarah Stier/Getty Images
So if my predictions are accurate, the Eagles will head to Arizona at 5-7-1, be in complete control of their own destiny, and actually be tied for, if not leading, the division. So while questions about Wentz, Pederson, Roseman, and others will be the topic of sports talk in Philly, the Eagles will be poised to get hot and make the playoffs.
This will start in Arizona where the Eagles defense will shut down Kyler Murray and Darius Slay will take away Nuke Hopkins showing why the Eagles traded for and signed him this offseason. The Eagles offense will start to gain some much-needed momentum in Arizona that will propel them in the two divisional games remaining.
WIN 6-7-1
Week 16 @ Dallas Cowboys
Who knows what the Cowboys will look like in December? The quarterback position is up in the air the defense has had a couple more injuries and the coaching staff is already on the hot seat halfway through year one of the McCarthy era. The 6-7-1 Eagles will roll into Jerry World with a chance to clinch the division with a win and put an exclamation point on the horrible 2020 Dallas Cowboys season. And that is exactly what they’ll do.
The Eagles will go into big D and win the division in blowout fashion. Might even see Wentz with a guitar solo ala McNabb (please do not do this @ Carson Wentz).
WIN 7-7-1 (Division Champs)
Week 17 vs Washington Football Team
With the division wrapped up, the Eagles will host the Football Team in their final game of the season. While finishing the season over .500 looks better on paper, I don’t see the Eagles risking injury with their starters given the injury history from this year alone.
Even though most of the starters will sit, Jalen Hurts will get his first career NFL start in Week 17 and will play well enough for the Eagles to win the football game and finish the season at 8-7-1, division champs and ready to host a home playoff game.
WIN 8-7-1
Featured Image: Sarah Stier/Getty Images
Discover more from Philadelphia Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
