Eagles Game By Game Predictions
One of the most fun traditions before a new football season is going through your favorite team’s schedule and predicting the result of each game.
Few exercises end up being less accurate however not many are more fun. With the formal introduction out of the way, let’s turn to the Eagles.
Opinions are about as wide-ranging as can be on the Eagles. Some think they are due for a bounce back season while others believe they could be one of the worst teams in the NFL.
Where do I stand? Closer to the former than the latter. If the Eagles are healthy, they are going to be competitive in most games and win more than people think. The problem lies in the realistic hypothetical scenario of not being healthy.
Sure, you could say that’s the case for most NFL teams, but I’d argue it’s especially relevant to the Eagles because the bottom of their roster stinks. A half decade of bad drafting has left them devoid of depth at several key positions including the offensive line, secondary, and receivers.
Still though, I believe that it is going to be a ‘fun’ season in Philadelphia. Expectations are appropriately tempered, but the 2021 Eagles should be able to meet them. Let’s hit the game by game predictions and explore.
Loss (0–1)
I nearly talked myself into a W here. The Eagles have a lot going for them including the better offensive and defensive line, but matching up with Calvin Ridley and Kyle Pitts scares me, especially with Rodney McLeod out. Ridley against Darius Slay, who is one of my least favorite Eagles of the past decade, frightens me in particular. The Eagles start fast and hold a lead for much of the game, however a fourth quarter Falcons drive sets up a game-winning field goal from reliable kicker Younghoe Koo. Nick Sirianni’s coaching debut ends similarly to Andy Reid’s back in 1999, on a last-second field goal loss. Falcons 24, Eagles 23.
Win (1–1)
I am incredibly confident that the Eagles win this game. The 49ers open the season on the road against an awful Lions team. They’re going to be 1–0, and 1–0 teams playing a second consecutive road game typically don’t fare well. Despite the Week 1 loss, a full Linc for the first time since January 2020 greets the Eagles with cheers and remains loud throughout a fun game where DeVonta Smith endears himself to the fan base with a 60 yard touchdown. Eagles roll 30–19.
Loss (1–2)
The Eagles have not won in Dallas since 2017, and I unfortunately expect that to continue here. Even with injuries to La’El Collins and Michael Gallup, their offense is incredibly explosive, which will give a weak Eagles secondary fits. Jalen Hurts plays a strong game but is ultimately unable to keep up with Dak Presoctt as the Cowboys take this one on Monday by a score of 34–24.
Win (2–2)
No, this isn’t some optical illusion. I really wrote that. The. Eagles. Are. Going. To. Beat. The. Chiefs. The Chiefs have an AFC Championship Game rematch the following week and will be looking ahead to that one in a classic trap game. Plus, the Eagles wouldn’t dare lose on my birthday, right? Brandon Graham, Javon Hargrave, and Fletcher Cox take advantage of a Chiefs offensive line still rounding into form. Hurts hits Dallas Goedert for a go-ahead touchdown with three minutes to go. Eagles win 34–31. While they’re only 2–2, this marks the biggest regular season win in at least two years. Angelo’s first four callers on Monday morning drop the ‘S’ word, and I might be one of them while looking up February flights to Los Angeles.
Loss (2–3)
A classic letdown game following an emotional win. Freed from the human straitjacket that was Adam Gase, Sam Darnold is rounding into form and picks apart an overmatched Eagles back 7. An ‘S’ word of the 4-letter variety is uttered frequently during this game as the Panthers take this one 26–14.
Loss (2–4)
It would be incredibly epic if the Eagles took down Pat Mahomes and Tom Brady in a 12-day span. I was tempted to pick it, but the Bucs trio of receivers scared me out of it. The Eagles start fast, but Tom Brady gets rolling midway through the second quarter and the strong Tampa defense closes things out in the second half. Bucs 27, Eagles 20.
Win (3–4)
The last time the Eagles played the Raiders on the road, Nick Foles threw an NFL record-tying seven touchdown passes. Hurts only throws two here, but one is a game-winner to Quez Watkins, who by this point in the season, has fully surpassed JAGlen Reagor in terms of playing time and production. A 28–24 road win in Vegas thwarts some panic in the Delaware Valley for the time being.
Win (4–4)
The Eagles have struggled against Detroit over the past half decade, however this Lions team is worse than most. If you think Nick Sirianni has rough press conference moments, take a listen to Dan Campbell, and that will put things in perspective. Miles Sanders and Kenny Gainwell both total more than 100 yards and a touchdown as the Eagles win quite comfortably by a score of 34–13.
Loss (4–5)
After consecutive road victories, the Eagles appear to be hitting a stride and are greeted by some crisp November weather and a charged up crowd at the Linc. Unfortunately they have Justin Herbert to deal with — my favorite quarterback in the NFL at the moment. He outshines Hurts in an entertaining offensive affair that features several lead changes. Chargers ultimately win by a score of 35–32, bringing the Eagles back down to Earth.
Loss (4–6)
No matter how good or bad the Broncos are, Denver always makes for an incredibly tough place to play, and that proves to be the case once again as the Eagles offense sputters early against a strong Broncos defense. Teddy Bridgewater’s short completions and game management style wear down the Eagles defense over the course of a long afternoon. Broncos win 23–16. While this in the moment is a dejecting game, there is one silver lining. It marks the final time that the Eagles will board a plane during the regular season.
Loss (4–7)
This Saints team is hard to handicap. It’d be a lot easier to make this prediction after taking a month to see how Jameis Winston looks playing under Sean Payton, but that’s not how this business works. Ultimately I think this is a close game that the Eagles play well in but find a way to lose in the fourth quarter following a costly turnover. Let’s say Saints 30, Eagles 27. Dealing with his first 3-game losing streak, Sirianni is grilled in his postgame press conference for alluding to a moral victory, but he might be onto something. Read on for more.
Win (5–7)
It’s no secret that the Giants were eyeing DeVonta Smith in April’s draft and likely would have gotten him had the Broncos not selected Patrick Surtain, which set off a chain reaction of the Cowboys being open to trading back with the Eagles, who jumped ahead of the Giants. Got all that? This one goes to overtime and ends on a Smith walk-off 70-yard touchdown. The typical stoic Smith when asked postgame about the hypothetical scenario of being a Giant shows a rare glimmer of emotion and says ‘I would hate to play for that jackass,’ referring to Joe Judge. Eagles win 29–23.
Win (6–7)
The Eagles are 11–0 all-time against the Jets, and while this will be one of the Jets’ better chances to get off the schneid, I ultimately expect the Eagles to win. I’m not as high on Zach Wilson as some others are and while Robert Saleh is a massive upgrade over Adam Gase, I think it’s going to take him until Year 2 to really get things right. JAGlen Reagor makes himself useful with a punt return touchdown to put this one out of reach. 23–13 Eagles win.
Win (7–7)
The Eagles use the Week 14 bye week following the Jets win to rest up and come out firing at home against Washington. Hurts plays his best game of the season against a strong Washington defense. Terry McLaurin burns Slay for two long touchdowns and continues to show the Eagles what they are missing by selecting J.J. Arcega-Whiteside ahead of him in the 2019 draft, but the Eagles take this on the scoreboard, 35–24. With three games to go, their playoff hopes are alive and kickin as they get back to .500.
Win (8–7)
It is a guarantee whenever the Eagles play the Giants that Boston Scott will be the best running back in the game. You could have Jim Brown come out of retirement, and Scott would still be better. He does it again here scoring two touchdowns. Late in the fourth quarter, Fletcher Cox forces and recovers a Daniel Jones fumble, picks it up, and while running out of bounds fires the ball in the direction of Joe Judge yelling “That’s justice for Nate Sudfeld and Doug Pederson!” A 15-minute brawl ensues, and Judge in his postgame press conference again talks about the Eagles ‘disrespecting the integrity of the game.’ He may want to spend less time worrying about the Eagles and more time worrying about his 4-win football team. Eagles win 31–17.
Loss (8–8)
The 4-game winning streak unfortunately comes to an end in Landover as the Eagles ball back to .500 at 8–8. They have historically struggled against Ryan Fitzpatrick on the road regardless of who he has played for, and that is once again the case here. Chase Young gets the better of Jordan Mailata, who has had a very strong season overall, which leads to a costly Hurts fumble. Washington wins 26–21 as the Eagles surging playoff hopes take a hit.
Win (9–8)
The Cowboys enter the regular season finale at The Linc having already wrapped up the NFC East title, which causes Dallas Week to lose a bit of luster. The Eagles are alive for one of the three wildcard spots but need help in the form of a Panthers or Cardinals loss along with a win themselves, and while they beat a disinterested Cowboys team 27–14, they unfortunately don’t get the assistance they need to get into the dance.
Overall
A fun season that results in a winning record and marked improvement from a disastrous 2020 falls just short of a playoff berth.
Nick Sirianni proves he’s the right man for the job and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon looks like a rising star in the assistant coaching ranks.
Unfortunately though, coaches typically go as their quarterbacks go, and questions about Jalen Hurts’ long-term viability remain. He plays well enough to convince some in the organization that he’s The Guy™ but not well enough to convince everyone that he’s The Guy™.
Russell Wilson? Aaron Rodgers? Deshaun Watson? Spencer Rattler? Someone else?
Armed with three Top 20 picks in the draft due to mediocre seasons from the Colts and Dolphins, the Eagles enter another uncertain offseason as they try to figure out who their Opening Day 2022 starting quarterback will be in order for the team to take the next step and return to the playoffs.
