A Look at Remaining Philadelphia Eagles Schedule

The Philadelphia Eagles are 3-4 at the bye week. There are legitimate concerns with this team, but it’s not all bad. With the Eagles taking a break to recover and reflect, it’s time to look ahead to the rest of the season. Here’s a quick rundown of the remaining matchups on the Eagles’ 2015 schedule.

Week 9 at Dallas Cowboys

Current Opponent Record: 2-4

Pick: Eagles win (4-4)

The Cowboys have lost four games in a row. They haven’t won since they beat the Eagles in a very ugly Week 2 game in Philadelphia. Dallas will likely have Dez Bryant for this game, but they definitely won’t have Tony Romo. Instead, it will probably be Matt Cassel at quarterback. Cassel torched the Eagles defense when he was with the Vikingsin 2013 but that was a long time ago now. Philadelphia’s defense is much better, and I think they’ll be able to beat their rivals to split the season series.

Week 10 vs. Miami Dolphins

Current Opponent Record: 3-3

Pick: Eagles lose (4-5)

I’m wary of putting too much stock in the Dolphins’ last two performances. Sure, they outscored their opponents 82 to 36, but it was against the Titans and Texans. Coaching changes can spark teams, but that new energy can eventually wear off. I think this game could really go either way, so for now I’ll mark it as a loss.

Week 11 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Current Opponent Record: 2-4

Pick: Eagles win (5-5)

The Buccaneers are awful. They blew a 24-point lead to Washington. Lovie Smith is just not a good coach. I feel good about the Eagles’ chances in this one.

Week 12 at Detroit Lions

Current Opponent Record: 1-6

Pick: Eagles win (6-5)

Speaking of awful teams, the Lions are arguably the worst team in the NFL right now. If you think the Eagles offense has been bad, which it has, Detroit’s has been even worse. Watching two bad offenses go at it could be a terrible way to start your Thanksgiving. This game has the making of a punter’s battle.

Week 13 at New England Patriots

Current Opponent Record: 6-0

Pick: Eagles lose (6-6)

The Eagles are going to get smoked. Or maybe not. Maybe the defense will keep it respectable … but I doubt the offense will help out much. Either way, this is definitely a loss.

Week 14 vs. Buffalo Bills

Current Opponent Record: 3-4

Pick: Eagles win (7-6)

LeSean McCoy revenge game? I don’t think Shady will have much success against this run defense, but I bet you he’s looking forward to seeing if he can try. The Bills had a really good start to this season but haven’t looked so hot recently. They’ll be better withTyrod Taylor at quarterback than E.J. Manuel, but I still think this is winnable for the Birds.

Week 15 vs. Arizona Cardinals

Current Opponent Record: 5-2

Pick: Eagles lose (7-7)

I’ve been skeptical of Bruce Arians and the Cardinals in the past, but there’s no denying they’re a legitimate team. They’re going to be pretty tough to beat. Arizona is good on offense and defense.

Week 16 vs. Washington Redskins

Current Opponent Record: 3-4

Pick: Eagles win (8-7)

Kirk Cousins will inexplicably have a big day against this Eagles defense because of course. But then he’ll throw a pick-six in overtime for a Birds win.

Week 17 at New York Giants

Current Opponent Record: 4-3

Pick: Eagles win (9-7)

Chip Kelly owns the Giants. He’s 4-1 against them. The Eagles have outscored New York by an average of 131 to 69 in that span, which averages out to 26.2 to 13.8 per game.

…

PLAYOFFS?

Maybe. The NFC East is pretty weak so 9-7 might be good enough to win, especially if the Eagles beat the Giants twice and get the head-to-head tiebreaker there. Will the Eagles actually do anything in the playoffs? Not the way they’re playing now, no. But sometimes all it takes is making it to the post-season and getting hot at the right time, so who knows?

9-7 is the optimistic end of the spectrum for this prediction. I think the Eagles will realistically finish somewhere within the 7-9 to 9-7 range.