It has been a tumultuous start the season for the Philadelphia Eagles and there are endless critiques and criticisms being fired at the franchise. While they’re mostly valid, teething problems were always to be expected and with such a tough opening slate of games, weaknesses were going to be amplified. The good news is that the team should be over the hump.
Through the opening six games, the Eagles have faced both participants in last years’ Super Bowl, a 5-1 Cowboys team with an offense stacked to the rim with talent, and a Carolina Panthers team on the verge of igniting an exciting new era. Oh, and whatever an Atlanta Falcon is.
No matter how you slice it, that’s an intimidating run of games for a rookie coaching staff and a quarterback starting his first full NFL season.
However, it’s safe to say that the worst of the storm is now behind them and brighter days lie ahead.
Week 7: @ Las Vegas Raiders (4-2)
Week 8: @ Detroit Lions (0-6)
Week 9: Los Angeles Chargers (4-2)
Week 10: @ Denver Broncos (3-3)
Week 11: New Orleans Saints (3-2)
Week 12: @ New York Giants (1-5)
Week 13: @ New York Jets (1-4)
Week 14: BYE
Week 15: Washington Football Team (2-4)
Week 16: New York Giants (1-5)
Week 17: @ Washington Football Team (2-4)
Week 18: Vs Dallas Cowboys (5-1)
Collective record: 26-35
Starting off with a game against the Raiders who are dealing with a world of problems off the field, the Eagles will begin an 11-game stretch in which six of the opponents currently have a record worse than .500. Depending on how you feel about the team, this is either great news, or terrible. If you’re hyper-focused on the Draft and nothing else, the idea of winning the next 4-5 games could be horrifying. But the truth of the matter is, with a trio of first-rounders in their back pocket, it would be more beneficial that this team finds an identity and the front office able to gauge what they have to work with, then them get blown out week after week.
The Eagles, albeit messily, have shown some real resilience over the past month and have fought until the bitter end in each of their matchups against much tougher opponents. This is a positive sign and providing that Nick Sirianni can keep the fire burning, they should at the very least be able to go head-to-head with some of the easier opponents remaining on the schedule.
Making life even brighter is the fact that five of those games come against divisional opponents. If we take the Cowboys out of the equation, the Giants and WFT are currently 3-9 combined. There is every chance that the Eagles can shutout their divisional rivals in a late wildcard surge, forming the identity of an Eagles team fans should be more than excited about the potential of.
It’s been tough watching the Eagles get progressively beaten down over the last three weeks through a series of losses mired with poorly-disciplined play and a ton of mistakes. With the sun now rising, there’s a chance we see the Eagles get back up and swing again, and find their footing as the season continues. That’s not to say that the team will suddenly be blowing out opposing teams and going on undefeated runs, but there’s a chance that the morale receives a huge boost with a series of very winnable games lying just around the corner.
Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire
