The Eagles kick off their 2022 NFL season this Sunday and the energy has never been more contagious. So much so that national football analysts are all very high on the Eagles which could be a good thing but also a bad thing due to unnecessary spotlight. Still, it should be an interesting season nonetheless.
The great writers of our Eagles team at Philly Sports Network have decided to add on to the energy with some predictions of our own. Here are our 2022 record predictions for the Eagles:
Liam Jenkins
Record prediction: 11-6
This is going to be a big season for Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles. With an explosive offense comprised of playmakers and pals, the window for excuses is over. It’s now time to see how far Hurts has come this offseason through ignoring the rat poison and building a bond with his new offense.
On defense, the same can be said for Jonathan Gannon, who is under the spotlight. In a similar position to Hurts, he came under plenty of criticism in 2021 but his defense has been revamped more than he could’ve dreamed of. He now has to harness the talent.
When all is said and done, this isn’t all-or-nothing for the Eagles. If things don’t pan out, they have enough draft capital to find their franchise QB and will have enough conviction to part ways with a coordinator if needed. However, they have one of the easiest schedules in football, are at a level pegging with the Cowboys as far as the race for the NFC East goes, and are trending in the right direction.
If the Eagles can go one step further than the wildcard round, this season will be considered a success. But if they miss the playoffs, it still sets them up for an even bigger launch into the postseason stratosphere down the road.
Bryan Cameron
Record prediction: 11-6
So if you listened to this week’s Flippin’ the Birds then you’ll notice that I’m going back on my previous prediction of 12-5. While that record is very much possible, I’ve thought about the growing pains that the team will go through with their newest members. How long would it take for A.J. Brown to be A.J. Brown? How does Chauncey Gardner-Johnson fit this defense?
Then there are the injury concerns: can the offensive line stay healthy? Will Jalen Hurts be able to protect himself outside of the pocket? Is it possible for Miles Sanders to play a full season? There are so many questions that can be only answered throughout the season.
With that being said, I’m strongly convinced that this team will win the NFC East and head into the playoffs as the number one seed or number two. If the Eagles can get home field advantage in the playoffs then they become a much more difficult opponent. With a rising star in Jalen Hurts and a head coach like Nick Sirianni, I think this team can win about 11+ games this season.
Nick Faria
Season Prediction: 11-6
*Wild Card Berth and NFC Divisional Round
Nothing less than a double-digit win season, and a playoff win will save Jalen Hurts’ job going into 2023. The Eagles have enough talent on their roster to win multiple playoff games depending on their matchup. The schedule is very favorable, but the Eagles will need to start fast: both in games, and in the early parts of their schedule.
Tommy Orne
Season Prediction: 10-7 & NFC East Champs
I think the Birds could hit their Week 7 Bye at 4-2. The first leg of their schedule is… forgiving. That’s when things get a little tougher. Matchups with the Washington Commanders and New York Giants bookend a brutal three-week stretch that features the Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers, and Tennesee Titans.
You can also bet on a split with the Dallas Cowboys, and I think our old friend Carson Wentz steals a win somewhere along the way. All I can say is god bless the AFC South.
Pierre Baptiste Jr.
Season prediction: 12-5
This Eagles roster is their most talented since their Super Bowl win in 2017. They’ve improved on both sides of the ball and have created a seemingly perfect environment for QB Jalen Hurts to develop in and progress. Looking around the division, Dallas has lost several key pieces, Washington added Carson Wentz but their roster still has a ton of holes, and the Giants QB is still Daniel Jones. The Eagles should compete for the NFC East and with an improved roster and a situation ripe for development for their 3rd year QB, they will.
Ethan Rappleye
Season prediction: 12-5
I believe the Eagles will be able to take the next leap forward this year get back to the top tier of NFC teams. I predict a 12 win season in 2022, made possible by a well rounded team. The roster is littered with elite talent at important positions, like offensive and defensive line, wide receiver and corner back. The only question left is really at quarterback, and I’m optimistic that Jalen Hurts can improve enough from last year to make the Eagles a top contender in the NFC.
Colin Newby
Season Prediction: 9-8
Howie Roseman upgraded positions of weakness on the roster with an eventful offseason for a team that made the postseason with a 9-8 record in 2021. The logical expectation is for for the Eagles to take the next step and reenter a position as a serious contender, but progress in the NFL is rarely linear.
The 2021 Eagles feasted on weak opponents with overmatched quarterbacks during their late-season winning streak. They exposed themselves as a team who didn’t belong in the conversation with the rest of the NFC playoff teams during an embarrassing loss in the NFC Wild Card Round to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In 2022, a revamped defense needs to prove they can get the job done against more formidable competition. Jalen Hurts will need to show he can handle an offensive game plan that will likely revolve around the passing game significantly more than it did in the second half of 2021. Neither has happened yet, so it’s hard to identify the Eagles as contenders.
The Eagles have a better roster than they did in January, but they will need time to gel before they actually establish themselves with the teams they fell well short of last season. Anticipated weaknesses in the schedule aren’t a reason for optimism, as things change in the NFL too quickly to predict how teams will look on a weekly basis.
It’s possible the Eagles become a much stronger team in 2022 than they were in 2021 while the fortuitous bounces don’t inflate their record again. If progress is truly there in 2022, a team that enters the NFC Wild Card Round with a 9-8 record will be better equipped to win a playoff game.
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
