The NFL released its schedule for the upcoming season, here’s a look at who the Eagles will be squaring off against in the coming year.
Week 1: Monday September 9th @ Washington 7:10 pm
The Eagles open the season on Monday night, with a tough matchup on the road against the Washington Redskins. How healthy will RG III be by the time the season starts?
Week 2: Sunday September 15th vs San Diego 1:00 pm
The home opener will be played against the Chargers, who are now coached by Mike McCoy.
Week 3: Thursday September 19th vs Kansas City 8:25 pm
You knew Andy Reid’s return to Philadelphia would draw a prime-time slot early in the season.
Week 4: Sunday September 29th @ Denver 4:25 pm
The first of a season-long three games on the road begins with a difficult trip out west to face Peyton Manning and the Broncos.
Week 5: Sunday October 6th @ New York Giants 1:00 pm
Chip Kelly’s first meeting with the Giants takes place in early October.
Week 6: Sunday October 13th @ Tampa Bay 1:00 pm
There’s a chance that this could be the Eagles best opportunity for a win early in the season.
Week 7: Sunday October 20th vs Dallas 1:00 pm
The three-game road trip ends with Tony Romo and the Cowboys coming to town.
Week 8: Sunday October 27th vs New York Giants 1:00
I don’t like the fact that the Eagles play the Giants twice in one month, or that neither game is in prime-time.
Week 9: Sunday November 3rd @ Oakland 4:05
The Raiders aren’t a good team, but no trip out west can ever be taken lightly.
Week 10: Sunday November 10th @ Green Bay 1:00
Challenging matchup against one of the game’s top quarterbacks.
Week 11: Sunday November 17th vs Washington 1:00
The Eagles will have play five of their six division games before the bye week.
Week 12: Bye
Week 13: Sunday December 1st vs Arizona 1:00
Will any of the Eagles be able to cover Larry Fitzgerald?
Week 14: Sunday December 8th vs Detroit 1:00
Will any of the Eagles be able to cover Calvin Johnson?
Week 15: Sunday December 15h @ Minnesota 1:00
Minnesota was a playoff team a year ago, Adrian Peterson’s physical running style will put the Eagles defense to the test.
Week 16: Sunday December 22nd vs Chicago
Eagles have had a tough time against the Bears in recent years.
Week 17: Sunday December 29th @ Dallas 1:00
Will this game have any meaning?
My Thoughts
I think this is a very difficult schedule.
We still have to see what happens with the draft before we have a better idea of what to expect from this team, but I think this is very demanding schedule for a young team that is in transition and will be trying to establish an identity.
After opening the season in Washington, the Eagles will have to play a very good quarterback in Phillip Rivers on a short week, and then will face an improved Chiefs team on an even shorter week.
From a preparation standpoint, Andy Reid is going to have a considerable advantage over Kelly in the Thursday night game. Reid not only has had plenty of experience preparing his teams for Thursday night games, but he also knows most of this Eagles team and how to attack their weaknesses. It’s going to be difficult to expect Kelly to be successful in preparing his team on a short week so early in the season with no prior experience at the NFL level.
The Eagles then play three straight games on the road early in the season, and also play five of their six division games before the bye. That’s about as tough and grinding of a schedule as you can place on a team.
The road trips out west to Denver and Oakland are always difficult, and the Green Bay game is going to be exceptionally difficult as well.
There just aren’t many soft spots on this schedule. Facing Arizona and Detroit at home after the bye is the biggest favor that the league did for the Eagles, but even those games aren’t going to be easy.
Its going to be a challenging first season for Chip Kelly, and we’re going to find out very quickly whether or not he’s built to last in the NFL.
Denny Basens is the editor of GCobb.com. Email him at dbasens@ycp.edu.
What a brutal schedule. Why does it ways seem like we have a tough schedule yr after yr. And why do the Broncos have the easiest schedule in the NFL this yr? Didn’t they win the division and make it into the playoffs? Wtf is that all about??
Stop whining!
lol thanx DCar
Just busting your beanbag! LOL!!!!
8-8
@ wsh – RGIII not ready W
SD – they’re terrible W
KC – home teams always win Thurs games W
Eagles open 3-0 and everyone going Beserk….then…
@ denv – obvious L
@ NYG L
@ TB – NFL teams lose the 3rd str8 on the road at about an 80% clip L
SO now Eagles 3-3 and a little deflated…..then look at the sched in terms of 2 games at a time and all you see are splits
vs Dall
vs NYG……there’s a split…..one win one loss
4-4
@ Faders
@ GB….one win one loss
5-5
Wsh
Ariz…here is the chance for the Birds to win 2…but they’re probably split
6-6
Det
@ Minn…another split….win one lose one
7-7
Chic
@ Dall…..I see another split here
8-8
The way this sched sets up I have to again ask….what is the point of running with Vick at QB again?
Put your money on the chargers to win the super bowl last four teams to play eagles in home opener won it all saints packers giants ravens. But this is a hell of a schedule look at all the QB’s/RB’s/WR’s we face better beef up the defense next week
Best news yet!!!!
From Lesean McCoy today:
“We’re shifting, moving. As soon as you get tackled, there is no celebrations after the play, strictly get to the next play and let’s go.”
I’m for sure flying out to Philly for that Thur night game against the Chiefs..can’t wait!!
Wow did we win the superbowl last year or something WTF. Man look if we go 8-8 that’s a blessing, you never know how teams are going to be from year to year. But at first glance of this schedule man you would think we were the ravens or something.
That’s what I’m talking about pdiddy. And the damn cowgirls have one of the easiest schedules. Such bullshit
Remember that Eagles face 4 Teams with brand bands Coaching Stafss as well (Chargers, Chiefs,Cardinals & Bears) and need to win 3 out of the 4 Natch-Ups.. Have to beat the Raiders & Lions and then go 3-3 or 4-2 in the NFC East
The middle of the Season is tough with an Easier Finish..
Getting the Redskuns in Week 1 is also good for who knows if RGIII is a 100%
For Game 1..
NFL really banking on RG3 being ready for week 1.
Considering all of the transition here and the schedule itself, at face value before the draft, I think that 8-8 would be a pretty good success. No matter who they draft it will take another year to get the right players in the right spots for the defense Davis wants to run. And, at this point, the O-line is a question mark and then there is the QB situation.
soft schedule…
I don’t see this as a Difficult Schedule
A Nice Opening Start (Wash,Chargers and Chiefs.. Need to go at least 2-1)
A Difficult middle (Broncos,GIants Twice,Packers.. Need to beat Bucs,Raiders)
A Soft Finish (Cardinals,Lions,Vikings,Bears,Cowboys.. all winnable games)
agreed, but a lot can happen between now and the begining of the season. based on last year, 10-6 expectations is not far fetched. 4-2 in division 6-4 in other games
16-0.
its a soft schedule but we have no idea what to expect.. I do not recall a team EVER getting a new coach and dramatically changing everything on both sides of the ball equating to a good record ..
Exactly. If the Eagles were still a perennial 10-11 win team, my outlook on this schedule would be much different.
But for a team with a head coach getting his first taste of the NFL, installing dramatically different offensive and defensive philosophies, and a roster that still has some serious holes, it’s very difficult for me to imagine the Eagles making much of an improvement from last year’s 4-12…
Denny, great points, but I definitely see more than 4 wins, IF they have a monster draft, & sign Eric Winston. But this all hinges on Winston, trades for additional picks, & a possible big return, for a trade down. Me being a skeptic & realist by nature, knows they are rebuilding & far away from the playoffs, but they have to win more than 4, right! 5-7 maybe, but improvement, nonetheless. ALL hinges on this drafts quality.
Anybody thinking more than that, are flat out deluding themselves.
You’re right DCar, we really have to wait and see what happens with the draft before we have a good idea of what to expect from this team, and I would agree with you that, at the height of my optimism, a seven-win ceiling sounds about right for this season…but I feel like a lot of things are going to have to go right for this team just to win five or six games.
We’ll see what happens next week.
I agree completely Denny. We will all see soon enough what this team is all about come September..
Oakland looks like a win but the game is across the country-
5-11 the team’s defense is worse than last year — hopefully Jason Peters will help the team score more than 17 points a game this year
if 10-6 wasn’t good enough for Sean McDermitt to keep job.
if 8-8 wasn’t good enough for Joe Banner to keep job.
if 4-11 wasn’t good enough for Andy Reid to keep job.
What is Howie’s record have to be to keep job?
If the Eagles don’t make the playoff this year, I hope someone hits Howie with a snowball, the kind made with yellow snow.
*** Revis traded to TB, for their 1st rounder++ ***
Jets now a legit trade partner? Paul, your trade scenario, might not be as asinine, as some said.
Nick Foles, Trent Cole, Danny Watkins and Jason Avant to the NY Jets for that Tampa Bay Pick plus a 4th Rounder is what could happen giving Eagles
2 1st Round Picks since they Jets will have cleared up $15 Million
Off the books and need about 7-8 Starting Caliber players to fill their Roster
Pman who the hell would want those players tho. Foles is still unproven and the rest is not desireable at alll.(I do think watkins will have a bounce back year). But you gotta come better than that pman. Jets won’t do it
Trading Cole wouldn’t be a bad idea, if you get adequate compensation- third round pick. They should trade out of the fourth slot, move down and get additional picks. I like Chance Warmack or Jonathan Cooper! The Birds need road graders. A safety(Swearinger or Elam) would be nice in the second round. They can wait a year for their QB, i.e Teddy Bridgewater.
Actually with Jets trading CB Revis to TB Bucs
I see no big deal involving the Jets but still believe the Eagles will
look to Trade a few Players (who no longer fit) with later Round Picks to get some additional Mid-Round Picks
I could see Trent Cole and one the Eagles 7th Round Pick
To to Colts for a 5th Round Pick
I could see Jason Avant with a 7th Round Pick to the Jets, Vikings,
Panthers or Chiefs for a 5th Round Pick
I could see a Nate Allen traded to the
Colts,Vikings, Cowboys, Jets or Broncos for a mid-Round Pick(5th)
I see the Eagles hanging onto Watkins, Graham, Curry to see if they can adjust to the New Schemes and make an impact as former High Picks to give them one last shot since they are still young and relatively inexpensive
WR Jeremy Maclin could be a Wildcard as far as Trade Bait and would probably return their highest Value in return who is going into his final contract season in 2013 which may be his final one as an Eagle
I never dely Naclin has ever completely fell in love with the Eagles and Philly as a whole.. He has mentioned a desire to play for his home town Team
(St Louis) who does need help at WR as does the Vikings & Chiefs
Who could use solid #2 WR’s on their Clubs..
Should be interesting but one thing to keep in mind is that Eagkes are still
$20 Million or so under the Cap and will need to start Spending it or lock up some younger Players with long-term extensions which they really don’t many young up and coming players to do so with at this time..
If your gonna try to trade Maclin, you trade him to Houston for their first round pick (i think 27 overall)…Makes too much sense. And in a draft like this, Maclin is probably worthy of that 27th overall pick for a team that is in need of a solid NFL WR asap. AJ is already in the news begging for a compliment WR. They have no shot at Austin. Anybody at 27 is a big question mark. They need a number 2 now.
Jets are clearly rebuilding. They are not going to use their draft picks for olds guys like Trent Cole or bums who have had the fair opportunity to succeed but have failed miserably like Nate Allen/Watkins. Foles is maybe, since he is so much of a question mark still, but thats about it.
And Paulman, I see Maclin out around the city a good amount of times (I see Shady the most). Just saying he seems to like it here to be out enjoying himself all the time. St. Louis doesn’t even come close to the Phila/NJ area. The Philly area is an awesome place to live for a young man. Obviously, its not Miami. But I’ve been all over the US and the Philly are is so underrated.
I would also not be opposed to trading our 4th overall pick for a 2nd rounder and 3rd/or 4th rounder this year AND a first rounder next year. That would give us two first rounder for next year when there is a much better QB class to choose from. With 2 first round picks, you could pretty much trade up for anyone you think is the future franchise QB of this team. OR if we really sucked again this year, you could land Clowney and Bridgewater in the first round next year. That would be sick.
You would also have two second rounders this year which could easily land you some quality players like Elam, Hopkins, Ertz, Collins.
If they made my Maclin trade above, you could still have a late first rounder this year.
Honestly, this is what I would probably try and do if Im the Eagles and my main focus is to rebuild this team. I say this because Im just not really crazy about any player in this draft at 4 (assuming they cant trade down). At 4, I want either Warmack or Joeckell. ONe will obviously be gone and they likely don’t have the balls to draft Warmack at 4 because of this don’t take a Guard in the top 10 crap (even if he will likely be a probowl guard for years to come, its a position you need, and its a superstar lacking draft).