The 2016 NFL Schedule has been released, and its time to take a look at who the Eagles will be matched up against and project their odds of success in the coming season.
Sure, projecting wins and losses in April is silly to some, but its all in good fun. And for what its worth, when I did my analysis of the Eagles’ schedule last April, my early expectation that the team would win between six and eight games was right on the money.
So let’s take a look at what’s to come this season!
Week 1: Home vs Cleveland
The Browns are one of the few organizations that have been more dysfunctional in recent years than the Eagles. Robert Griffin will make his debut against one of his old division rivals as Cleveland also debuts its latest new head coach, Hue Jackson. I don’t think this is by any means a lock for the Eagles to win, but opening the season at home with a clean slate and a new head coach, its certainly a game that they should be expected to win.
Week 2: @ Chicago
The Bears continue to be the Bears. It seems like they’ve been trying to sell themselves on Jay Cutler for almost a decade. But now they no longer have elite running back Matt Forte to lean on. A road trip to Chicago is always difficult, but the Eagles have a realistic chance to start 2-0.
Week 3: Home vs Pittsburgh
The Eagles face their first real challenge of the season, and I can’t see a scenario in which Doug Pederson outcoaches Mike Tomlin and Sam Bradford outduels Ben Roethlisberger. This is almost a lock to be a loss.
Week 4: BYE
I hate having an early bye week.
Week 5: @ Detroit
The schedule begins to take a brutal turn in Week 5. Starting this week, the Birds will play six of eight games on the road. Ouch. This is one of the more winnable games, and the Lions should be much less potent without Calvin Johnson.
Week 6: @Washington
I know no one wants to take the Redskins seriously despite the fact that they swept the Eagles and won the division last season, but the days of them being an automatic win are at an end, especially when you consider how poorly the Eagles themselves have been managed since 2010.
Week 7: Home vs Minnesota
Minnesota was a playoff team a year ago, but they aren’t a team that the Eagles can’t match up against. Adrian Peterson remains the heart and soul of that team, but sooner or later the All-Pro running back’s workload has to catch up with him. Oh, and Teddy Bridgewater isn’t that good. This is a game I’d expect the Eagles to win at home.
Week 8: @ Dallas
If Tony Romo is healthy, Dallas has the potential to ascend right back to the top of the NFC East. But if Romo is as frail and fragile as he was a year ago, there’s a good chance he may not make it to Week 8. If that’s the case, this is anybody’s game.
Week 9: @ New York
Three division games, all on the road, in a span of four weeks. That’s pretty brutal. The Eagles have had the Giants’ number in recent years, but with Ben McAdoo now running the show, the G-Men could be a much stronger threat given some of the upgrades they made to their defense.
Week 10: Home vs Atlanta
A rare favor from the schedule makers! Getting Atlanta at home and out of their dome is a huge advantage.
Week 11: @Seattle
Aren’t you just so glad the Eagles went all-out to win that meaningless Week 17 game against the Giants last year? Didn’t it mean the world to go 7-9 and end the season on a high note? Well here’s the fruits of being shortsighted. Instead of a matchup with a rebuilding franchise in the Rams (which would have also been played in London, resulting in less of a home field advantage for the Rams, and perhaps a bye week for the Eagles that didn’t come in Week freaking 4), the Eagles finished in second place in the NFC East with their win over the Giants, and will be rewarded with a roadtrip to Seattle that will end in a bloodbath. But no seriously, it was totally worth it win that meaningless game…
Week 12: Home vs Green Bay
It doesn’t matter that this game is at home. Green Bay will obliterate the Eagles.
Week 13: @ Cincinnati
Another very tough game against a potential playoff team. Following two draining games against the Seahawks and Packers, the Eagles may not have a lot left in the tank for Cincinnati, but the Bengals are very much capable of turning in clunkers, and this could be a letdown game for them.
Week 14: Home vs Washington
If the Eagles can somehow manage to survive the brutal amount of time they’ll spend on the road in the middle of the season, they get to play three of their final four games at home.
Week 15: @ Baltimore
The Ravens will bounce back and return to the playoffs. This is another extremely difficult road game for the Birds.
Week 16: Home vs New York
The Eagles make their lone Thursday night appearance of the season in this Week 16 matchup.
Week 17: Home vs Dallas
I absolutely despise that the NFL holds off on a lot of division games until the final weeks of the season.
While I understand what they’re going for in trying to set up these dramatic showdowns within the division, I hate waiting until the final week to finish off the season series against either Dallas or New York, especially when its much more likely that things will be decided by this point.
Final Thoughts
I see this as a very brutal, and demanding schedule for the Eagles.
The softest part of the schedule occurs in the first two weeks, and beginning with the Steelers in Week 3, its hell from there on out.
Playing six of eight on the road is extremely difficult, and a little ridiculous.
Even in the stretch where the Eagles play three of their final four at home, one of those weeks they’re going to have to operate on short rest because of the league’s greed that is Thursday Night Money Grab Football.
I think the Eagles have a chance to get off to a fast start. The games against the Cleveland and Chicago are very winnable, and the matchups against Detroit and Minnesota are games that the I have them winning as well, to put them at 4-2 before the Dallas game.
I have them splitting against the Cowboys and Giants, and winning over Atlanta at home to put them at 6-3.
However, things go downhill from there. The three week stretch against Seattle, Green Bay, and Cincinnati could them right back at .500. I would expect them to lose the Week 15 game against Baltimore, and POSSIBLY go 2-1 in the final three division games to see them finish at 8-8.
So once again, I see the Birds at worst as a 6-10 team, more likely a 7-9 or 8-8 bunch, with a ceiling of 9-7. That wouldn’t be too bad considering a regime change, and a roster that is still growing and developing.
Denny Basens is the editor of GCobb.com. Follow him on Twitter, @DennyBasens
Week 1- W over dysfunctional browns who are in rebuild and have gotten rid of everyone
Week 2- W I’m not gonna blame the turf for a loss. Bears are a mess and so is that defense.
Week 3- L steelers at home where we are undefeated 8-0. Coin toss.
Week 4- WOW.
Week 5- W lions without calvin? Eric Rowe should be alright
Week 6- W eagles get revenge on Washington and snap losing steak with kirk coming bacl down to earth
Week 7-W eagles swallow up teddy and shut down old AP at home
Week 8- W philly still owns Dallas at AT and T stadium
Week 9- L ODB finally gets win versus philly
Week 10-W Atlanta loses in philly
Week 11- L loss at seAttle
Week 12- L aaron Rodgers> sam
Week 13- L tough loss to cincy
Week 14-Weagles sweep Washington
Week 15- W beat up ravens and flacco can’t handle.eagles d in philly
Week.16 W- eagles split with Gints
Week 17- W eagles sweep overrated boys at home
Eagles go 4-2 in the div..and finish with 10-11 wins on the season
Eagles 10-6 /11-5
Giants 8-8
Boys 7-9
Skins 6-10
If Bradford is the qb we will get between 6-8 wins nothing more nothing less…
2-1 before the bye
Split the next 2 @det @wsh
3-2
win minny
4-2
split the @nyg @ dall
5-3
win atl
6-3
lose @sea, gb @cin
6-6
win wsh lose @balt
7-7
win the Thursday game
8-7
stupidly win the finale like the last 2 years lowering draft position
9-7
I see this as the best case scenario.
9-7
2017 draft with the 18th pick
Gcobb boards filled with the exact same questions/arguments over who the next qb should be.
Good times.
Sammy erupts for a huge year– we win 11, get a bye but lose in the first round… signs a 5 year $100M contract with 60 guaranteed…. eagles make the SB the following year- no prediction on who will win it but they will be in it!
Lmao cigar if that happens I’ll paint your house and and shovel your snow
once the roster is set I will support whomever is the QB and hope they play their way to the HOF. There are a few highly rated QB’s who were busts that later in their career managed teams into the SB… Jim Plunkett comes to mind.
A Nice Schedule with a very difficult Middle Part (at Seattle, Home vs Packers & at Bengals) but they need a Fast Start and Strong Finish
Big Games within the NFC Conference versus Teams that they will likely be battling for Playoff/Wild-Card Spot versus the Bears,Vikings,Packers,Lions,Falcons & Seahawks – if they can go 4-2 in these 6 Games, then they have a nice chance to make the Post-Season as well as going 4-2 within the NFC East
NY Giants have new HC, but has the same Staff and Schemes/Systems
Only Cleveland Browns have a brand New Staff as the rest of the Teams on their Schedule have mostly the same Coaching Staffs/Schemes returning
DC Schwartz is very familiar with the NFC North (Lions,Packers,etc)
and OC Jim Reich is familiar with some of the AFC Teams that can help
Eagles will have New Coaching Staff with New Schemes on both sides of the Ball, so it will be interesting to see how things shake out and with upcoming Draft,OTA Workouts and Summer Camp
I am curious to the see the Development of both the RB & LB Corps for they need some Upgrading in Both Areas and of Course the Eagles Young WR’s have to step up and Perform if this Offense is going to be dynamic at all…
Also it will be interesting to see how HC Pederson handles himself as he moves from a Top Assistant to HC and how he manages a Game, the Sidelines, the Players and Media .. So lots of new things going on which will be fun and exciting to see how it plays out…
The Eagles are like 20 Other Teams , take out the Top 5-6 and the bottom 5-6 and they are right in the mix with a Roster and Team that can Win 6-7 Games to 10-11 Games.. The Difference between Talent, Schemes is not as great as many of us think,. There is a lot of Teamwork, Making Big Plays at the Crucial Times, Preparedness, Keeping Composure and getting a few Breaks along the way (Injuries,Calls,etc,etc)
Go Eagles..
ITS A NEW DAY BUT IF YOU AROUND SOUTH PHILLY PUT ON THOSE RESPIRATORS, ITS SMOKEY AS FUCK DOWN THERE
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Browns are “not desperate” to take a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick.
The Browns are reportedly “optimistic” about Robert Griffin III’s chances and have a potential trade partner in the Eagles, who tried moving up to No. 1 overall before losing out to the Rams. The Plain Dealer suggests Cleveland may now seek to trade down, perhaps targeting Memphis’ Paxton Lynch or Michigan State’s Connor Cook as opposed to using the No. 2 pick on Jared Goff or Carson Wentz. Griffin is the heavy favorite to open Week 1 as the Browns’ starter.
Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
Apr 15 – 10:11 AM
Howie “the puppet master” Roseman back at it manipulating all the other NFL GMs to do his bidding!!
that accountant sure is a savvy gm
If they can’t get Wentz they should trade back to mid to late teens and take Connor cook cause this draft will be a failure if we don’t replace that bum….
WTF?????????? CONOR COOK IN THE FIRST ROUND ?????
HUH?
I just don’t think that Connor Cook can play. Overrated just like Hackenburg. I would rather have Hogan than either of those guys.
5-11, 6-10 at best….just lucky if they can go 7-9
My thinking is 5-11
I will give the Eagles 7-9..tops. Rookie coach, a QB who has never…ever won more than 7 games…tough end of schedule…7-9 tops!
All of you sound miserable and tired. Same old shot every post. The Eagles suck!!! Blah blah blah. Bunch of scared fans. Oh I’m sorry I meant “real” fans who see the game much deeper than us “regular fanatics”. Smh
Predicting win/loss records before the draft, before teams start playing games, before key injuries manifest themselves is a sophomoric exercise by fans who haven’t followed the NFL very long. How many predicted the New England victory in New England? How many saw the Cowboys finishing 4-12? Denny says we will be decimated by the Packers, but does he appreciate it will be the 3rd strait away game for the Pack? (A very difficult scenario). Let’s relax and enjoy the season as it unfolds.
Old, I agree it is a sophomoric exercise as rosters are not set, injuries are not factored in, etc., however, it is fun to do…for some of us anyway…so yes…relax…and let us have our fun!
Or……….its just fun.
Howard Eskin reports on his Saturday morning show that the Eagles are still looking to move up and are talking to Cleveland. Also, if the QB the Eagles want slips past 2, they have parameters in place to trade with the Chargers to move into pick 3. According to Eskin, the Eagles really like and want Goff….smokescreen?, I think they actually like both Goff and Wentz.
Smokescreen…big time!..EHL…sit back for a moment and really think about this..you are the Eagles General Manager and you really are dying to get Goff and Wentz..you dont have a 2nd round pick…the package of draft picks that you can put together are not as good as the package that a team like SF…who also needs a QB can put together…as a GM do you allow the information to get to a guy like Eskin that you really want the QB….again when you are the team with the LEAST to offer in the ability to move up???
It simply does not make sense at all!
Smokescreen smokescreen we all scream for smokescreens. Elliot is a smokescreen, Goff is a smokescreen, Wentz is a smokescreen. No..I believe the Eagles are legitimately interested…fact is they traded up to 8 to get a top ten player…no player in particular…but…moving up to 8 gives them a better field of talent to choose from. They have no interest inBuckner…forget that…Elliot will most likely be there at 8 regardless of trades or no trades….Bosa…no thanks…Myles Jack..can not trust his knee..Ransey and Tunsil will be taken before 8. The Eagles will get a good player be it a QB, Elliot or Stanley…smokescreens by the puppet master be damned.
I read the Eagles love Hargreaves yesterday outta nowhere, I can see this guy being the pick. Logically that could make sense bc then our future 2ndary is set and we can address rb , og later. If that’s the route we take I just hope we just don’t waste a 3rd or 4th on a shit qb.there are no qbs worth taking in any round besides goff and wentz. I hope this shit about Eagles liking hogan are untrue as he is a talentless prospect and I’ve read multiple scouts say he has no talent and will only get drafted because some gm will fall in love with his personality. Pass unless It’s a burnt 6th or 7th round pick
CB is an acceptable position to take at 8. That and QB, OT or DL. An RB at 8 is a joke.
Howie the accountant puppet master strikes again!!! Jedi mind tricks on Eskin.
With all the misinformation out there , all the speculation…. There is only one fact… They want and need a QB. They see themselves as a team in QB hell. They certainly have hope that sideways can be Alex smith like…. Hand the ball off and make a play here and there not turn the ball over …. This puts them as a low tier playoff potential type of team. But it’s clear they want more and don’t think sideways can put a team on his slumped shoulders…. I want sideways to play his way into theHOF and cheer my ass for him but I do recognize his lack of performance thus far in his Shitty career
That’s your own jaded and uninformed view-Havablunt!
Obviously, since the Eagles have signed him to a $35 million dollar deal where he can make up to $26 million in guaranteed money and a minimum of $22 million guaranteed-the Eagles dont see him as a ‘hand the ball off and make a play here and there QB”…they could have simply signed Chase Daniels and let him walk and devote that money to other needs on the team!
The speculation simply drives up the market value of these overrated QB’s. Charley Casserly -a guy an number of you touted his opinion-said:
“To be frank, though, I don’t think either one of these QBs is an elite prospect.”
He’s right…they are not elite, top ten worthy prospects at all…the Rams were stupid to give all that up for the No#1 pick to draft a QB when Case Keenum might be better than both of those guys!
So the Eagles need to be smart…they cant listen to anyone who sounds like havablunt, Vinnie, or any of the other members of the ‘Sam Haters’ Club and grab one of these QB’s, give up their No#1 or 2 next year for a guy who simply is not an elite prospect!
The Eagles do not need to smoke screen for Vernon Hargreaves…he is not going before 8 so he is not a push down player.
meant for mhenski
I know ehl and I don’t believe in smoke screens in the national media. NFL gms aren’t buying national news smokescreens except maybe chip Kelly… Just thought it was interesting as only 1 guy reported it , never heard it before and the guy said they love him … Idk a 5’10 CB at 8 seems like not the best option but we’ve been hurtin at CB for a while
Is it a jaded and uninformed view that he hasn’t been very successful? That he has never put a team on his talented, highly drafted shoulders? That the Eagles committed peanut$ in guaranteed money to a highly touted QBin the prime of his career? Those are facts not a view.
You talk about his contacts like its a commitment… In fact it’s the exact opposite…. They are paying him like a guy they hope can hand the ball off, make an occasional play and sneak into the playoffs…. Not like a guy they believe in
They are giving him more guaranteed money than they would have if they had franchised him. The legitimate concern is not over his playing abilities its over his injuries…his contract is reflective of that…he’s 28 and if he stays healthy and plays reasonably well…he will hit free agency again and get another major deal…
He signed a good deal for him…the money he makes next year puts him in the top 20 of all players in the NFL
To play a player in that range means that you believe in his playing ability…The Eagles assessed him based on last year where they got rid of a bunch of Chip Kelly’s acquisitions.
So the bottom line is simple, regardless of what you or the bashers think…the Eagles clearly disagree with you because if they didn’t believe in Bradford’s playing ability they would have let him walk! Why haven’t the Eagles said…”this guy has never put a team on his shoulders so let him walk..cant win with him anyway”
Explain why the Eagles dont see it that way?
It makes no sense to keep a guy you dont believe can play.
The Eagles could have simply went the route deserteagle wrongly predicted and argued for: Let Bradford walk, sign Chase Daniels, and draft a QB.
The Eagles didn’t do that…why?
Who are the top ten players in the NFL draft this year-excluding any players with health issues:
1.Laremy Tunsil
2. Jalen Ramsey
3. Joey Bosa
4. DeForest Buckner
5. Ezekial Elliot
6. Vernon Hargreaves III
7. Shaq Lawson
8. Jack Conklin
9. Ronnie Stanley
10. Sheldon Rankins
Bosa or Buckley would be excellent additions to our defensive line, There is a possibility that a top 5 player can fall right to us at 8. These are all players who from Day 1 I believe you can pencil them in as starters…not wait 3 or 4 years and hope that they can play…put them right in from the start…
It’s Wentz or bust cause everything they done this off-season was to get the qb….
then your busted gloomy…doom and gloom is your lot…I believe the Rams want Wentz…he makes much more sense for the kind of Qb that Jeff Fisher would like…similar is size and stature to the late Steve McNair
Bet the Eagles would be satisfied with either QB. Goff may be a better fit going forward, but Wentz has greater upside. Either way, the outcome may depend on how badly Cleveland and perhaps SF want the guy LA passes on…I just hope we don’t trade all our early picks – it would ruin all the fun of the draft.
Not really old philly cause if they get either they could then flip Bradford to say the Jets or bills and still recoup a 3rd in return and I still think either Barwin or graham gets traded also……there starters are set outside of qb which I think could be changed to either Daniel’s or the rookie but make no mistake about it there trying to get rid of Bradford’s avg ass…
If I’m gm of the sixers every game after the Warriors play I’m texting, emailing , calling and faxing Lebron , derozens and Durants agent saying this is unreal the Warriors are winning titles every year for the next 5 years, they are unstoppable & a dynasty nobody can beat them. How the hell can anyone beat them and similar messages.
Then a week or 2 before free agency opens id say hey I may have an idea how your client can get a title in their career (to Durants agent ) and hey the only way I see your client winning another title (to lebrons agent) is for you guys to join forces with the one of the only teams that could afford you both and would have depth and roll players and young talent to sustain a dynasty of your own in philly. You 2 can join forces and join oak, embiid, saric, sauce Castillo , this years top pick And the lakers top 4 pick next year if we don’t get it this year… Yea I know our team doesn’t look like much today but if you joined these kids here and now you would win enough rings to cover all your fingers.
Pipe dream and Jon hart style post but that’s the sales pitch that has to be made cuz it’s real. Golden state a unstoppable dynasty unless kd and bron join forces here
Did you get that from JHs “sources”…..what a shit league the nba is…. Teams tank after tank after tank ANC it comes down to a scheme like that….could you imagine the tongue lashings that Lebron would give to the immature triplets that the sixers have drafted… That would be the most entertaining the sixers have been in years
Somebody should tell chip he can have sideways for another second….