As I begin this article, three days out of the 2019 National Football League draft, the Philadelphia Eagles are making their arrival back into the relevant spotlight for sports talk. Sure, one can argue that it is always relevant to talk about the Eagles, after all, it is debatable that football is the most popular sport in the United States. What I specifically mean is that with the NFL Draft approaching, we start to see 2019 really take shape. The football off season usually has a lot of eyes on it all the way back to tracking players who will be leaving your favorite team to the free agents who will be signing with your favorite team. The NFL Draft is where you take the first steps in investing in the future of the team. With the release of the 2019 schedule for the Eagles, we can look at the immediate future and let our minds run wild as the water cooler discussions begin regarding the wins and losses record and opportunities of a playoff appearance or championship run.
Before I take my own deep dive into the Philadelphia Eagles 2019 schedule, there was controversy blowing up regarding the three back-to-back-to-back road games that the Eagles have on their schedule this season. This is because the only team to have three back-to-back-to-back road games this year, not including the Oakland Raiders and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers "home" games in London, is the Eagles who travel to Minnesota to play the Vikings, then to Dallas to play the Cowboys, and then finish in Buffalo against the Bills. At whom the finger pointing gets directed?
Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies. The National Football League tends to "ignore the Phillies when it comes to stadium blocks," says Howard Katz. This in in the expectation that the Phillies will be playing meaningful baseball in October, which is a high possibility. I can only hope that is the case because I support the Phillies in my fandom, so playoff baseball means there is a shot for a World Series appearance and championship! My thoughts regarding how this impacts the Eagles is that it shouldn't. Sure, they are the only team in the league with three back-to-back-to-back road games. However, if you are a good team and you are able to play tough football, it shouldn't depend on the city. Champions are measured on how they overcome adversity. Now, let's take a look at the 2019 Eagles schedule and my predictions:
Continued on the pages below:
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Week 1; Washington Redskins; 1-0: I have only noticed improvements on the receiving group, running back group, and defensive line for the Philadelphia Eagles. With players returning off of injury this year that were out last year, our fans understand that the Eagles are not nearly as wounded as they were in the middle of the 2018 season and down the stretch.
In fact, even when the Eagles seemed vulnerable, they were able to easily handle the Washington Redskins on both occasions last season. With Carson Wentz having a higher probability of getting his repetitions in training camp with the starters, I think we will be watching the needed resurrection of the "Dutch Destroyer." DeSean Jackson will be fresh in the first week against a team he has a history with not only as a teammate, but as a rival.
Week 2; at Atlanta Falcons; 2-0: Looking at both of these teams, the Atlanta Falcons seem to have more holes in team needs than the Philadelphia Eagles currently. Last season, the Eagles won an early-season showdown with Nick Foles starting behind center against the Falcons, but it wasn't necessarily a convincing win. But the Falcons do play the Eagles tough every time.
In fact, the year before in 2017, the Eagles won with Foles starting at quarterback in the playoffs en route to winning Superbowl 52. The last time Carson Wentz was the starting quarterback against the Falcons, the Eagles were victorious. Usually, these two teams do display a high octane offense, so it will come down to which defense shows up. I believe the Eagles have that edge. Covering Julio Jones will be the heavy task at hand, but the Eagles have depth at cornerback after watching last year and help at safety.
Week 3; Detroit Lions; 3-0: The Detroit Lions are a team that can sneak up on anyone at anytime. For example, the Lions beat the Patriots last season, a season that ended with the Patriots winning another Superbowl. The only way that the Philadelphia Eagles lose this game is if they lose the turnover battle and play down to the Lions ability. That happened in Carson Wentz's rookie year when Ryan Mathews fumbled the ball as the Eagles were in prime position to kick a game winning field goal. However, we all know that this is an upgraded team since then and Wentz has more experience to his game. I think that the Eagles defensive line will gain momentum against the Lions and the Eagles will officially be on a winning streak.
Week 4; at Green Bay Packers; 3-1: First and foremost, I think the Philadelphia Eagles certainly have the talent available to defeat the Green Bay Packers, but it will be a close game and Aaron Rodgers just has a knack of pulling off wins when you think you have him where you want him.
The most recent evidence of this was early last season as the Packers defeated the Chicago Bears after making a memorable comeback. Rodgers seemed to be injured enough where many thought he would be out for the game, only to return and make key plays to find a way to win. Following the win, when asked what was the injury, Rodgers stated "my knee," which became a meme-worthy sound bite in sports. I also believe that DaVante Adams is a top five wide receiver in the league.
The secondary is a spot that needs improvement on the Eagles defense along with parts of the linebacker group. This could be a close game, but I have the Packers winning this one and the Eagles taking their first loss of the season.
Week 5; New York Jets; 4-1: I sense another dominant showing from the defensive line and a clear opportunity for the Philadelphia Eagles to bounce back with a solid showing in the defensive secondary. I don't sense Sam Darnold as a bad quarterback in this league, but I don't think he has the talent to carry the offense and the New York Jets receivers against a franchise who always seems to have a top defensive line and safeties who have the ability to help in coverage and play center field on deep and intermediate passes. However, LeVeon Bell is going to have to show up big time. Over the past few seasons, with the exception of Saquon Barkley or Ezekiel Elliott, it seems that the Eagles have been more than able to contain running backs. Bell took the season off last year with the Pittsburgh Steelers, so the jury is still out. Is Bell going to be a franchise running back on any team or was he a system running back in Pittsburgh?
Week 6; at Minnesota Vikings; 5-1: This is a game that bothered me last year. The Philadelphia Eagles had no business losing to the Minnesota Vikings last season, especially after an awful call against Michael Bennett when he sacked Kirk Cousins and receiving a personal foul. Seriously, look at the film. It was the softest sack that I have ever witnessed, not including the sack that Brett Favre gave to Michael Strahan on January 5th, 2002. That penalty that Bennett received provided the Vikings with a first down and was the reason why the Vikings had another set of downs to win the game.
The Eagles have redemption on their mind against the Vikings. The key is slowing down Kyle Rudolph, Adam Thielen, and Stephon Diggs. By week six, the key is that the Eagles secondary is fresh and healthy. If that is the case, I think they win a close game.
Week 7; at Dallas Cowboys; 6-1: Last season was a tough pill to swallow when the Philadelphia Eagles played the Dallas Cowboys. I was at the game last season at home in Philadelphia and saw Ronald Darby's season end before my eyes. It was at that moment that Ezekiel Elliott took full control, becoming the go-to weapon for Dak Prescott. With the secondary non-existent, especially before the Eagles saw the depth they had starting to blossom, the Eagles became one dimensional.
There were a ton of variables that made the Eagles look uncomfortable against the Cowboys that game, but I think 2019 will be different. The Eagles have a genuine starting running back in Jordan Howard, the wide receivers are upgraded from last season, Dallas Goedert has a productive rookie year under his belt, and the defensive secondary has that known depth from the 2018 season. The inability to cover slants against the Cowboys passing offense last season had to do a lot with the revolving door of cornerbacks brought in after injuries. Adding Malik Jackson in rotation or alongside Fletcher Cox is going to make it tougher for Elliott to run up the middle against an already solid defensive line. This game will be competitive, however.
Week 8; at Buffalo Bills; 7-1: I credit the Buffalo Bills for having a "bend but don't break" defensive philosophy. It actually works for them as they were competitive in a game I watched them in last season against the New England Patriots. However, while many Philadelphia Eagles fans view this game as a "trap game" in their back-to-back-to-back road game stand, I don't see it that way. I would say that the toughest game in that consecutive road game stand would be against the Dallas Cowboys. Josh Allen doesn't show me that he is a quarterback ready to take on the Eagles defense and I do think that the Eagles will be able to close out a road trip with a win. I think this is another game where the Eagles have an opportunity to make a defensive statement.
Week 9: Chicago Bears; 8-1: This game will be a low scoring affair. Both defenses are stellar and be ready to watch another game that will replicate a lot of what you saw in the National Football Conference Wildcard round. I truly believe that this will be the first real big test for Carson Wentz' durability, but expect him to work the short and intermediate passing game a lot with Khalil Mack coming off of the defensive line and lining up in some linebacker formations. I also expect Jordan Howard to show up and make the Bears miss his talent. I honestly believe what will make or break this game is not only the turnover battle, but the execution on special teams. The Bears have a new kicker since Cody Parkey's famous "double-doink" missed field goal. Jake Elliott has been very reliable for two seasons now and I think this will be the deciding factor in the late stages of the fourth quarter.
Week 11; New England Patriots; 8-2: Coming off of the bye week, I think the Philadelphia Eagles are going to be rested, but maybe out of sync or a tad lethargic when attempting to keep up with the New England Patriots pace.
It's hard for me to say that with as much joy as I get from watching the Eagles be victorious over the Patriots, or anyone for that matter, but I think this time around that Bill Belichick and Tom Brady find a way to win. The Eagles can definitely compete, that isn't a question. The Patriots won't have Rob Gronkowski as a weapon, but they still have a flurry of receivers, a good running back group, an upgraded defense, and one of the best football minds in the history of the NFL.
Week 12; Seattle Seahawks; 8-3: It doesn't quite matter how much momentum the Philadelphia Eagles have had going into a game against the Seattle Seahawks before, this is a team that the Eagles just flat out have difficulty with. The Seahawks defense is not what it used to be, but Pete Carroll is a coach that has done a fine job with his team in finding ways to sneak out a win against very competitive teams. The Seahawks will play up to teams ability if the opponent is better and they really don't play down to inferior teams.
Containing Russell Wilson is a challenge that the Eagles are going to have, so that is my key to this game. I think this game will be a close one as well, but I can see the Seahawks sneaking out with a win. I surely hope that the Eagles break the cycle however and find a way to beat this team.
Week 13; at Miami Dolphins; 9-3: This is where I have the Philadelphia Eagles breaking their first losing streak of the season, which is all the way in week thirteen. There are a lot of questions that need answers in Miami with the Dolphins team, which is why I think the Eagles have a terrific opportunity to bounce back with a win on a complete team effort. The offense should be able to show up and play well alongside the defense. I think the Eagles get a decisive win against the Dolphins and I do not foresee a upset win like the Dolphins pulled off against the New England Patriots.
Week 14; New York Giants; 10-3: Without Odell Beckham Jr, I don't know what the New York Giants are going to do. Eli Manning is not who he once was, especially without adequate weapons. Sure, he has Saquon Barkley, who will have a good day on the ground, but that won't be enough as it proved twice last year. The Philadelphia Eagles will have an answer for Eli Manning and they will work to put a cap on the productivity of Barkley. In this home game, I have the Eagles winning by a wide margin.
Week 15; at Washington Redskins; 11-3: I sing the same sentiments I stated about the Washington Redskins earlier on. At this stage in the season, I think some starters will begin to get some rest depending if the first round bye has been locked up by the Philadelphia Eagles yet. This game could be a little closer if that is the case, but I wouldn't mind having the starters play this entire game as well to "secure the bag" so to speak.
Week 16; Dallas Cowboys; 11-4: The real reason I have the Philadelphia Eagles splitting with the Dallas Cowboys this season and losing this game is simply because by week sixteen, I don't think this will be a high stakes game for the Eagles. I would begin to rest starters that are highly important like Carson Wentz, Jordan Howard, Alshon Jeffery, Zach Ertz, and DeSean Jackson after the first half on offense. On defense, I would expect to see more of Malik Jackson than Fletcher Cox and more of Vinny Curry on the defensive line. In the secondary, seeing some of the flourishing secondary get playing time would be beneficial, to which I would expect players to be substituted throughout the season in certain defensive looks to keep the team fresh. In the second half, there isn't harm in showing Nate Sudfeld some playing time alongside Josh Adams, Mack Hollins, Dallas Goedert, and even some rotation on the offensive line to rest the starters.
Week 17; at New York Giants; 12-4: This game can go either way, but I think that the depth on defense is good enough to keep the New York Giants close with the Philadelphia Eagles even if the second team Eagles are playing most of the game. The important starters should maybe play a quarter at most in this game and then immediately to second-team players. If the Eagles can take the lead in the first quarter and then find way to put some points on the board throughout the rest of the game, the Eagles could even still win this game. This is more of a toss-up, so take the season at a 12-4 or 11-5 depending on how meaningful this game is for the Eagles at the end of the season against the Giants.
Clearly, I see the Philadelphia Eagles has a top seeded NFC team entering the 2019 NFL playoffs. A first round bye is definitely attainable for the Eagles this season and I don't see a reason why Carson Wentz can't find the form he was playing at in 2017 on the way to the Eagles organization rallying to a Superbowl championship. One game at a time, however. Now, this is where I look at what Donovan McNabb said and politely disagree.
Listen, I know that people are fed up with McNabb and his takes on the Eagles. If he had said that Wentz needs to stay healthy and make a run into the playoffs to prove the worth of a long term deal with the Eagles, I would have to agree. However, that is not how it came across. McNabb said "in the next two years or so, he needs to find a way to get out of the second round of the playoffs." In my opinion, that sounds like a projection on Wentz based on what McNabb was able to do in his career in 2005 when the Eagles first played the New England Patriots in the Superbowl. When he commented on Wentz' health, I do agree. That is the hurdle that Wentz needs to focus on first, which is completing an entire season as a healthy franchise quarterback. If he can do that, trust me, the stats will come with it.
Last season, 2018, Wentz was ranked 7th in quarterback rating before he was relieved by Nick Foles because of his back injury. Wentz is far from a bad quarterback, but he just needs to get back to 2017 health before playing the Los Angeles Rams.
Draft notes
The Eagles will draft a quarterback however in the 2019 NFL Draft as depth. This isn't anything new or a threat for Wentz' job. I previously released a mock draft before, but here is a different quick list that I will leave you with as well before the 2019 NFL Draft in a couple days:
DB; Greedy Williams; LSULB; Mack Wilson; AlabamaOL; Tytus Howard; Alabama St.RB; Darrell Henderson; MemphisDT; DeMarcus Christmas; Florida St.WR; David Sills V; West VirginiaQB; Easton Stick; North Dakota St.
Thank you all for reading and supporting Philly Sports Network as we gear up for the 2019 NFL Draft. In the comments, let us know how you see the season going for your Philadelphia Eagles and give us your own mock draft as well with the Eagles being on the clock in just a couple days!
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
