Philadelphia Eagles: Breaking Down 5 Toughest, 5 Easiest Games on 2015 Schedule

The National Football League has released its schedule for the 2015 season, and on paper, the Philadelphia Eagles appear to have the most favorable schedule they've had in years. 

A quick glance at the schedule shows that the Eagles will play 12 games on Sundays, two on Mondays and one each on Thursday and Saturday. They will also play eight games at 1 p.m. ET, four at 8:30, two at 4:30, one at 12:30 and one at 7:10. 

The Eagles have no games against teams coming off a bye. They have a bye week before their Sunday Night Football game against the Dallas Cowboys, and they have 10 days to prepare for their road matchup against the defending Super Bowl champions.

The Eagles also end the season against NFC East teams, but it's the Redskins and Giants, who combined for just 10 victories in 2014. 

Overall, the schedule looks favorable for Philadelphia. Then again, it's impossible to have any idea how the team will fare in September and October when nobody even knows whether its quarterback will be Sam Bradford or Marcus Mariota.

That being said, I'm still going to attempt to predict the following 10 games: the five toughest and the five easiest for 2015.

Toughest 1: At New England, Week 13

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No game on the schedule for the Eagles will be as difficult as their Week 13 road contest against the New England Patriots, the defending Super Bowl champions.

Unless the Eagles and Patriots meet in the Super Bowl, this will be the final time the Eagles play future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady. They've never beaten Brady, losing to him in 2003, 2007 and 2011, as well as the Super Bowl following the 2004 season. 

Although the Patriots lost All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis, they're still the team to beat across the NFL. Whether the Eagles have former Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford or former Heisman winner Marcus Mariota at quarterback, this is going to be an extremely difficult matchup for the Eagles.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick thrives at stopping an opposing team's best player, and it'll be interesting to see how he game-plans against the Eagles, who don't have just one dominant player on their offense. Instead, they have many great players, as well as many unknowns (like the QB position). 

Regardless, this is a game where it's hard to see the Eagles winning. The Patriots generally hit their stride late in the season, and there's been absolutely no reason to think that their 2015 team will be any worse than the team that has averaged 12 wins over the past 12 seasons. The Eagles are a very good football team, but in the end, they'll fall short to Belichick and Brady...yet again. 

Score: Patriots 31, Eagles 24

Toughest 2: At Dallas, Week 9

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The Dallas Cowboys ruined the 2014 season for the Eagles, winning 38-27 on Sunday Night Football in Week 15 and all but eliminating the Eagles from postseason contention. It was a game marked by Dez Bryant's repeated torching of cornerback Bradley Fletcher, as Bryant finished the game with three touchdown receptions. 

Although Fletcher is gone from the Eagles, there's no guarantee that new cornerback Byron Maxwell will be able to stop Bryant. In fact, he probably won't. Bryant is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, while Maxwell is a good player who has never shown to be a true No. 1 corner. 

With Tony Romo, Bryant and the Cowboys' dominant offensive line, expect a shootout between Bradford/Mariota and the Eagles' dominant running game. Then again, the Eagles have been forced to use their backup quarterback in five of the last six matchups against the Cowboys, so don't be surprised if the same happens in this game.

In the end, the guess here is that the Eagles are beginning to hit their groove, while the Cowboys are showing that their 12-4 season in 2014 was largely a fluke. They also won't have the league's reigning rushing champion to keep opposing defenses off the field. 

Score: Eagles 31, Cowboys 28

Toughest 3: At Detroit, Week 12

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The Eagles will be playing on Thanksgiving for the second straight year, and they will be doing so against the Detroit Lions at 12:30 p.m. ET. That means they will have the shortest possible week of preparation, as they play on Sunday afternoon and have less than four full days to prepare for their next game.

Oh, and they'll be traveling to Detroit against a team that is used to playing on the holiday.

The Lions seem like a team destined to decline in 2015, as they lost star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, but they still have a ferocious defense, quarterback Matthew Stafford and the NFL's most dominant wide receiver (when healthy) in Calvin Johnson.

The road team on Thursdays historically struggles, and it makes sense to give the Lions the edge in this one. 

Score: Lions 24, Eagles 21

Toughest 4: At NY Giants, Week 17

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For the second straight season and the third time in the last four years, the Eagles will end the season playing the New York Giants. Last year, the Eagles were already eliminated from postseason contention before playing a meaningless season finale against the Giants, which they did manage to win 34-26.

In 2015, the Giants are expected to be much improved. Eli Manning will enter his second season under offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, and last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Odell Beckham Jr. needs to improve just a little to establish himself as one of the five best receivers in the NFL.

If Victor Cruz can return healthy from his Achilles injury and if the Giants can grab an elite player in the top 10 of the draft, they could give the Eagles a run for their money for the division title. 

But in the end, it's the Eagles who won 10 games in 2014 despite a backup quarterback playing in half the games. It's the Giants who won just six games despite one quarterback making every start. Remember that the Giants were just a 7-9 team the previous year, too. They're just not a good football team right now.

Score: Eagles 33, Giants 27

Toughest 5: New Orleans, Week 5

Michael Perez/Associated Press

Time is running out for Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. Brees turned 36 years old this offseason, and he might have just two or three years remaining in his NFL career. 

The Saints are clearly strapped for space regarding the salary cap, and they've been forced to rebuild their roster during the offseason. They've made a number of interesting moves on the offensive side of the ball, notably their trades of wide receiver Kenny Stills and guard Ben Grubbs. Oh, and they also parted ways with dominant tight end Jimmy Graham. 

With two first-round picks, the Saints have room to improve their roster on the defensive side of the ball, but they're a 7-9 team from 2014 in a weak division. There's no reason to think New Orleans will be any better in 2015.

This is a game the Eagles should win, even with their weak secondary against one of the best passers in history.

Score: Eagles 27, Saints 24

Easiest 1: Tampa Bay, Week 11

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are just not a good football team. In fact, they're terrible. Under new head coach Lovie Smith, they won just two games during the 2014 season, earning them the No. 1 overall draft pick. 

All signs point to the Buccaneers drafting former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, who is widely considered the top prospect available in the draft. Rookie quarterbacks have historically played well in recent years, especially in 2012, when Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson all took their respective teams to the playoffs. 

But even if Winston is dominant as a rookie, the Buccaneers just don't have the pieces to compete with an offensive powerhouse like the Eagles. It's Winston and Mike Evans on offense, and nobody else. It's hard to see a scenario where the Eagles lose to Tampa Bay, especially in Philadelphia.

Score: Eagles 23, Buccaneers 13

Easiest 2: At NY Jets, Week 3

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

The Eagles will face a rookie head coach in Todd Bowles and possibly a rookie quarterback in Marcus Mariota when they travel to MetLife Stadium to take on the Jets in Week 3. 

Bowles, who was the defensive coordinator for the Eagles in the second half of the 2012 season after Juan Castillo was fired, takes over a Jets team that has a dominant defensive line but lacks offensive weapons. At quarterback, the Jets could go with either Geno Smith or veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick, but neither is an option who will strike fear in the hearts of the Eagles defense. 

While it's not relevant to this particular game, it's worth noting that the Eagles have played the Jets nine times throughout their history, winning every game. That's a streak that will very likely reach 10 during the 2015 season.

Score: Eagles 24, Jets 16

Easiest 3: Miami, Week 10

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The Miami Dolphins have been the definition of an average football team over the three seasons that they've had head coach Joe Philbin and quarterback Ryan Tannehill. They've won seven, eight and eight games over the last three seasons, with Tannehill making significant strides during each season.

But although the Dolphins have added players like Kenny Stills and Jordan Cameron to their offense, and Ndamukong Suh to their defense, they lack the firepower on the offensive side of the ball to keep up with the Eagles.

After all, the Eagles scored 474 points during their 2014 season, with an offense that ranked last in the NFL in turnovers. It's not out of the question to think the Eagles could reach 500 points with a healthy Sam Bradford in 2015. That's an average of more than 30 points per game, and it's hard to see the Dolphins keeping up with the Eagles' high-paced offense. 

Score: Eagles 27, Dolphins 23

Easiest 4: Washington, Week 16

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Talk about deja vu. For the second straight season, the Eagles will play the Washington Redskins on Saturday Night Football in Week 16. In 2014, the Redskins ended the Eagles' season, winning 27-24 and eliminating Philadelphia from playoff contention during Chip Kelly's second year. 

It's hard to see the Redskins, who won just four games in 2014, competing for a playoff spot in 2015. They're likely going to stick with former No. 2 overall draft pick Robert Griffin III at quarterback. They do have explosive receiver DeSean Jackson on offense, and knowing Jackson, he'd like nothing more than to ruin yet another Philadelphia season.

But the Eagles are clearly a better team. The Redskins always play them tough, and the two teams had an even point differential last year. It's just hard to see the Eagles losing a game of this magnitude, especially in their home stadium. 

Score: Eagles 40, Redskins 27

Easiest 5: Buffalo, Week 13

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The return of LeSean McCoy to Philadelphia will clearly be the biggest storyline in this game, as it should be. The all-time leading rusher in Eagles history has made it extremely clear over the past month that he's not happy to be out of Philadelphia. But this game isn't just about the return of McCoy. 

The Buffalo Bills have been one of the most interesting teams in the NFL this offseason, adding quarterback Matt Cassel, McCoy, wide receiver Percy Harvin, tight end Charles Clay and offensive guard Richie Incognito to the offensive side of the ball.

It remains to be seen whether the Bills will use the 32-year-old Cassel or 2013 first-round pick EJ Manuel at quarterback. Neither is a particularly good option, and it's hard to see the Bills scoring many points.

But the defense, led by new head coach Rex Ryan, should be dominant. The Bills defensive line is easily one of the best in the NFL, and Ryan has always shown to be a master at getting the most out of his defense. He's also exactly the type of head coach you want to push a close-but-not-quite team like the Bills over the top.

Score: Bills 20, Eagles 17