Philadelphia Eagles 2015 Schedule: Win-Loss Predictions for Every Game
The regular season is still more than four months away, but there's always a huge buzz for the schedule release in April—especially for the Philadelphia Eagles this year.
After all the controversial moves Chip Kelly made this offseason, people are excited to catch a glimpse of the final product on the field.
Of course, we haven't even made it to the draft yet, so rosters aren't even complete. There's no telling what these teams will look like come September, but that isn't stopping folks from making predictions. That's half the fun of the schedule release.
Here are our admittedly way-too-early game-by-game projections for the Eagles' 2015 season.
Week 1: Eagles 33, Atlanta Falcons 27
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Philadelphia’s revamped secondary is put to the test right away in Atlanta against quarterback Matt Ryan and the NFL’s fifth-ranked passing attack from 2014.
Wide receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White will exploit some lingering soft spots in the Eagles’ defensive backfield, but the Falcons defense is very much a work in progress as well.
Even if Sam Bradford isn’t ready to start on opening day (ACL), the Birds should be able to produce just enough offense with Mark Sanchez at the helm.
Week 2: Eagles 24, Dallas Cowboys 31
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The Cowboys were the superior team in 2014 and should be again this season, provided Tony Romo’s health continues to hold up.
Dallas’ offensive line can make a star out of another running back besides DeMarco Murray—now with the Birds—thus alleviating the pressure on the quarterback, while the defense will be improved.
The Eagles are not leagues behind the Boys, but with so much roster turnover in Philly, the reigning division champions are a tough draw in Week 2, even at home.
Week 3: Eagles 6, New York Jets 16
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New York’s defense ranked sixth overall in total yards allowed in 2014, and the club added Pro Bowl cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie during the offseason.
The only saving grace for Philadelphia might be the Jets’ lack of a decent signal-caller, although with Brandon Marshall joining Eric Decker at wide receiver, the offense should be more potent.
Defense certainly won’t take a step back, especially not under new head coach Todd Bowles, making this trip up I-95 tougher than it might seem.
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Week 4: Eagles 34, Washington 27
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Washington always seems to play the Eagles tough, even when that team is complete garbage, which it probably will be again in 2015.
Still, between quarterback Robert Griffin III and wide receivers Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson, Washington has more than enough playmakers on offense to keep games interesting—especially at home against a Philly secondary that has been susceptible to big plays through the air over the past several years.
Week 5: Eagles 35, New Orleans Saints 20
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Drew Brees may be one of the most prolific passers of our time, but he’s 36, and the Saints are running out of weapons on offense, especially after trading All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham.
Meanwhile, New Orleans’ defense ranked 28th and 31st in points and yards allowed in 2014, respectively. The Eagles may be in flux this season, but comparatively, they’re on the rise.
This has the potential to be a huge home win for the Birds.
Week 6: Eagles 31, New York Giants 27
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One thing is for sure: The Giants are a completely different team with Rookie of the Year Odell Beckham Jr.
That being said, there's no reason to suspect New York's defense is fixed, particularly a front seven that ranked 30th against the run.
Murray, Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles should have little trouble finding space to carry the Eagles to victory on a Sunday night at home, even if the G-Men can keep the contest competitive just by throwing the ball to Beckham repeatedly.
Week 7: Eagles 27, Carolina Panthers 17
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The Eagles dominated Carolina last season, but the Panthers should come back a different team this season. In fact, they were already on the rebound in 2014, winning five straight, including a playoff game.
That being said, Carolina doesn't have skill players on offense who can scare even Philly's secondary, while the Birds should be able to make things happen against a defense that was only average for much of the previous year, particularly in front of a home crowd.
Week 9: Eagles 24, Dallas Cowboys 19
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Dallas may ultimately wind up winning the NFC East, but that doesn't mean they'll sweep the season series with the Birds.
Again, while the Cowboys may be the better team, the two clubs are not worlds apart. There isn't much of a home-field advantage at JerryWorld, either, and coming off a bye week will seemingly give the Eagles some semblance of an advantage.
Week 10: Eagles 27, Miami Dolphins 34
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Miami signal-caller Ryan Tannehill started making real strides as a passer in his third season. If he continues to, the Dolphins are going to be a real threat to make the playoffs in 2015.
Either way, this should be a tough matchup for the Birds. Ultimately, Tannehill will be just too much for Philadelphia to handle in this one, even at home, while free-agent defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh vastly improves the Fins' defense.
Week 11: Eagles 24, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17
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This is a tough game to call, seeing as we don't even know who's going to be under center for Tampa Bay. We can probably assume it will be one of the top quarterback prospects in the draft—either Jameis Winston out of Florida State or Oregon's Marcus Mariota.
We can probably also assume that the Bucs are still going to be a bad football team in 2015 after going 2-14 the previous year. Catching them at home won't hurt the Eagles, either.
Week 12: Eagles 21, Detroit Lions 24
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The Eagles have to travel on Thanksgiving for the second year in a row, this time to Detroit. The Lions defense isn't as intimidating after losing Suh in free agency, but there still isn't anybody on the Philly defense who can shut down the likes of All-Pro wide receiver Calvin Johnson on a consistent basis.
The fact that the Birds are traveling on short rest won't help their odds as they're outlasted in this contest.
Week 13: Eagles 20, New England Patriots 41
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Philadelphia gets the extra three days to prepare for their trip to Foxborough, but that's not enough when it's Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the reigning Super Bowl champion Patriots.
The Eagles simply aren't on that level yet, on either side of the ball, and it will show in this one when they're completely outclassed from start to finish.
Week 14: Eagles 23, Buffalo Bills 17
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LeSean McCoy returns to Philadelphia in search of revenge after being traded to Buffalo, but he's not going to get it.
The Eagles run defense is stifling, and the Bills still don't have a quarterback to prevent opponents from loading up the box. The Eagles will have to scrap for every point they put on the board against a stout Bills front but should be able to mount just enough offense to pick up the W.
Week 15: Eagles 21, Arizona Cardinals 24
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Assuming Carson Palmer makes it to this point in the season in one piece, Arizona will probably be considered one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl.
The Cardinals are loaded with weapons on offense, and the defense is tough. This will be the third season in a row these clubs meet, and both games have come down to the wire thus far, with a win for each side.
The rubber match should be another classic, but the Cards will steal one on Philly's home turf.
Week 16: Eagles 24, Washington 21
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This is a potential trap game for the Eagles, who may be jockeying for playoff position while Washington is pulling its usual routine in the NFC East basement. This time Philadelphia will survives, unlike last season in Week 16's upset.
There will be a big assist by the home crowd here, which will contribute to a deflated Washington team coming unglued.
Week 17: Eagles 17, New York Giants 30
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We have to assume Bradford is going to miss at least one game due to injury, and the dart I threw landed on this game.
The Eagles can't mount enough offense, not to keep up with Beckham, who will polish off a huge season with a huge day against the Eagles.
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