Philadelphia Eagles: Week-by-Week Predictions For The Rest Of 2010
We can safely label this Philadelphia Eagles season as insane. If you claim to have seen this all coming, you are a liar.
As we start the second half of the season, Michael Vick will take the reins again and look to lead this team into the playoffs. He has played at a very high level this season when he has seen action, but he will face a lot of challenges the rest of the way.
The team has seen a lot of injuries so far, and we hope that Vick and company can stay healthy. However, in the wake of all the injuries, we've seen that the Eagles have players who can step up and remain competitive.
Over the bye week, there's been plenty of time to speculate, and speculate I did. Here's how I see the remainder of the Eagles' season panning out.
Week 9 - Indianapolis Colts
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The Eagles start the second half of their season with a huge challenge. Behind Peyton Manning, the Colts are a Super Bowl contender every year and are looking the part again in 2010.
Much like the Eagles, the Colts are seeing their fair share of injuries. Manning has lost some of his weapons but he has the ability to make a guy you've never heard of look like a Po Bowler.
The Eagles should have an edge running the ball. LeSean McCoy has been outstanding, and the return of Michael Vick adds another dynamic runner to the mix.
No matter how favorable that matchup is on offense, they've got their work cut out for them on defense. They will see arguably the best quarterback of all-time, and that doesn't bode well for a team that was murdered through the air in their last outing. Dimitri Patterson will take over the starting corner spot in place of Ellis Hobbs and will be tested early and often.
In the end, I think the Colts favorable matchups will out weigh ours.
Final Prediction: Loss
Week 10 - Washington Redskins
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Things have turned into an absolute zoo in Washington.
It's great.
With the Redskins trailing by a small margin late in the fourth quarter, they opt to replace Donovan McNabb with Rex Grossman? They say McNabb doesn't know the signals as well? He's not in good enough physical condition? What's going on here?
I don't really care. Their record made them seem much better than they actually were, and now things are beginning to crumble.
Do I think Mike Shanahan made a bad decision last week? Definitely. There's now a sour relationship between quarterback and coach and that's definitely not something you want.
At the end of the day, the Eagles want to get revenge on McNabb and the Redskins, and I think they will be able to do so quite easily.
Final Prediction: Win
Week 11 - New York Giants
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At this point in the season, I think it will be a two-team race for control of the NFC East. The Giants have proven to be one of the better teams in the NFC. I think in Week 11 the Eagles will be contenders, and with this being the first of two matchups with the G-men, they can really put themselves in a good position.
At 5-2, both of the Giants' losses have come to very solid teams. The Colts and Tennessee Titans were able to take the Giants down hard, but they've been back on the right track since, ripping off four consecutive wins.
Everything is falling into place right now. Their defense looks dominant and has been absolutely punishing opposing quarterbacks. If you don't believe me, ask Tony Romo.
Offensively, Brandon Jacobs has gotten back on board, creating a nice running tandem with Ahmad Bradshaw. Through the air, Hakeem Nicks is evolving into an elite receiver and Steve Smith and Mario Manningham are solid contributors.
I'm predicting a season split for the Eagles; however, this is the one I have them losing.
Final Prediction: Loss
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Week 12 - Chicago Bears
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Attention Jay Cutler: DeAngelo Hall is not one of your wide receivers. That is all.
The good news for Culter is that the Bears just had their bye so he's had plenty of time to look at the game tape and see the many, many things he did wrong against the Redskins.
Cutler's performance was a microcosm of the Bears' season: disappointing. They could easily be 6-1 and standing atop the NFC North.
But they're not, so I can be critical.
I'm not overly impressed by the Bears and despite traveling to Solider Field I think this is a game the Eagles will take. It will be nice not having to listen about a homecoming for Donovan McNabb. Good thing Vick is from Virginia.
Final Prediction: Win
Week 13 - Houston Texans
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This is an interesting matchup—a Thursday night battle in early December. The Texans are a very solid team and have been on the rise for a few years now.
Defensively, they're dead last in passing yards. However, when you look at the Texans, you have to focus on their offense.
Matt Schaub has turned into a pretty nice gun-slinger and has arguably the best target in the NFL in Andre Johnson. Arian Foster has been an absolute beast on the ground for them and sets up their passing attack quite nicely.
Both teams will have a short week to prepare for one another so keep a close eye on this one. Although the Eagles have dominated the month of December in the past, I don't think their December domination will start until the following week.
Final Prediction: Loss
Week 14 - Dallas Cowboys
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As an Eagles fan, you have a duty to hate the Dallas Cowboys.
However, don't you just love the Cowboys right now? They were supposed to have a home game in the Super Bowl this year, right? Um, yea, abut that...
They sit in the basement of the NFC East right now with a record of 1-6 and continually shoot themselves in the foot. If they're not racking up double digit penalties, their receivers are just handing off interceptions to opposing defenses.
Their star child, Tony Romo, is missing extended time, and this matchup sits right in the middle of his projected return. Will Romo start? Will Jon Kitna start? Does it matter?
The Eagles' December domination will start in big D this week.
Final Prediction: Win
Week 15 - New York Giants
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I don't have the stats in front of me, but doesn't it just seem that the Eagles always have the Giants' number on the road?
This game could have a lot of playoff implications for both team, and regardless of how it looks on paper, this game will be an absolute battle.
I've already praised the Giants for how they've been playing lately so I'm not going to get into all of that.
The Eagles will split the series with the Giants.
Final Prediction: Win
Week 16 - Minnesota Vikings
8 of 10
Will Brad Childress have a job at this point in the year? Will Brett Favre be healthy enough to play? If he is, will the NFL even allow the infamous flasher to participate in their league at this point? Who knows.
The Vikings are basically a clone of the Cowboys with one more win. They were a preseason favorite to go to the Super Bowl and have been nothing but disappointing. They have tons of drama surrounding Favre, his health and his relationship with his coach. To try and get things back on track, they bring Randy Moss back to the team. That didn't last long.
When the schedule originally came out I looked at this as a very important game for the Eagles. I thought they may be on the brink of making the playoffs having to take on a Super Bowl contender. Only half of that seems true now.
Who knows what the Vikings will look like at this point of the season. Regardless, I'm going with the Birds.
Final Prediction: Win
Week 17 - Dallas Cowboys
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Another Week 17 matchup with the Cowboys? This is the rubber match. After the Eagles sent them packing two years ago in Philly, they got even by trouncing us in our first appearance in "the house that Jerry built."
Both years, there were playoff implications. We can't expect that on both ends this season. For the Eagles? Yes. For the Cowboys? Get real.
We may even see the debate that I touched upon in the Week 14 matchup. Will Romo start? Will Kitna start? Again, will it really matter?
In the end, I have one team dancing into the playoffs while the other dances into a depressing offseason.
Final Prediction: Win
Final Thoughts
10 of 10
Did I really just pick the Eagles to finish 10-6? Wow.
Why not, though? It's been a crazy year in the NFL.
I never put the prediction on paper, but before the season started I saw this being an 8-8 or 9-7 team. Does that mean I think the Eagles have gotten better?
No, not really. I don't think any Eagles fan could have predicted seeing what the Eagles have gone through this season.
There have been countless injuries, some season-ending, a quarterback carousel and just pure chaos throughout the rest of the league.
It's going to be a wild ride folks. Stay tuned.
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