Now that all 32 teams in the National Football League have been given their schedules for the season, talk amongst analysts and fans has begun regarding who has the hardest or easiest schedules, and who is poised for the most success. The Philadelphia Eagles for example, have been given a fairly difficult schedule yet again, following a season where they went 7-9 behind rookie quarterback Carson Wentz.
Facing another tough season ahead, the progress Wentz made in just his first year is enough to us as Eagles fans a sense of hope heading into 2017. Though the team struggled throughout this past season, there’s no denying that Wentz, along with a few other notable rookies, proved themselves in their respective positions.
One of the more obvious issues that plagued the Eagles was the inabilities of the wide receivers. While Jordan Matthews showed promise in his rookie season, the young receiver only recorded three touchdown receptions in 2016. Nelson Agholor, on the other hand, has been at the helm of the most recent Philadelphia torch and pitchfork mob, as he has consistently dropped more passes than any other receiver on the team, and has yet to really prove his worth within the wide receiver corps since being drafted in 2015. However, general manager Howie Roseman was able to find possible solutions for these issues by signing both Torrey Smith and Alshon Jeffery; two fairly big names in the league, giving Wentz some serious weapons for his sophomore year.
In addition to a few other signings, the Eagles look to be improving in terms of roster worth, giving them more confidence as they prepare to go up against a daunting 2017 schedule. With that said, here are a few predictions for Philadelphia’s success.
The Birds open their season on the road at Washington to face a decently improved Redskins team considering their lack of success within the past decade. Quarterback Kirk Cousins, while showing great promise for the future of the Redskins’ organization, recently voiced his displeasure with how the team was being managed. So, if he is not under center in Week 1, and a fairly inexperienced quarterback is, this should be an easy win for Philadelphia. Their play against NFC East rivals is what truly hurt them last year, so if the Eagles can get off to a fast start, defeating both the Redskins and New York Giants in weeks 1-3, they will be slightly diminishing the effects that this difficult season may have on them.
What may excite the few west coast Eagles fans that exist is the fact that they will be traveling to Los Angeles twice this year to play the newly relocated Rams and Chargers. Both of these teams struggled last season to say the least. The Rams finished their season 4-12 under head coach Jeff Fisher, who remarkably led the team to five straight losing seasons, never reaching above .500. Now that Fisher has been relieved as the Rams’ head coach, it would be impressive to see the team bounce back so quickly. This game, as well as the Chargers game, should be able to be won by the Eagles. If Wentz and his new weapons at wide receiver are as explosive as we hope they are, the two LA teams’ secondaries stand a very little chance in slowing them down.
The more difficult games look to be those against the Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos, and Carolina Panthers. Looking at those teams, the Seahawks may appear to be the only intimidating one. However, the Raiders success under quarterback Derek Carr, along with impressive rookies Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper, have made them a team strong enough to make a decent playoff push.
The Broncos have had one of the best defenses in the league for a number of seasons now, and this season doesn’t seem to be any different. Luckily for the Eagles, Peyton Manning has since retired, so Denver’s offense is not what it once was. The key to winning this game will be protecting Wentz behind the line. Von Miller and company can wreak serious havoc on quarterbacks, and allowing Wentz to succumb to that would be simply irresponsible.
Though the Panthers had a less than dismal season this past year, the season prior to that had them as Super Bowl favorites, and they’ve since lost very few players. Carolina’s roster is still full of talent, including 2015 NFL MVP Cam Newton. It’s hard to put a finger on why they had such little success last year, which is why it’s difficult to say if they will be better or worse in the upcoming season. Philadelphia will face them on the road, and will need to prepare for what could be a repeat of their 2015 NFC Championship season.
One of the biggest concerns for the Eagles, as is with any team, will be winning their division. The Cowboys had a truly historical season last year behind rookie quarterback Dak Prescott, but many predict them seeing more problems in 2017. The Giants recently signed veteran wide receiver Brandon Marshall, making their already impressive pass offense that much more dangerous. Philadelphia will need to drastically improve their secondary if they wish to say in contention for the title of NFC East champions, but it is not impossible. As almost every Eagles fan says, this could be our year.