If you would have asked any NFL fan who they thought would be undefeated going into Week 9, very few, if any would have said the Philadelphia Eagles. But, here we are — undefeated at 7-0, excelling as one of the best teams in the league.
The Eagles have gone from possible NFC East champions to probable Super Bowl contenders. And, the best part is, the season is far from over.
Though Philadelphia has one of the easiest remaining schedules, a win is a win, and if we’ve learned anything from football, it’s that you never count an underdog out. With ten games standing in the way of one of their most successful seasons, can the Eagles finish 17-0, going entirely undefeated for the 2022 season?
CAN THE EAGLES REMAIN UNDEFEATED?
As independent offenses and defenses, the Eagles are ridiculously talented, but together, they have become one of the best teams in the league.
The offense stands in the top-three in scoring and yards per game, with the NFL’s No. 1 ranked offensive line. Philadelphia has led by double digits in each game, with the second-quarter being their best every week. The defense is top-four in points and yards allowed per game, signing a number of Pro Bowlers and big threats this offseason.
There were questions about whether or not Jalen Hurts would be the Eagles’ quarterback moving forward, and now he’s become a MVP candidate. Hurts has become the only quarterback in franchise history to win ten consecutive games. Through seven games, he has finished with 1,799 passing yards, ten passing touchdowns, 303 rushing yards, and six rushing touchdowns, including a 105.0 pass rating.
The Eagles have beat the biggest threats in the NFC — the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys — and have proven they’ve made significant strides.
There is no doubt, the Eagles can finish the season 17-0, but will they?
EAGLES’ REMAINING SCHEDULE & PREDICTIONS
With ten games remaining, Week 9 continues on the road during primetime. Below are my predictions for the rest of the season.
Thursday, November 3 — at Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are currently 1-5-1, which makes winning against the Eagles quite challenging. The bright spot is that they are home. They also have running back Dameon Pierce, a fourth-round pick, who has rushed for 589 yards and three touchdowns. Given that Eagles’ Jordan Davis is injured and out for the next 4-6 weeks, this could be a fragile spot for Pierce to take over.
Either way, the Eagles are still the more talented team and I think they take the win here, advancing 8-0.
Prediction: Eagles win
Monday, November 14 — vs. Washington Commanders
Fans have been waiting for this game — Carson Wentz returning to the Linc. Except now, Wentz is hurt and he won’t be playing.
Taylor Heinicke has taken over, finishing his last two games as starting quarterback with 480 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. The Commanders also won both games. Chase Young will be returning this week, which means he will take the field in Philadelphia. Though the Commanders have potential Pro Bowlers on the defense, so do the Eagles.
Prediction: Eagles win
Sunday, November 20 — at Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are so-so this season. They rank fourth in passing attempts and ninth in passing yards. However, on the flip side, they rank 30th in points per game (16.1). This will be a messy match for them as the Eagles’ defense is allowing 16.9 points per game and the offense is scoring more than that in the second-quarter alone.
Prediction: Eagles win
Sunday, November 27 — vs. Green Bay Packers
Through Week 9, the Packers are on a major losing streak — losing to the New York Giants, New York Jets, and Washington Commanders. Green Bay doesn’t have the talent it once did, and they made no moves before the trade deadline.
Prediction, Eagles win
Sunday, December 4 — vs. Tennessee Titans
This match-up will be interesting as A.J. Brown will return to play his former team.
The Titans are currently 5-2, sitting in first place in the AFC South, entering Week 9. And, the latest statistic is quite cringy — for Tennessee. Through seven games, A.J. Brown has completed 659 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Brown’s yardage and scores are more than all six of Tennessee’s wide receivers (658 yards and one touchdown).
Prediction: Eagles win
Sunday, December 11 — at New York Giants
The New York Giants are doing well this season. At 6-2, they have a shot at the playoffs.
After dealing with injuries, running back Sequin Barkley is back and better than ever. Ranking second in RBs across the league, he has 779 rushing yards and five touchdowns this season. Barkley, along with quarterback Daniel Jones are both in their last year of their rookie contract and will likely be getting extensions soon.
If the Eagles are 12-0, by this time, I think they save some energy for the post-season and we see their first loss here.
Prediction: Giants win
Sunday, December 18 — at Chicago Bears
The Bears were active before the trade deadline expired. They sent edge rusher Robert Quinn to the Eagles, and said goodbye to linebacker Roquan Smith, making room for wide receiver Chase Claypool. Though Quinn has lost his tempo, he’ll be a good addition to the Eagles who have a strong defense.
Prediction: Eagles win
Sunday, December 24 — at Dallas Cowboys
Could this game be any bigger? The Eagles’ biggest rival, the return of Dak Prescott, and a Christmas Eve game. Both teams will be vying for the NFC East championship, and after the Cowboys lost to the Eagles the first time around, they will be looking for revenge.
The Eagles are too proud to let the Cowboys take this game.
Prediction: Eagles win
Sunday, January 1 — vs. New Orleans Saints
The Saints have lost to some pretty bad teams. And, the most recent team they beat were the Las Vegas Raiders who are 2-5 which isn’t something to get excited over.
New Orleans’ passing game isn’t bad. They rank seventh in passing yards (2,121) and sixth in passing touchdowns (14), but they have thrown for the third-most interceptions this season. The Eagles’ defense is hot, and anytime they can get in the way of the ball, they will. Be on the lookout for a big game from Slay here.
Prediction: Eagles win
Sunday, January 8 — vs. New York Giants
The league’s Week 18 game. The Philadelphia Eagles will be sitting all of their starters for this game, giving the backups a chance to see the field. New York will likely do the same if they keep playing the way they have been throughout the season.
I think we see a pretty good performance out of Gardner Minshew, and the Eagles give fans one more round of excitement before playoffs.
Prediction: Eagles win
