Preseason for the Philadelphia Eagles begins tonight, with the official start of the 2021-2022 season approaching in four weeks. And there’s no better time than the present for Eagles season record predictions.
Philadelphia will make their debut with a new head coach, new quarterback, and several young players, all looking to make an impact in a big way. For the first time in NFL history, the league will play 17 games as opposed to 16.
With an extra game on the line, the Eagles were determined to have the easiest schedule in the NFL. With an opponent win percentage of 0.43, the ease seems to lie in their away games.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 2021 SCHEDULE
- Week 1: September 12, 2021 – at Atlanta Falcons
- Week 2: September 19, 2021 – San Francisco 49ers
- Week 3: September 27, 2021 – at Dallas Cowboys
- Week 4: October 3, 2021 – Kansas City Chiefs
- Week 5: October 10, 2021 – at Carolina Panthers
- Week 6: October 14, 2021 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Week 7: October 24, 2021 – at Las Vegas Raiders
- Week 8: October 31, 2021 – at Detroit Lions
- Week 9: November 7, 2021 – Los Angeles Chargers
- Week 10: November 14, 2021 – at Denver Broncos
- Week 11: November 21, 2021 – New Orleans Saints
- Week 12: November 28, 2021 – at New York Giants
- Week 13: December 5, 2021 – at New York Jets
- Week 14: BYE
- Week 15: TBD – Washington Football Team
- Week 16: December 26, 2021 – New York Giants
- Week 17: January 2, 2022 – at Washington Football Team
- Week 18: January 9, 2022 – Dallas Cowboys
EAGLES SEASON RECORD PREDICTIONS
Drew’s Prediction: Eagles go 7-10
Depending on who you ask, the Eagles will either be the surprise team of the NFL or one heading for a top-3 pick. I think they fall somewhere in the middle.
While they’ve made progress this offseason in fortifying positions of weakness, there are several factors that could keep them from playoff contention. An inexperienced quarterback, middling (at best) receiving core, and a rookie head coach are all huge question marks. Recent practices have confirmed the offense will be a work in progress, and can putter out heavily at times.
The defense should be better. Steven Nelson and Anthony Harris are nice additions to the secondary, and the Eagles finally added some needed depth to linebacker with Eric Wilson in the fold. Additionally, Josh Sweat looks headed for a breakout season. However, the depth is questionable. Another slew of injuries to starters could prove costly.
I have the Eagles walking away with at least a win against every divisional team, as well as victories against Atlanta, Detroit, Denver, and the Jets. They’ll greatly improve on their 1-7 away record from last season, but I still think they’ll drop some matchups that could go either way (Carolina, Las Vegas).
Would 7-10 be considered a successful season? I think it depends on how the Eagles perform, even in losses. If they’re a competitive team that shows progress and growth from their younger players like Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith, fans should be confident they’ll be getting a team that could compete for a playoff spot in 2022.
Alicia’s Prediction: Eagles go 8-9
This prediction is pretty bold after a 4-11-1 record last season, but I’m going with it.
No one knows for sure what the Philadelphia Eagles will play like as a team. And from what we’ve seen in training camp so far, there’s been positives and negatives. However, the Eagles have something different this year — something to prove, and for that reason, I think they’ll do well.
In the offseason, the team has focused on their pitfalls. They released (and didn’t re-sign) numerous veteran injured players (DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery, and Jason Peters). Philadelphia also brought in guys to fill in where the Eagles fall short — Steven Nelson (cornerback), Anthony Harris (safety), Eric Wilson (linebacker), and Ryan Kerrigan (defensive end).
The problems lie in the fact that head coach Nick Sirianni hasn’t named starters yet for particular positions, namely quarterback and left tackle. The indecisiveness could potentially result in mental roadblocks, and if the mind isn’t right, the body follows. Leading to my next point — injuries. Last season was a train wreck for Philadelphia as they hit a record number of offensive line-ups due to injury. With several star players already week-to-week, fans can only hope this isn’t a bad omen.
All in all, I think the Eagles take the following games — San Francisco 49ers, Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, New York Jets, and each of the NFC East rivals.
Eagles preseason begins tonight against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game is at 7:30 pm at Lincoln Financial Field.