Philadelphia Eagles record prediction: Game-by-game picks for 2020
By Samuel Teets
Week 5: at Pittsburgh Steelers
It’s difficult to judge how good the Steelers are at this point. Pittsburgh’s defense is one of the top five in the NFL right now, considering the team led the NFL in sacks and takeaways last season. That unit also produced three First-Team All-Pros. The real questions for Pittsburgh come on the offensive side of the ball.
Pittsburgh’s offense ranked in the bottom five for both passing and rushing yards last season. Ben Roethlisberger’s return could help the offense change directions, but there are reasonable questions about Roethlisberger’s durability and consistency after his season-ending elbow surgery.
Right now, I’m marking Pittsburgh down as a loss because the Eagles will lose at least one tossup game this season, and the Steelers are the definition of a tossup team.
Prediction: Loss
Week 6: vs. Baltimore Ravens
Even if Lamar Jackson doesn’t live up to his 2019 MVP season, the Ravens can still finish with a top-two seed in the AFC. Baltimore added multiple starters on defense this offseason, including Calais Campbell and Patrick Queen. Baltimore also spent several draft picks reinforcing the offensive line and wide receiver corps.
While Wentz and Philadelphia can fight against Baltimore, the Eagles are inferior to the Ravens in almost every way. With perhaps the exception of several offensive line spots and the tight end position, Baltimore maintains a massive advantage.
Prediction: Loss
Week 7: vs. New York Giants
The Giants did a decent job filling needs this offseason. However, the team is still a few years away from reviving the New York-Philadelphia rivalry. New head coach Joe Judge must instill his culture and find a way to help Daniel Jones flourish. There’s a lot of potential in New York, but very little of it translates to guaranteed wins in 2020.
Prediction: Win
Week 8: vs. Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys and Eagles split their two-game series last year with Dallas winning the first matchup and Philadelphia getting revenge in Week 16. On paper, the Eagles have a better overall team than Dallas. The Cowboys lost a lot of defensive personnel during the offseason. While Mike McCarthy’s team drafted well, Philadelphia still has an advantage defensively.
However, Dallas’ offense could make the difference in this matchup. The Cowboys arguably possess the best trio of wide receivers in the NFL. That group, combined with Ezekiel Elliott, a decent offensive line, and Dak Prescott, could put Dallas over the top in Week 8.
I believe Dallas and Philadelphia split their two games this year. Dallas’ offense is high-powered but largely unproven in clutch situations. I also lean towards Philadelphia defensively and feel that the Eagles have a superior coaching staff and front office. Even if Wentz’s team comes up short in Week 8, they’ll rebound in the rematch.
Prediction: Loss
Week 9: Bye Week
The Eagles benefit from a well-positioned bye week. The team’s season is perfectly divided in half, which hopefully means Philadelphia can use this time to recover from any injuries and plan for the final eight weeks.
Philadelphia enters their bye with a 4-4 record and some serious question marks about their playoff hopes.