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at Browns week 1
2 Monday night games in November. In New Orleans and home against Carolina.

Wish I would have looked here 1st....
link

9/9 @Cle
9/16 BAL
9/23 @Arz
9/30 NYG
10/7 @Pit
10/14 DET
10/21 BYE
10/28 ATL
11/5 @NO (MNF)
11/11 DAL
11/18 @Was
11/26 CAR (MNF)
12/2 @Dal
12/9 @TB
12/13 CIN (TNF)
12/23 WAS
12/30 @NYG

Hmm.

From Deadspin's Petchesky,

With the release of the NFL schedule, fans everywhere finally have the chance to see their team's 16-game slate, and work out probable final records. And yeah, look at those games; your team's going to the playoffs for sure.
Ten wins will probably be enough for that, but 10-6 looks like the worst case scenario for your guys. More like 12-4 without any big injuries. Or, hell why not, if they take that big night game — you know how they get up for the nationally broadcast games — 13-3 isn't out of the discussion. Look at that list, and you can't find four teams that are definitely going to beat you.

I mean, five wins minimum in the division. Minimum. No one else got better. And you got lucky; you're playing these guys early, so you'll have everyone healthy, not like last year. And figure maybe a split with those guys. You're not going to lose both games to them, not again.

Opening day looks tough, I know. Your opponents surprised last year, and everyone says they're only supposed to get better. But not in your house, not in the first game, you're not losing that one.

Oh, look who you get from the other conference. You can realistically beat every single one of those teams. Those guys had 12 wins last year, but that was a weak division. This other one could play you tough, yeah, but if your guys hold on to the football and limit their mistakes, they've got it.

Huh, that one will be fun. Haven't played there since they got the new stadium, will love to see what it looks like on TV.

Ooh, week 10. That's going to be tough, after how they humiliated you last season. You couldn't even listen to the drive-time guys the morning after that one. But let's chalk it up as a W this year, there's no way your guys come in so unprepared again. They're clearly the more talented team.

This stretch, these four right here will be rough. Even you gotta admit there's no way they take all four. These two, figure they take one, lose one. This one will be some kind of clincher, so you know your guys be up for it. And hopefully those last guys will have locked things up and won't have anything to play for by then.

Yeah, 13-3 is a legitimate projection.

Your bye week is in the perfect place too. Right after the biggest cupcake game, so you can go into the break feeling good. But it's also late enough in the season that they won't be tired for those big games in weeks 16 and 17.

Not that they won't clinch a playoff bye, and be able to rest their guys the last week. Not if everyone plays like they're capable of playing.

Are 14 wins completely out of the question? Not really.

In the playoffs, who knows. You'll worry about that when you get there, though it looks like you've got a lot of potential playoff teams on your schedule.

Huh, you're not one of the Thanksgiving games. Can't remember the last time you were in a Thanksgiving game.

That being said, 8-7-1

13-3? I need what he's having.

With a full offseason this year, and a relatively easy schedule, what will be their excuse next January?

Oh FFS lyte.

and a relatively easy schedule


The Eagles strength of schedule is ranked 7th.
link

When I wrote "relatively easy" I considered NYG, NO, Pitt, Balt and Detr as tough opponents. Dall, Wash, AZ, the other NFCS and AFCN teams aren't so scary. 6 tough opponents and 10 not-so-tough opponents.

I know it is only April, but Wash is obviously rebuilding, Dall should be rebuilding, the NYG always have a bad season immediately after winning a SB, and you can't convince me that AZ, Cleve, TB or Car are legitimate wildcard contenders.

Perhaps I was mistaken with the words "relatively easy," but you have to admit that the 2012 schedule doesn't appear too daunting?

Teams are probably looking at the Eagles as a winnable game too.

It's not an easy schedule when you aren't that good yourself.

Teams are probably looking at the Eagles as a winnable game too.

It's not an easy schedule when you aren't that good yourself.

I doubt many teams are looking at the Eagles like the Brown or Cards. I think they probably assume the Eagles are a tough game.

On the schedule, I actually think it looks pretty tough. Division games are impossible to gauge, but after the Browns, there aren't a lot of gimmes in there. You can assume the Cards and Bucs won't be great, but the Cards weren't great last year and still beat the Eagles.

I think they could be 3-3 at the bye and they come out playing the Falcons, Saints, and Cowboys.

On the other hand, it's not impossible to imagine a scenario where the Panthers struggle, the Bucs continue to stink, the Redskins struggle, and the Bengals take a step back after the surprising performance last year.

In a scenario close to that, they'd obviously have a pretty great schedule for a stretch run.

Obviously a long way off, but it's not as if this team became markedly better in the offseason. They had a relatively easy schedule last year and ran up to .500 against drek.

Have to see how the other teams fall into place - Detroit, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Washington play the Birds after a bye (the Detroit game is right before the Birds' bye). Dallas gets them on extra rest (from a Thursday game) and short week (Birds play Carolina the Monday prior).

On the surface, it's definitely a tougher schedule than last year (even factoring in a west coast trip, where Reid traditionally doesn't play well).

This should really be a make or break year because, like you said, they didn't get markedly better talent-wise. They essentially doubled down on the moves they made last year, telling the world the main problem was the lack of an off-season to let them gel.

If you look at the season objectively, it's not hard to see that side. If you eliminate a few bad turnovers and have better cohesion in the system, they would have easily been in the playoffs.

I can't (completely) buy the notion that it was just the short offseason - everyone suffered from the same issue. Did they suffer more because they named their offensive line coach as their defensive coordinator?

(That line writes itself)

Granted, there were some issues that were due to the defensive lack of cohesion, but they have no one to blame but themselves for that one. Even still, I'm reminded of the Bears game, where Martz coached circles around Castillo. It's hard to imagine that scenario not taking place again with another team. And they have to get better play from the QB, and we'll see if a longer offseason will accomplish that.

Looking at the schedule again, and there are some interesting subplots: former Reid disciples Harbaugh, Rivera/McDermott coming to Philly; Detroit's use of the Wide-9; New Orleans; and ending the year at New Meadowlands.

I'm not saying they are right, but that seems to be how they are proceeding based on their moves. It was definitely a bad year to add a bunch of new faces and roll the dice big on D.

The argument against their line of reasoning, IMO, is the QB and WRs screwed them on offense, and none of those guys were new. The O-line had the best built-in excuse for failure, and they were playing fantastic football after the first few games.

I think the Eagles are in denial that they were a mediocre team. Nothing says mediocre louder than 8-8. Reid and Lurie provided the excuses during and after the season, respectively.

Let's not forget that in 2011 the Eagles suffered few serious injuries, the NFCE was dreadful, the Eagles schedule was chock full of cupcakes, and all 32 clubs had the exact same offseason. In fact Banner pointed out how the Eagles had an advantage over the other 31 teams due solely to his brilliance.

As for the OL coach pretending to be a DC, did Castillo become savvy and experienced after just 16 games? Does he have any autonomy, or is he Reid's puppet? Have they filled that wide-gap in the defense, or are they going to draft some big bodies for the middle of their defense (or more undersized players with fast motors)?

Besides not becoming "markedly better in the offseason," they never once looked like a good team during any stretch last season. Winning their last 4 meaningless games wasn't an accomplishment, it merely pushed them back 11 spots in the draft (isn't it funny that they are trying to trade up to #4, and they controlled that draft position when they were 4-8).

Detroit will not be a cupcake game.

Now that the team has who it has, and it's 6 days from Opening Day, predictions?


9/9 @Cle - W
9/16 BAL - L (could be a W, since Baltimore plays MNF and you've got the whole short week thing)
9/23 @Arz - L (Reid on the left coast vs. Arizona stinks)
9/30 NYG - W
10/7 @Pit - L
10/14 DET - L (This stretch could be real tough)
10/21 BYE
10/28 ATL - W (could also be a L due to both teams being off a bye)
11/5 @NO (MNF) - L
11/11 DAL - W
11/18 @Was - L
11/26 CAR (MNF) - W
12/2 @Dal - L (short week + Dal on 12 days rest)
12/9 @TB - W
12/13 CIN (TNF) - W
12/23 WAS - W
12/30 @NYG - L

8-8, no playoffs

I got no damn clue.

That schedule is tougher than it shoulda been.

10-6?

Bass, I think they beat Az. 9-7.

9/9 @Cle - W
9/16 BAL - W
9/23 @Arz - L
9/30 NYG - L
10/7 @Pit - W
10/14 DET - W
10/21 BYE
10/28 ATL - W
11/5 @NO (MNF) - W
11/11 DAL - W
11/18 @Was - W
11/26 CAR (MNF) - L
12/2 @Dal - W
12/9 @TB - L
12/13 CIN (TNF) - T
12/23 WAS - W
12/30 @NYG - L

10-5-1

9/9 @Cle - W

At this point, sentiment is the same as it was last year after Week 1 vs. StL, with dream/dynasty plans full steam ahead...

9/16 BAL - L
9/23 @Arz - L

At this point, philly fans will take to the comments section and WIP calling for an all-out public lynching of AR...

9/30 NYG - W
10/7 @Pit - L
10/14 DET - W
10/21 BYE

The Eagles manage to heroically come back and enter the bye at 3-3.

10/28 ATL - W
11/5 @NO (MNF) - W
11/11 DAL - L
11/18 @Was - W
11/26 CAR (MNF) - W
12/2 @Dal - W
12/9 @TB - L

An 8-4 record going into Tampa Bay is good enough to rest, get complacent and play down to the level of your competition, right?

12/13 CIN (TNF) - W
12/23 WAS - W
12/30 @NYG - L

Thus ending the season at 10-6, second place in the division and missing the playoffs due to Chicago and Detroit both going 11-5. If only the birds would have beaten Tampa Bay...

Eagles will lose week 1 since I just picked them in my suicide pool

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