The Philadelphia Eagles are the last undefeated team in the NFL for over a month and started 8-0 for the first time in franchise history. There have been 40 teams that have started 8-0 in NFL history – 29 since NFL/AFL merger in 1970 — 14 of which have won the Super Bowl or NFL championship. The Eagles will therefore certainly take the 35% chance of winning the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Of those 40 teams that started 8-0, only four finished a perfect regular season: the 1934 Chicago Bears, the 1942 Chicago Bears, the 1972 Miami Dolphins, and the 2007 New England Patriots. The Dolphins were the only team to finish the perfect season, which shows how near impossible the task of staying undefeated is.
The Eagles have a golden opportunity to lead the table for the remainder of the 2022 regular season. Philadelphia will face five teams that currently have losing records. The other four games are against the NFC East (where the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants are combined 12-4) and the only team over .500 in the AFC South (Tennessee Titans).
Among the Eagles’ remaining opponents, their combined record is 39-36-1, with the .510 winning percentage being the 13th toughest in the NFL. According to Power Rankings Guru, the Eagles have played the NFL’s easiest schedule to date — but they’ve beaten two teams with more than six wins on the schedule.
Going 17-0 will be tough, but the Eagles are talented enough to make their way into the history books. Let’s take a look at Philadelphia’s remaining schedule and predict the remaining streak of games.
The Eagles will have 11 days to prepare for Taylor Heinicke and the resurgence of the Commanders offense as Carson Wentz will not return to face the team that drafted him (on injured reserve with a finger injury). Philadelphia’s defense sacked Wentz nine times in the first meeting as the Commanders scored only 1:55 from the end of the game.
The Commanders offensive line is better with Heinicke under center, and the pass rush has set in (and Chase Young could be back). Philadelphia’s passing offense still has a major advantage.
Prediction: Victory of the Eagles (9-0)
Week 11: at the Colts (3-5-1)
The Colts offensive line has struggled all season, and it’s affecting Jonathan Taylor. Indianapolis is 30th in rushing yards per game and yards per carry, while Taylor (who was inactive with an ankle injury in Week 9) is averaging just 4.3 yards per carry with just one touchdown. ground this season. Sam Ehlinger is more mobile than Matt Ryan, but will only make his third career start against an Eagles defense that leads the league in takeaways.
Small week for the Eagles, but the defense has the advantage on a Colts offense that is trying to find its identity.
Prediction: Victory of the Eagles (10-0)
Week 12: vs. Packers (3-6)
This match is a wild card for the Eagles. Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback the Eagles will face all season, but the Packers’ offense is incredibly inconsistent. Green Bay is playing bad situation football, greatly lacking Davante Adams as a go-to receiver for Rodgers. The Packers’ current pass catchers are a mismatch for the Eagles’ secondary talent.
The Packers are going to have to rule the football and shorten the game to beat the Eagles. Green Bay can do it, but will they? The Eagles will challenge a Packers running defense that is 26th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game following their loss to the Lions in Week 9.
Prediction: Victory of the Eagles (11-0)
Week 13: against the Titans (5-3)
Ending what seemed like the Eagles’ most intimidating streak at the start of the season, the Titans are a team that has found its identity after an 0-2 start. Give the ball to Derrick Henry to score points and stop the run.
This game will hinge on Jordan Davis returning from his sprained ankle (eligible to be released from injured reserve). It would be the Eagles’ block against Henry, but AJ Brown will want to prove a point against a Titans pass defense that allowed 15 touchdown passes on the year (29th in the NFL) at the start of Week 9.
Prediction: Victory of the Eagles (12-0)
Week 14: at the Giants (6-2)
Who knows where the Giants will be at this point in the season? This will be New York’s third straight NFC East game, but the Giants are in golden position to have a winning record at this point of the year.
The Eagles lost at MetLife Stadium in Jalen Hurts’ worst game as a starting quarterback last year, but the Giants are giving up a lot of rushing yards and their cornerback situation is dire. It looks like a game where the Eagles offense can take an early lead and control the flow from there. A good start is vital.
Prediction: Victory of the Eagles (13-0)
Week 15: at Bears (3-6)
Chicago has been a much improved team since the start of the season and Justin Fields is developing. The Bears still have the league’s worst passing offense and 30th-ranked running defense. That doesn’t seem like an ideal formula for beating an Eagles team playing to their greatest strengths.
The Eagles are within reach for first-round bye and home-court advantage this week. It won’t be done this week, but they’ll take care of business in Chicago.
Prediction: Victory of the Eagles (14-0)
Week 16: at the Cowboys (6-2)
This highly anticipated Christmas Eve game will be huge for both teams, but the Cowboys will have more to play for than the Eagles here. Dak Prescott will give the Cowboys offense a much different look than Cooper Rush, even though Philadelphia could have the division clinched by then (the Eagles have two games in hand and the head-to-head tiebreaker against Dallas after week 9).
If the Eagles lose a game, that makes the most sense. Green Bay, Tennessee and New York are in contention for the first loss, but the Eagles haven’t won in Dallas since 2017. That streak continues if there’s little at stake for Philadelphia.
Prediction: The Eagles lose (14-1)
Week 17 vs. Saints (3-5)
The Eagles clinch home-court advantage in the NFC playoffs with a win, having the opportunity to deal with a Saints team that is transforming football at an alarming rate (16 turnovers are third in the NFL) and are scoring on a defense that’s 26th in the NFL in points allowed going into Monday night’s game against the Ravens.
A perfect home record remains. The quest to stay undefeated is over, but the road to the Super Bowl is through Lincoln Financial Field.
Prediction: Victory of the Eagles (15-1)
Week 18: vs. Giants (6-2)
This game means nothing to the Eagles, and may mean nothing to the Giants either. It could be a matchup between the relief quarterbacks, as many young players from both teams have the opportunity to make meaningful NFL snaps.
Winning 15 games is pretty impressive, especially since the Eagles have never accomplished that in the regular season.
Prediction: The Eagles lose (15-2)
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