Philly Front Office

The Eagles’ list of opponents this season is absolutely brutal. There is no sugar coating that. The schedule is a who’s who of last year’s Super Bowl contenders including the Lions, Vikings, Packers, Commanders, Rams, Bills, and Chiefs, plus our perennial nemesis the Bucs. No matter. Even though we have to play all of them, the scheduling Gods gave us the best path possible to navigate these demons.

In general, the Eagles have one less home game than road game. This is bullshit considering the NFL labeled our Brazil game last year as a home game, so that’s 2 years in a row with more games away from Philly.¹ That being said, we only have one game on the west coast at least. In addition, we only have back-to-back road games twice and they aren’t killer trips: NY to Minneapolis and Washington to Buffalo. We also only get one team coming off a bye and it’s the Vikings after two weeks in the UK. We do not play anyone coming off a Thursday game either, with only KC playing an international game on Friday before playing us. Let’s get into it…

WEEK 1 – Thursday – Home – Dallas Cowboys

I was convinced the NFL would give the people the real NFC Championship game in week 1 by pitting us against the Lions. That would have been tough. Teams regularly let down in ring ceremony games, so having the Cowboys first is much better. They aren’t a push over by any means, but they also won’t be frothing to prove themselves like the Lions would.

WEEK 2 – Sunday – Away – Kansas City Chiefs

The Super Bowl rematch rematch might be in KV, but we have two things going for us. First, it won’t be between -22 and -40 degrees in KC that day considering we are in September. Second, since we start on a Thursday, we get a nice long rest and extra days to recover. The Chiefs on the other hand are coming from a Friday game in Brazil.

WEEK 3 – Sunday – Home – LA Rams

One of the many games where we get a west coast team coming east rather than vice versa. The Rams start at home then have to go to Nashville in Week 2 before coming to Philly in Week 3. That stinks. They have to go half way across the country then go back home before going completely across the country.

WEEK 4 – Sunday – Away – Tampa Bay Bucs

No sugar coating this. Tampa is the worst city in the country and we have to go there AGAIN. Is this 4 years in a row now? We are trying to convince PFO friend and Tampa resident Danny not to go to the game. He is the worst luck charm in the world. Tampa is home against the Jets before this too.

WEEK 5 – Sunday – Home – Denver Broncos

Broncos have a short week and a long flight playing Cincy at home on Monday night before this. Then they get to come east to play us. At least we do not change time zones from the game at Tampa the week before.

WEEK 6 – Thursday – Away – NY Giants

Short weeks suck. If you have one though, at least we get the cupcake of playing the Giants. Not only do we only have to take a train up to the Meadowlands, but the Giants are coming from New Orleans the week before.

WEEK 7 – Sunday – Away – Minnesota Vikings

Minneapolis is the site of one of our greatest triumphs, Super Bowl 52, and you know BDN will be at this game. We get the added bonuses of coming off a long post-Thursday week AND playing the Vikings after they spend 2 weeks in the United Kingdom. They get a week off, but you have to think they’d want a week against a regular opponent before having to face the champs who have had their number for years.

WEEK 8 – Sunday – Home – NY Giants

The Giants get to travel to Denver before playing us for the second time in 3 weeks. We don’t have a lot of easy games on the schedule, but getting the Giants twice before the bye week is nice.

WEEK 9 – BYE

We were all upset last year at the Week 5 bye, but it ended up coming at the perfect time. Traditionally, the midseason by week is best, especially headed into two straight weeks of difficult opponents.

WEEK 10 – Monday – Away – Green Bay Packers

The Packers host Carolina the week before, but get the privilege of facing the champs coming off the bye week. This game is very personal for the Eagles and their fans considering this butthurtedness coming from Green Bay and their tush push fragility. Banned or not, the Eagles are going to look to run the ball down their fucking throats.

WEEK 11 – Sunday – Home – Detroit Lions

We get the Chiefs on the road, but the Lions at home. If it has to be one or the other, I prefer it this way. We have the short week this time, but Detroit has to play at Washington the week before. This game is going to be a war, but it’s a war at home.

WEEK 12 – Sunday – Away – Dallas Cowboys

Dallas travels to Vegas for Monday Night Football the week before. So, they get the short week and have to worry about their Thanksgiving Thursday game right after this. We also get the 4pm start which should be fun in the setting Dallas sun. Thankfully we can run the ball a lot better than the Cowboys.

WEEK 13 – Friday – Home – Chicago Bears

Another short week, but at least it is at home and against the Bears. They will be better this year, but I like our chances right off the top under these circumstances.

WEEK 14 – Monday – Away – LA Chargers

This is the furthest we have to travel all year. Thankfully it comes under the comparatively good circumstances of 10 days rest ahead of time. The Chargers play Vegas the Sunday before. Also, Justin Herbert has never won a big game in his life and I am extremely personally invested in him getting destroyed this game. Eagles fans will be the majority in this crowd.

WEEK 15 – Sunday – Home – LV Raiders

Always love it when a west coast team has to come east, especially when the team isn’t that good like the Raiders. It helps that this one should be cold as hell in mid-December.

WEEK 16 – Saturday – Away – Washington Commanders

Nothing really special for this one. We play the Raiders at home the previous week and the Commanders are in NJ to face the Giants. What it could be is for the division title and more though. Obviously, none of us know what could happen, but with this toward the end of the season and with the Eagles having already played the Cowboys and Giants twice along with the Lions, Packers, and Vikings, we could be looking to seal things up…or be just beginning a 3-week dog fight with Washington.

WEEK 17 – Sunday – Away – Buffalo Bills

Getting to face the Bills in Buffalo at the end of December doesn’t sound fun, but both teams might not be playing for anything at this point. This game might have meant something completely different if it were even 2 weeks earlier. The Bills play the Browns in Cleveland the week before while we have an extra day of rest.

WEEK 18 – ??? – Home – Washington Commanders

Might this be for the division, the conference, or nothing at all? We just don’t know. I’m sure the NFL thought it was dialing up schedule related drama on the last week of the season, but it also might not mean anything.

1. As much as I dislike the international games, at least give them to every team at this point so we can legitimately have 8 home games, 8 road games, and 1 neutral site. Stop tipping these scales further out of whack. ↩︎