NFL
When Will the Philadelphia Eagles Suffer Their First Loss? 3 Sneaky Trap Games Remaining on Their Cupcake Schedule
Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies. When Jack isn't writing about sports, he's watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He's also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.
Get to know Jack Dougherty betterPublished18 Oct 2022
The city of Philadelphia is the king of the sports world right now, which is not something I’ve ever been able to say as a lifelong Philly fan. The Eagles are on top of the NFL standings at 6-0, the Phillies are in the NLCS, the Flyers are 2-0 early in the season, the Union is a No. 1 seed in the MLS playoffs, and the 76ers are a popular pick to win the NBA title.
Almost too much is going right in Philadelphia right now, so you know it’ll all come crashing down sooner than later.
The Eagles will lose a game at some point this season (at least, I think?), but their easy schedule makes it tough to pinpoint when that will be. So, let’s come back down to earth and try to target three trap games the Eagles need to be careful of the rest of the year.
The 6-0 Philadelphia Eagles have a cupcake schedule the rest of the way
Raise your hand if you expected the Eagles to start the season 6-0 and quickly become the favorites to win the NFC. Nobody? Yeah, I’m not even sure Philly fans saw this coming. But here we are.
Eagles fans are understandably excited about having a Super Bowl contender to root for this season, but they know the undefeated campaign has to end at some point. The problem? It’s nearly impossible to predict where that loss is on the schedule.
If the Eagles stay relatively healthy for the rest of the season, they’ll be favored in almost every one of their 11 remaining games. Week 16 on the road against the Dallas Cowboys might be the only game they play as an underdog all year.
Here’s how Philadelphia’s schedule shakes out the rest of the way:
Week 7: BYE
Week 8: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 9: at Houston Texans
Week 10: vs. Washington Commanders
Week 11: at Indianapolis Colts
Week 12: vs. Green Bay Packers
Week 13: vs. Tennessee Titans
Week 14: vs. New York Giants
Week 15: at Chicago Bears
Week 16: at Dallas Cowboys
Week 17: vs. New Orleans Saints
Week 18: vs. New York Giants
The Eagles could realistically win 15 or 16 games this season. So, when will that first loss show up?
3 sneaky trap games remaining on the Eagles’ schedule
RELATED: When Was the Last Time the Philadelphia Eagles Started a Season 5-0?
Week 9 at Houston Texans
If there’s one weakness that’s stuck out for the Eagles so far, it’s their rush defense. Philadelphia is allowing 5.0 yards per rush this season, which is the sixth-worst mark in the NFL.
The Texans don’t have many talented players on their roster, but rookie running back Dameon Pierce has been a surprising bright spot for the 1-3-1 team. Pierce has rushed for an average of 103.3 yards per game in his last three starts. If he can get going early, the Eagles may be forced to play from behind for the first time all season.
Week 11 at Indianapolis Colts
If Philly’s rush defense continues to struggle, the Eagles are going to see a healthy dose of Jonathan Taylor in Week 11. The Colts haven’t looked too impressive to start the season, but Matt Ryan showed some signs of life with 389 yards and three touchdowns last week against the Jaguars.
This is also a tough schedule spot for the Eagles with a home Sunday Night Football matchup against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers on deck.
Week 13 vs. Tennessee Titans
Derrick Henry is a nightmare matchup for this Eagles team late in the season. The Titans will be content handing the ball off 35 times and playing keep-away from Hurts to take the home crowd out of the game.
Philadelphia could overlook Tennessee because of its inefficient passing offense, but Mike Vrabel relishes the opportunities to knock off contenders as an underdog.
Have thoughts on this topic? Keep the conversation rolling in our comments section below.
