Analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of the Eagles' 2023 schedule

BY JIMMY KEMPSKI
PhillyVoice Staff

BILL STREICHER/USA TODAY SPORTS

Jalen Hurts and the Eagles will face the crybaby 49ers Week 13.

The Philadelphia Eagles' 2023 schedule is set, so now we'll take a deeper look at the advantages and disadvantages of this year's slate of games. 

For quick reference, here's a snapshot of the Eagles' schedule, via the Eagles' Twitter account:

This year, difficult opponents aside, I believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Let's start with the disadvantages.

Disadvantages

• Because we already knew who the Eagles' opponents were going to be this year, we already knew they had a tough schedule, at least on paper (yes, I know things change). The Eagles' 2023 opponents had a combined record of 161-123-4 (0.566) in 2022. Here are the Eagles' opponents, and their 2022 records.

I also added in point differentials.

Week	Opponent	2022 record	2022 point differential
1	At Patriots	8-9	+17
2	Vikings	13-4	-3
3	At Buccaneers	8-9	-45
4	Commanders	8-8-1	-22
5	At Rams	5-12	-77
6	At Jets	7-10	-20
7	Dolphins	9-8	-2
8	At Commanders	8-8-1	-22
9	Cowboys	12-5	+125
10	BYE
11	At Chiefs	14-3	+127
12	Bills	13-3	+169
13	49ers	13-4	+173
14	At Cowboys	12-5	+125
15	At Seahawks	9-8	+6
16	Giants	9-7-1	-6
17	Cardinals	4-13	-109
18	At Giants	9-7-1	-6
TOTAL		161-123-4 (0.566)	+430

That stretch from Week 9 to Week 14... Good Lord! Those teams had a combined record of 64-20 (0.762) in 2022, with a combined point differential of +719! And then after that stretch they play a Seahawks team that they haven't beaten in their last seven tries.

The NFC East teams all play each other twice, as you're aware. They also play the entirety of the AFC East and the NFC West. The NFC East teams each have three games on their schedules that their divisional rivals don't. The Eagles have a first-place schedule, and as such, they play first-place teams in the NFC North, the NFC South, and the AFC West. Those teams are the Vikings, Buccaneers, and Chiefs. The NFC East teams drew the following floating opponents this year:

Finish	NFC East team	NFCN / NFCS / AFCW opponents
1st	Eagles	Vikings, Buccaneers, Chiefs
2nd	Cowboys	Lions, Panthers, Chargers
3rd	Giants	Packers, Saints, Raiders
4th	Commanders	Bears, Falcons, Broncos

The Cowboys arguably have harder NFCN and NFCS opponents than the Eagles, but obviously the Eagles' road game against the Chiefs is as hard as it gets.

• The back-to-back road games against the Cowboys and Seahawks are tough. I wonder if the Eagles will consider staying in Seattle for the week leading up to that game. (My guess is no.)

• The trip to Los Angeles followed by another road game against the Jets — even if only a short trip up the NJ Turnpike — is not ideal.

• It'll probably be hot AF in Tampa Week 3. Bucs players will be used to that Florida heat. Eagles players will not. If you'll recall, the Eagles lost a hot-ass game in Tampa Week 2 during the 2018 season despite being heavy favorites.

Advantages

• The Eagles' first eight games are relatively easy. Those teams had a combined record of 66-68-2 (0.493) in 2022, with a combined point differential of -174. They should be able to get out to a good start, like they did in 2022 when they won their first nine games, giving themselves a big cushion in the NFC.

Ideally, you would prefer to get your weaker opponents early in the season, in my opinion. Or perhaps better stated, you would prefer to get your stronger opponents later in the season. Why? Well, because the NFL is a league that depends so much on injury luck, early-season good teams becoming late-season bad teams is a more common occurrence than early-season bad teams becoming late-season good teams. And so, you may as well get the bad teams early and the good teams late, since the good teams might lose a quarterback or something.

• Getting two home games and then a short trip up the Turnpike to play the Giants to end the regular season is a nice advantage, should the Eagles make the playoffs. They won't be travel-weary for their first playoff matchup, again, should they get there.

• Week 10 is a good spot for a bye. It (almost) breaks the season in half, with one more game coming before the bye than after it. The players should be happy about that. For someone who travels to every game, I know I am.

• The Eagles' lone Thursday night game (Week 2 vs. the Vikings) is at home.

• The Eagles don't have any road games on short rest. Last year they had four.

• The Eagles face one team coming off their bye week. That would be the Chiefs. The Eagles also have their bye the week before that game. That's neither an disadvantage or a disadvantage. It's fine.

https://www.phillyvoice.com/analyzing-advantages-and-disadvantages-eagles-2023-schedule/

The big advantage is a, on paper at least, easy start to the year. But if we don’t start hot that could quickly become a major disadvantage. We absolutely have to rack up wins early this year due to that monster stretch after the bye (and Dullarse just before it).