The Philadelphia Eagles have been the last unbeaten team in the NFL for over a month, and have 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 the 1970 NFL/AFL merger -- 14 of which have won the Super Bowl or NFL championship. So the Eagles will certainly take the 35% odds of hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Of those 40 teams that started 8-0, only four have completed a perfect regular season: the 1934 Chicago Bears, 1942 Chicago Bears, 1972 Miami Dolphins, and 2007 New England Patriots. The Dolphins were the only team to complete the perfect season -- showing how the task to go undefeated is nearly impossible.
The Eagles do have a golden opportunity to run the table for the remainder of the 2022 regular season. Philadelphia will be facing 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 a combined 12-4) and the lone team over .500 in the AFC South (Tennessee Titans).
Of the Eagles' remaining opponents, their combined record is 39-36-1 as the .510 win percentage is the 13th-hardest in the NFL. Per Power Rankings Guru, the Eagles have played the easiest schedule in the NFL to date -- yet they have beaten two teams with six-plus wins on the schedule.
Going 17-0 will be difficult, but the Eagles are talented enough to find their way into the history books. Let's take a look at Philadelphia's remaining schedule and predict the remaining set of games.
Week 10: vs. Commanders (4-5)
The Eagles will have 11 days to prepare for Taylor Heinicke and the resurgent Commanders offense, as Carson Wentz will not be returning 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 didn't score until 1:55 left in the game.
The Commanders offensive line is better with Heinicke under center, and the pass rush has settled in (and Chase Young might be back). Philadelphia's pass offense still has a major edge.
Prediction: Eagles win (9-0)
Week 11: at 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 only 4.3 yards per carry with just one rushing touchdown on the season. Sam Ehlinger is more mobile than Matt Ryan, but will be making just his third career start against an Eagles defense that leads the league in takeaways.
Short week for the Eagles, but the defense has the advantage over a Colts offense trying to find its identity.
Prediction: Eagles win (10-0)
Week 12: vs. Packers (3-6)
This game is such a wild card for the Eagles. Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback the Eagles will face all season, yet the Packers offense is incredibly inconsistent. Green Bay plays poor situational football, greatly missing Davante Adams as a go-to receiver for Rodgers. The current Packers pass catchers are a mismatch for the Eagles talented secondary.
The Packers are going to have to run the football and shorten the game to beat the Eagles. Green Bay can do it, but will they? The Eagles will challenge a Packers run defense that is 26th in the NFL in rush yards allowed per game after their Week 9 loss to the Lions.
Prediction: Eagles win (11-0)
Week 13: vs. Titans (5-3)
The end of what appeared to be the Eagles' most daunting stretch at the beginning of the season, the Titans are one team that found its identity after an 0-2 start. Give the ball to Derrick Henry to score points and stop the run.
This game will depend on whether Jordan Davis returns from his high ankle sprain (eligible to come off injured reserve). That would be the Eagles' counter to Henry, but A.J. Brown will want to prove a point against a Titans pass defense that's allowed 15 pass touchdowns on the year (29th in NFL) entering Week 9.
Prediction: Eagles win (12-0)
Week 14: at Giants (6-2)
Who knows where the Giants will be at this stage of the season? This will be the third straight NFC East game New York will play, but the Giants are in a golden position to have a winning record at this point of the year.
The Eagles lost in MetLife Stadium in Jalen Hurts' worst game as a starting quarterback last year, but the Giants allow a lot of yards on the ground and their cornerback situation is dire. Seems like a game the Eagles offense can get out to an early lead and control the flow from there. A strong start is vital.
Prediction: Eagles win (13-0)
Week 15: at Bears (3-6)
Chicago is a much improved team from the beginning of the season and Justin Fields is developing. The Bears still have the worst passing offense in the league and the 30th-ranked run defense. That doesn't seem like an ideal formula to beat an Eagles team that plays to its greatest strengths.
The Eagles are in reach for the first-round bye and home-field advantage this week. That won't be clinched this week, but they'll take care of business in Chicago.
Prediction: Eagles win (14-0)
Week 16: at Cowboys (6-2)
This highly anticipated Christmas Eve matchup will be huge for both teams, yet 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 did, even if Philadelphia may have the division clinched by then (the Eagles have two games in hand and the head-to-head tiebreaker over Dallas after Week 9).
If the Eagles do lose a game, this is the most logical one. Green Bay, Tennessee, and New York are contenders for the first loss, but the Eagles haven't won in Dallas since 2017. That streak continues if little is at stake for Philadelphia.
Prediction: Eagles lose (14-1)
Week 17 vs. Saints (3-5)
The Eagles clinch home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs with a win, having the opportunity to take care of a Saints team that turns the football over at an alarming rate (16 turnovers are third most in NFL) and score points off a defense that's 26th in the NFL in points allowed, entering Monday night's game against the Ravens.
A perfect record at home remains. The quest to go undefeated is gone, but the road to the Super Bowl goes through Lincoln Financial Field.
Prediction: Eagles win (15-1)
Week 18: vs. Giants (6-2)
This game doesn't mean anything to the Eagles, and may not mean anything to the Giants either. Could be a matchup of the backup quarterbacks as many young players on both teams get an opportunity at meaningful NFL snaps.
Winning 15 games is quite impressive, especially since the Eagles never have accomplished that in a regular season.
Prediction: Eagles lose (15-2)
