Last week, the NFL created another ratings bonanza with the release of their 2020 schedule. For Eagles fans, heading into the schedule release there was a lot to be weary of. When you are a first place team, you play a first place schedule. You get the toughest opponents to knock you off, balance out the league and lead it to parody. But after the schedule dropped, all things considered, there is a lot to excited about. Coronavirus permitting!
- -Winnable early schedule (home games vs Rams coming East and rookie Joe Burrow)
- Thursday Night Football at home (FINALLY)
- Extra rest to prepare for Cowboys after that
In Week 8 after the aforementioned TNF game, the Eagles get their first tilt with the Cowboys. They have an extended break to get ready, and have to do no traveling at all. Dallas week has always been a 50/50 split and so evenly matched. Any little advantage is crucial, so having this mini-bye before what will inevitably be one of the biggest game of the year is huge.
- Bye week is smack dab in the middle of the season
- Murderers row late in season (Seahawks, Packers, Saints) but two of three are at home. Saints will be playing their third straight road game.
This stretch of the season won’t be easy, and it will almost surely be the determining contender vs pretender sequence if things play out correctly. The Eagles literally have never beaten the Russell Wilson led Seahawks. If Alshon catches that ball in New Orleans the Eagles go to two straight Super Bowls. These three teams have combined to end each of the Eagles playoff runs of the 2010’s. It will undoubtedly be tough. The silver lining of it is two of those three games will be at home. They avoid the Seattle 12th man. They won in Lambeau a year ago. They not only get New Orleans out in the cold in December, it will be the Saints 3rd straight road game. We know first hand as Eagles fans how exhausting a three game road trip can be. It’s hard to find advantages to playing those teams three straight weeks, but they are there.
- Three game home streak in middle of the season, EXACT OPPOSITE last season
I just referenced the physical and mental exhaustion of the three game road trip. Thanks a lot, Phillies. That stretch almost derailed the Eagles season, aside from their insane amount of injuries. They salvaged it in Buffalo but let’s never do it again. Fast forward one season, and things have completely flipped. They will go Baltimore, New York, and Dallas all at home in October. Two huge division games and the best regular season team of last year. What a stretch to have at home. We talked about the murderer’s row that could derail the season, the three game home streak could make it something special.
