The Philadelphia Eagles have been horribly consistent the past two seasons. The Birds have finished 7-9 in back-to-back years – the first under head coach Chip Kelly (with the exception of the final) game and this past season under first-time NFL sideline leader Doug Pederson. You will recall that the Eagles opened the season with three straight wins before things came somewhat apart. The club closed 2016 with home wins over the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys but it couldn’t prevent Pederson’s team from finishing last in the NFC East. We’ve known since the day after the regular season end who all 32 teams will be playing this year.
But what are the scheduling highlights for the Eagles in 2017?
Games of note
Despite that strong start this past season, the Philadelphia Eagles came up short in the NFC East. A big part of the problem was the inability to consistently win within the division (2-4), as well as on the road (1-7). The Birds came away with a Monday night victory against the Bears at Soldier Field, then proceeded to drop their final seven contests away from the City of Brotherly Love. Along with their usual visits to MetLife Stadium, Dallas and Washington, the Eagles also have road games against a pair of defending division champions in the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs. There will be a primetime battle of Birds in the Pacific Northwest in Week 13.
Meanwhile, the latter contest figures to be a reunion of sorts as former Eagles’ sideline leader Andy Reid welcomes Pederson and the Birds to Arrowhead Stadium (Week 2).
Tricky stretches
The Philadelphia Eagles play three of their first four games on the road, traveling to Washington and Kansas City and then head west to face the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4.
Later, the Birds will be home for four straight weeks starting on October 23. They host the Redskins on a Monday night, then welcome the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos on consecutive Sundays before having their off-week. The Eagles close the season with two straight home games against the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys.
But that is only after the team hits the road for three straight consecutive weeks to battle the Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants. Still, both the Silver and Black and the defending NFC East champions will have to deal with a club that was an impressive 6-2 at home in 2016. Their wins in Philadelphia included triumphs over the playoff-bound Cowboys, Giants, Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers.
