The Philadelphia Eagles are the last undefeated team in the NFL in 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 NFL-AFL merger in 1970 — 14 of which have won the Super Bowl or NFL championship. So the Eagles will certainly take the 35 percent chance of winning the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Of the 40 teams that started 8-0, only four had a perfect regular season: the 1934 Chicago Bears, the 1942 Chicago Bears, the 1972 Miami Dolphins, and the 2007 New England Patriots. The Dolphins were the only team to have the perfect season – and showed that going undefeated is almost impossible.
The Eagles have a golden opportunity to top the table for the remainder of the 2022 regular season. Philadelphia will face five teams who are currently losing records. The other four games are against the NFC East (where the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants are tied 12-4) and the lone team over .500 at the AFC South (Tennessee Titans).
Of the Eagles’ remaining opponents, their combined record stands at 39-36-1 as the .510 win ratio is the 13th-highest in the NFL. According to Power Rankings Guru, the Eagles have played the easiest schedule in the NFL to date — yet they’ve beaten two teams with more than six wins on the schedule.
A 17-0 will be difficult, but the Eagles are talented enough to make their way into the history books. Let’s take a look at Philadelphia’s remaining game schedule and predict the remaining games.
The Eagles have 11 days to prepare for Taylor Heinicke and the Commanders’ renewed offense as Carson Wentz will not return 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 only scored after 1:55 into the game.
The Commander’s offensive line is better with Heinicke under center and the passing rush has leveled off (and Chase Young could be back). Philadelphia’s passing offense still has a huge advantage.
Forecast: Eagles win (9:0)
Week 11: at Colts (3-5-1)
The Colts’ offensive line has struggled all season and that affects Jonathan Taylor. Indianapolis is 30th in rushing yards per game and yards per carry, while Taylor (who was inactive in Week 9 with an ankle injury) is averaging just 4.3 yards per carry with just one rushing touchdown in the season. Sam Ehlinger is more mobile than Matt Ryan but will make only his third career start against an Eagles defense that leads the league in the diner.
Short week for the Eagles, but defense has the advantage over an offense from the Colts trying to find their identity.
Forecast: 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, but the Packers offense is incredibly volatile. Playing poor situational football, Green Bay misses Davante Adams as Rodgers’ go-to receiver. The Packers’ current pass catchers aren’t a match for the Eagles’ talented secondaries.
The Packers must run the football and cut the game short to beat the Eagles. Green Bay can do it, but will they? The Eagles will challenge a Packers run defense that ranks 26th in the NFL in rush yards allowed per game after their Week 9 loss to the Lions.
Forecast: Eagles win (11-0)
Week 13: vs Titans (5-3)
At the end of what seemed to be the Eagles’ most daunting leg earlier in the season, the Titans are a team that have found their identity after a 2-0 start. Pass the ball to Derrick Henry to score points and stop the run.
This game will depend on Jordan Davis recovering from his high ankle sprain (eligible to come off injured reserve). That would be the Eagles counterattack against Henry, but AJ Brown will want to prove a point against a Titans pass defense that allows 15 pass touchdowns a year (29th in the NFL) early in Week 9.
Forecast: 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 boast a winning record at this point of the year.
The Eagles lost in Jalen Hurts’ worst game as a starting quarterback at MetLife Stadium last year, but the Giants are allowing yards on the ground and their cornerback situation is dire. Seems to be a game where the Eagles offense can take an early lead and control the flow from there. A strong start is crucial.
Forecast: Eagles win (13-0)
Week 15: at Bears (3-6)
Chicago is a much-improved team since the start of the season and Justin Fields is developing. The Bears still have the worst passing offense in the league and run defense at #30. That doesn’t seem like an ideal formula for beating an Eagles team playing to its greatest strengths.
The Eagles are within reach for the first-round bye and home field advantage this week. That won’t happen this week, but they’re taking care of business in Chicago.
Forecast: Eagles win (14-0)
Week 16: at Cowboys (6-2)
This much-anticipated Christmas Eve matchup will be a smash hit for both teams, but the Cowboys will have more to play than the Eagles here. Dak Prescott will bring a very different look to the Cowboys offense than Cooper Rush, even if Philadelphia may have won the division by then (the Eagles have two games in hand and the head-to-head tiebreaker against Dallas after Week 9) .
When the Eagles lose a game, that’s the most logical thing to do. Green Bay, Tennessee and New York are contenders for the first loss, but the Eagles haven’t won in Dallas since 2017. This streak continues when little is at stake for Philadelphia.
Forecast: Lose Eagles (14-1)
Week 17 vs Saints (3-5)
The Eagles secure home field advantage in the NFC playoffs with a win and have an opportunity to take care of a Saints team that’s turning football at an alarming rate (16 turnovers are the third most in the NFL) and points to one Scoring defense, which is 26th in points allowed in the NFL, takes part in Monday night’s game against the Ravens.
A perfect record stays at home. The quest for unbeaten is over, but the road to the Super Bowl is through Lincoln Financial Field.
Forecast: Eagles win (15-1)
Week 18: vs. Giants (6-2)
This game means nothing to the Eagles and maybe nothing to the Giants either. Could be a backup quarterbacks matchup as many young players from both teams get opportunities for significant NFL snaps.
Winning 15 games is pretty impressive considering the Eagles have never done that in a regular season.
Forecast: Lose Eagles (15-2)