With the season already around the corner, after analyzing the NFC schedules, the Philadelphia Eagles have the most grueling schedule. So much talk surrounds the team being Super Bowl contenders, but for this to happen, they will have to come charging out of the gates.
They play six consecutive games against teams who were in the playoffs last season. This tough schedule spills into their second half as they have a bye on Week 7.
Here is what the Eagles' schedule looks like the first ten games:
@ Cleveland Browns
vs. Baltimore Ravens
vs. Arizona Cardinals
vs. New York Giants
@Pittsburgh Steelers
vs. Detroit Lions
BYE WEEK
vs. Atlanta Falcons
@ New Orleans Saints
vs. Dallas Cowboys
@Washington Redskins
They're easiest matchups in that streak is against the Browns and the Cardinals.
The Ravens possess a balanced team with Jay Flacco and Ray Rice running the offense. Their defense, though old, still gets the job done.
Even though the Cardinals are no real threat out in the NFC West, they will provide the role of spoiler, like they did to the Cowboys late last season.
Then comes the stretch beginning with the New York Giants. Many analysts have looked at the Giants as a team with too many problems and question marks to repeat as NFC East champions, but when have the Giants not have question marks? Eli Manning can burn any secondary and their defense line is fearsome.
The Pittsburgh Steelers do not have a running game, but they have a great defense and Ben Roethlisberger is still running the offense. The Eagles' defense would have to step up in order to stop the Steelers in a game that might be a low scoring affair as long as the Eagles' defense can keep up.
The Lions are probably the sleepers in the NFC. Their tandem of Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford are ready to once again destroy competitors. It will be a challenge for the Lions' defense, but if the offense does as it pleases, the Eagles are in for a long day.
The Falcons have a seasoned veteran, Matt Ryan as their quarterback, they can light up the scoreboard similar to Detroit and their defense is not so generous on the run. They have a good mix of running and passing with Roddy White running routes and Julio Jones as the second best receiver in the team. Do not forget about Tony Gonzalez, who has yet to retire and can still catch. This matchup, along with the Lions' matchup, will be high scoring affairs.
The New Orleans Saints might be without head coach Sean Payton, but will that stop Drew Brees from running the offense? Will that affect Brees' accuracy on the field? He is still one of the most feared quarterbacks in the NFL. I give the edge to the Eagles in this one in coaching, but a coach can only do so much as the players are in charge of performing on the field.
Finally, they wrap up this ten-game run by facing divisional rivals. The Eagles went 5-1 against the Giants, Cowboys and Redskins in 2011. If they want to keep their season alive, they will have to win these matchups in the back end of their schedule.
The best I could see the Eagles wrapping up their 10-game stretch is 5-5 with victories against the Browns, Cardinals, Giants, Cowboys and Redskins. However, the fact of the matter is that they have the toughest stretch of games that will make or break their season.
The Eagles were 8-8 last season, which was a complete disappointment. They will not have breathing room in the middle of their season as they will play some of the toughest teams in the NFL.