The Philadelphia Eagles just gave Carson Wentz $128 million dollars to be their QB1 for the next four seasons. With that the case, what the heck was Howie Roseman smoking by selecting Jalen Hurts with the 53rd overall pick in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft? This blatantly shows how worried the franchise is about the health of their supposed starting quarterback. If so, then why throw all that money at Wentz back in June of last season? It literally makes no sense! The decision let NFL bettors know that Philly isn’t confident about its current situation and it shows with heavy -123 juice currently attached to the under of their 9.5-game season win total. It remains to be seen how Wentz’s play on the field reacts to upper management’s decision to burn a second round pick on his backup; especially with him not even hitting his prime just yet! Philly normally drafts well, but that wasn’t the case this time around. Adding insult to injury was their decision not to make moves which allowed division rival Dallas to greatly improve its roster even with Jerry Jones making the decisions. Philly limped to the NFC East title last season, and will need to win way more than nine games to repeat the feat in 2020-21.
Philadelphia Eagles Season Win Total: 9.5
Though injuries played a major role, the Eagles sported one of the more plodding offenses in the league a season ago. The unit had to work hard for every point put on the board evidenced by its 15.4 yard per point average; an output that increased to an ugly 18.6 in its final three games and absurd 31.3 in the 17-9 home playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks. With that, Roseman elected to seek out speed in the NFL Draft by way of selecting TCU’s Jalen Reagor with the No. 21 pick and Boise State’s John Hightower with pick No. 168. He then went out and traded with the San Francisco 49ers for track star Marquise Goodwin. The injection of speed should go a long way in complimenting Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson should the pair of veterans find a way to stay healthy this season. Having one of the best tight ends in the game in Zach Ertz and a premiere backup in Dallas Goedert isn’t too shabby either! Philly’s offense should be much more potent in 2020-21 provided it can finally figure out how to avoid the injury bug.
Armed with one of the better pass blocking offensive lines in the business, Philadelphia will once again have Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce protecting Wentz on a gamely basis. Brandon Brooks was also brought in from Houston, while Philly drafted 40 percent of Auburn’s offensive line from last season in bringing in Jack Driscoll in the fourth round and the uber talented Prince Tega Wanogho in the sixth. These guys will be responsible for keeping Wentz upright, but more importantly, opening up holes for what looks to be a deep RB corps. The backfield now fully belongs to second-year running back Miles Sanders who showed glimpses of greatness in his limited work. His 179 carries far and away led the team, and he’ll likely shoulder even more of the load now that Jordan Howard is no longer on the roster. Boston Scott proved he could tote the mail as well, and will serve as one of the more dependable back-ups in the league that could step in and get the job done if need be.
Philly’s secondary was nothing short of a nightmare last season. While its 242 passing yards allowed per game ranked No. 19, it served up 1.6 touchdown passes per game (No. 22). It also allowed opponents to average a healthy 7.0 yards per pass attempt (No. 20) as well as an absurd 11.4 yards per pass completion (No. 24). Mass changes were made to help rectify the situation in the offseason. For starters, stud cornerback Darius Slay was traded for with the Detroit Lions. Jalen Mills was also resigned along with Rodney McLeod while former LA Ram Nickell Robey-Coleman was inked to a contract to play alongside Slay. With the retooled secondary likely to give opposing wide receivers a tougher time of it, the opportunity for Fletcher Cox and company to wreak havoc will be even more prevalent; especially with the Steelers Javon Hargrave added to the mix. If the secondary rounds into shape quickly, Philly will have by far the toughest defense in the NFC East.
Philadelphia Eagles Football Schedule
Week 1: Eagles at Redskins, Sunday, September 13, 1 p.m. ET
Week 2: Rams at Eagles, Sunday, September 20, 1 p.m. ET
Week 3: Bengals at Eagles, Sunday, September 27, 1 p.m. ET
Week 4: Eagles at 49ers, Sunday, October 4, 8:20 p.m. ET
Week 5: Eagles at Steelers, Sunday, October 11, 1 p.m. ET
Week 6: Ravens at Eagles, Sunday, October 18, 1 p.m. ET
Week 7: Giants at Eagles, Thursday, October 22, 8:20 p.m. ET
Week 8: Cowboys at Eagles, Sunday, November 1, 8:20 p.m. ET
Week 9: Bye Week
Week 10: Eagles at Giants, Sunday, November 15, 1 p.m. ET
Week 11: Eagles at Browns, Sunday, November 22, 1 p.m. ET
Week 12: Seahawks at Eagles, Monday, November 30, 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 13: Eagles at Packers, Sunday, December 6, 4:25 p.m. ET
Week 14: Saints at Eagles, Sunday, December 13, 4:25 p.m. ET
Week 15: Eagles at Cardinals, Sunday, December 20, 4:05 p.m. ET
Week 16: Eagles at Cowboys, Sunday, December 27, 4:25 p.m. ET
Week 17: Redskins at Eagles, Sunday, January 3, 1 p.m. ET
Philadelphia Eagles Schedule Analysis
The Eagles are a tough nut to crack this season. The moxie the team exhibited by winning and covering their final three games to win the NFC East and dropkick the Dallas Cowboys out of playoff contention was certainly a sight to behold. That comeback overtime win against the New York Giants was nothing short of incredible! Still, it all came crashing down in the second season hen Wentz suffered a concussion that knocked him out of the game early. Though Josh McCown and the Eagles offense lived on Seattle’s side of the field, they simply just couldn’t find a way to put points on the board. The team’s current roster looks to paint a picture of a team ready, willing and able to win double-digit games and battle “America’s Team” for NFC East honors. That said, the team simply just hasn’t been able to stay healthy since winning the Super Bowl and I’m by no means willing to bet against that trend in 2020-21. For one reason or another, the Eagles drafted poorly this season and I foresee that coming back to bite them this season. Too many chances were taken early on. In the end, I believe it catches up to them and they come up just short of winning 10 games that leaves them at the alter looking into the playoffs.
Philadelphia Eagles Season Win Total Prediction: Under 9.5 -123
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