The Philadelphia Eagles’ 2023 schedule was released along with the rest of the NFL slate last Thursday, with the season kicking off on Thursday, Sept. 7, as the Kansas City Chiefs host the Detroit Lions at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
After improving the talent on the roster by acquiring D’Andre Swift and drafting two more Georgia defenders in Round 1, the Eagles have the NFL’s best roster and a top two quarterback.
A disadvantage stems from it being Year 3 of the new 17-game schedule, with NFC teams receiving the extra road game, meaning the Eagles will have nine games away from Lincoln Financial Field this season.
With the matchups locked in, here are five early, bold predictions for the 2023 slate of games.
Eagles sweep the AFC East
Philadelphia will host two AFC East opponents (Dolphins, and Bills) along with traveling on the road to face the Patriots and Jets in four intriguing matchups.
The Jets are the talk of the NFL after acquring quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and they have a top five defense to match. New England will look to help Mac Jones take the next step with Bill O’Brien hired as the offensive coordinator. The Dolphins are ever improving and will attack Philadelphia with two lethal weapons in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Buffalo is a Super Bowl favorite as well with Josh Allen at quarterback.
With the AFC being home to several NFL heavyweights, all four AFC East teams present difficult, yet winnable matchups for the Eagles, and don’t be shocked if they earn a clean sweep.
Eagles sweep the Cowboys
The Eagles are looking to be the true king of the NFC East and that’ll involve vanquishing the Dallas Cowboys with Dak Prescott under center.
Philadelphia got the win at Lincoln Financial Field in the first matchup, but defeated Cooper Rush. In the second matchup, Prescott shined, while the Eagles struggled to maintain efficiency without quarterback Jalen Hurts.
The expectation is that the two dynamic quarterbacks will finally battle multiple times this season, and Hurts will come away the winner in both.
Jalen Hurts lights the Cardinals defense up
Jonathan Gannon is the new head coach in Arizona and he’ll likely take his penchant for allowing elite passers to flourish with him to the Cardinals.
In 2021, the Eagles became the first team in NFL history to allow four quarterbacks to complete 80 percent of their passes in a season.
With Gannon wanting to reduce big plays and Arizona visiting Lincoln Financial in Week 17, Jalen Hurts could cement an MVP campaign by shredding the Cardinals to the tune of 27-30 passing for 388 yards and four scores.
Eagles will have seven players with 5+ sacks
We predicted 50+ sacks for the Eagles in 2022, and they finished with a league-high and franchise record of 70 sacks on the season, falling just two short of the NFL single-season record of 72 set by the Chicago Bears in 1984.
Haason Reddick had the most sacks for the Eagles in 2022, with 16.5, while Brandon Graham (11), Javon Hargrave (11), and Josh Sweat (11) all finished with double digits.
Fletcher Cox had seven sacks, and nine other players logged one sack each. Hargrave, T.J. Edwards, Kyzir White, Ndamukong Suh, and Linval Joseph have all departed.
Philadelphia will reload with Jordan Davis, Derek Barnett, Kentavius Street, Jalen Carter, and Nolan Smith as prime candidates to replace that production.
The Eagles may not amass 77 sacks again, but seven players will log 5+ sacks on the season.
Eagles have three 1,000-yard receivers
The feat would call for Jalen Hurts to produce almost 4,500 yards passing, but Philadelphia is looking for an even more dynamic passing game and 2023 should be the recipe for an offensive explosion.
Look for DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown, and D’Andre Swift to all rack up 1,000-yard seasons.
