Realistic Look At Eagles Season

With Training Camp right around the corner in ten days time (from the moment I type this on the 11th of July) and just about every preposterous season preview book throwing around predictions and playing favorites as they always do, I figured that yours truly would take this opportunity to look at the season schedule for the Eagles and offer his two cent piece on what record we are capable of coming up with. Now, keep in mind of course that this is going to be assuming that, if the team does suffer injuries, that they will be minor ones or the transition between the starter and backup is as seamless as possible.

First, the schedule for the Eagles’ 2008 season:
Week 1 - St. Louis Rams (9/7/08)
Week 2 - @ Dallas Cowboys (9/15/08)**
Week 3 - Pittsburgh Steelers (9/21/08)
Week 4 - @ Chicago Bears (9/28/08)*
Week 5 - Washington Redskins (10/5/08)
Week 6 - @ San Francisco 49ers (10/12/08)
Week 7 - Bye Week
Week 8 - Atlanta Falcons (10/26/08)
Week 9 - @ Seattle Seahawks (11/2/08)
Week 10 - New York Giants (11/9/08)*
Week 11 - @ Cincinnati Bengals (11/16/08)+
Week 12 - @ Baltimore Ravens (11/23/08)+
Week 13 - Arizona Cardinals (11/27/08)***
Week 14 - @ New York Giants (12/7/08)+
Week 15 - Cleveland Browns (12/15/08)**
Week 16 - @ Washington Redskins (12/21/08)+
Week 17 - Dallas Cowboys (12/28/08)+

*Denotes Sunday Night game at 8:15 PM on NBC
**Denotes Monday Night game at 8:30 PM on ESPN
***Denotes Thursday Night game at 8:00 PM on NFL Network
+Game subject to being moved to SNF or 4:00 PM slot from a 1:00 PM slot

My take on the schedule is as follows:
Week 1 - St. Louis: A good early test to see how well our secondary has come along since the injured players have returned and we will see Asante Samuel in his first game as an Eagle: the offense can really help its self against a weaker defense.
FINAL: Eagles 34 Rams 17 (1-0)

Week 2 - @ Dallas: Last year in Irving, a Brian Westbrook knee sealed the win and a season split with the Boys, but Tony Romo didn’t play as well as he had in other games prior. He should be back in form and Dallas will deal Philly an early season loss to level our heads.
FINAL: Cowboys 20 Eagles 13 (1-1)

Week 3 - Pittsburgh: If the Eagles want this game, Donovan McNabb needs to bring his A-game because it will be essential. The run defense of the Steelers should keep our backs in check, and the defense will be in a long day against the duel running attack of Rashard Mendenhall and Willie Parker and, of course, Big Ben chucking the ball to Hines Ward and company. But consider this: last year, Pittsburgh was 11-5 but only 4-4 on the road, including a very poor overtime loss to a then ONE WIN Jets team: home field cooking will help.
FINAL: Eagles 24 Steelers 20 (2-1)

Week 4 - @ Chicago: Last year, the Bears embarked on a final drive which ended with their previously dormant offense striking and them winning 19-16, but they are hardly half the offense they were as opposed to last year (if you can believe that) and it will really fall on the Bears defense. If we can even chip in 16 points we can win.
FINAL: Eagles 19 Bears 9 (3-1)

Week 5 -Washington: The Skins are now coached by Jim Zorn after Joe Gibbs retired to go back to his racing team. This game kind of worries me because of their win in Philly last year on prime time none the less, but I really think our offense, which sucked in the first two games last year, will be clicking by this point.
FINAL: Eagles 21 Redskins 13 (4-1)

Week 6 - @ San Francisco: We have no idea who their quarterback is, how much more Frank Gore can handle, and just how much better their secondary is going to be, which makes this game a winnable one.
FINAL: Eagles 28 49ers 14 (5-1)

Week 7 - Bye Week: Oh, we can beat that one right?

Week 8 - Atlanta: The Falcons are a team with little to no direction for now, so it is best to jump on them while they still suck I suppose.
FINAL: Eagles 34 Falcons 10 (6-1)

Week 9 - @ Seattle: This is going to be a tough one for us: we couldn’t win at home against them thanks to FOUR AJ Feeley interceptions last year, and playing at Qwest Field isn’t an easy thing for opponents to do.
FINAL: Seahawks 23 Eagles 17 (6-2)

Week 10 - New York: Believe me when I say that we OWE it to ourselves to beat this team at home…anything less is a freaking disgrace.
FINAL: Eagles 20 Giants 17 (7-2)

Week 11 - @ Cincinnati: This is quite an interesting game: will the secondary withstand “Canon” Carson and the chemical receivers they possess? A better question: will they know how to play defense by then?
FINAL: Eagles 35 Bengals 21 (8-2)

Week 12 - @ Baltimore: This will be the first time former special teams coach John Harabaugh will be coaching against the team that brought him into the NFL, so knowing us could give the Ravens an advantage. Of course, in order to maximize that advantage, they will need a quarterback and an offensive line that will actually play first for that to happen.
FINAL: Eagles 17 Ravens 3 (9-2)

Week 13 - Arizona: Our rendition of the third wheel on Thanksgiving Day, we will welcome back Rod Hood to Philadelphia, but the Cardinals won’t be welcomed: after all, it will be a late November game for a team that is used to the Southwest heat, and by this game, Tim Rattay and Tim Hasselback will be splitting the quarterback duties for the Cards probably.
FINAL: Eagles 31 Cardinals 20 (10-2)

Week 14 - @ New York: Due to us having ten days off between games and the fact that sweeping New York doesn’t seem likely, I will give them the win this time, but we will be waiting for them…IN THE PLAYOFFS!!!
FINAL: Giants 16 Eagles 13 (10-3)

Week 15 - Cleveland: This is quite an intriguing match-up: Cleveland, like their interstate rival, is known for their overpowering offense but could use a brush up on their defense. The Eagles win VIA withstanding a barrage of Browns offensive fury and delivering their own and the uppercut KO punch.
FINAL: Eagles 35 Browns 28 (11-3)

Week 16 - @ Washington: Should I be concerned that we are in Washington this time around? No, because since 2000 we are 7-1 in Washington with our only loss coming during that dismissal 2005 season.
FINAL: Eagles 24 Redskins 17 (12-3)

Week 17 - Dallas: Say, you think the division will STILL be on the line between the Blue N’ Silver and the Green N’ Silver by this time? Yeah, me thinks that is a possibility, and I think, using the late December weather in Philly, we can overcome the Boys to earn a season split between us for 2008.
FINAL: Eagles 23 Cowboys 20 (13-3)

Well there is my prediction: 13-3! Now, I DO see two swings games, those being the Steelers and the Browns games which were hard for me to pick, so AT WORST, I see this team going 11-5 but using my calculations, I see 13-3.