I'm 7-0 picking Eagles games this season. I still think they will end up 11-5 ( up from my original prediction of 10-6) and winning the NFC East.
Will another team in the NFC get to 11 wins? Not in NFC North. I don't think the Rams will get to 11. New Orleans, Atlanta and Carolina will beat up on each other in NFC South. So, 11 wins may be good enough this year to get a playoff bye and home field advantage.
As for this week, the Birds have a 1:00 game this Sunday afternoon against the 0-7 San Francisco 49'ers. at the Linc. To me, this game could go two ways:
* The Eagles could destroy the 'Niners, 42-10, as Dallas did last week in SF. The Eagles could ride their momentum, knowing they can't let down. Losing to a lowly 49'ers squad would undo a lot of good gained so far this season. It would say to the rest of the league, see? The Eagles are just pretenders.
San Francisco hates to play in the Eastern time zone, where a 1:00 game in Philadelphia feels like it's starting at 10 in the morning back home for the 'Niners. The Eagles could jump on them early, feed off the crowd and overwhelm a winless team who eventually gives up.
* The Eagles take this game for granted, read and believe all the praise coming form the media and fans, and don't come to play.Philly turns the ball over, and suddenly they are down by 10 points early. The fans aren't into it, thinking it's an easy win. The 49'ers are on a rally cry, almost like a few weeks ago when the giants upset the Broncos in Denver. It's a "we against the world" attitude.
I think it's going to be a little of both. The 49'ers hang in there a while. Carson Wentz won't let his teammates have a let-down, but it's only natural. The best team in football playing one of the worst on your home turf.
It may take a little while for the team to adjust to life with Jason Peters and Jordan Hicks. And turnovers may keep San Francisco in the game.
I see it being close at the half- maybe 10-10. I see the Birds pulling away in the second half, getting a wake-up call, and realizing they are the better team and what an embarrassment it would be to lose to an 0-7 team.
The Birds have gone 11 straight games scoring 20 points or more ( the longest current streak in the NFL), so I'm making it Eagles 24 'Niners 13.
The Vegas line currently as the Eagles favored by 13 points. San Fran. barely covers the line. The Eagles rise to 7-1, with yet another home game on tap the following Sunday vs Denver. The 49'ers fall to 0-8, in a battle with Cleveland for worst record in the league and the No. 1 selection in the draft next spring.
Note: This would've been a much more interesting side-game if ex- Eagle coach Chip Kelly was still coaching San Francisco. I can only imagine the Philly fans giving it to Kelly on his return to Lincoln Financial Field, after single-handedly ruining the franchise ( thank God for Howie Rossman).
Double note: Right now, the weather forecast for Sunday afternoon is not good. Rain, heavy at times may overtake the Linc. What can of an impact will a slick ball and slippery wet field have on the game? The Eagles can pound the ball with Blount and Smallwood, if needed. A rainy game day may be an advantage for the 'Niners. More chance for dropped passes, fumbles and wet footballs being over-thrown for interceptions.
It wouldn't quite be an equalizer, but bad weather would help the underdog and keep them in the game.
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