This Game Could Keep the Eagles From Making the Playoffs

Despite losing in the NFC Wild Card round, 2019 was still a respectable year for the Eagles.

Willed by the arm of Carson Wentz and a depth chart filled with receivers that make fans say, “Who?”, The Eagles made their third consecutive playoff appearance by winning the NFC East. And with the 2020 NFL schedule dropping on Thursday, we can now set our eyes one a legitimate trap game that Wentz and Co. need to be on the lookout for if they want to take the division once again.

In Weeks 13 and 14, Philadelphia plays two 2019 playoff teams in Green Bay and New Orleans. In Weeks 16 and 17, they wrap up with two division rivals in Dallas and Washington. In the middle of that run, Week 15 is the game that will determine the whole season, as Philly will be going to the desert to play against Kyler Murray, newly acquired DeAndre Hopkins and the Arizona Cardinals.

That's a trap game, folks.

When it comes to the NFC East, the playoff picture tends not to be locked in until the very end of Week 17. Last season proved no different. Despite injuries to top Wentz receiving targets like Zach Ertz, Alshon Jeffery and Desean Jackson, the Eagles accrued a 4-0 record against divisional foes in the month of December to deny the rival Cowboys the crown. The last month of the 2020 season will be a stern test, and Philly cannot afford to look past the Redbirds in Week 15 on the road.

Philadelphia’s secondary was a disaster last season. The acquisition of Darius Slay at cornerback will provide some needed help, but accounting for Murray’s mobility and a growing plethora of weapons that includes ageless wonder Larry Fitzgerald and young upstarts like Christian Kirk and Andy Isabella is a significant task. Wentz and the offense can put up numbers if healthy, but the defense will be key in order to determine how the heart of the December schedule goes.