The Eagles underperformed last week, but I expect they will bounce back – especially on the defensive side of the ball. I like the way that group is put together, the schedule lines up favorably.
Based on how teams are currently performing, in fact, Philadelphia has one of the most defense-friendly upcoming schedules in the league. Their next five games are against teams that have allowed the most sacks in the league. That’s good news for guys like Javon Hargrave (pictured) and Haason Reddick, who have combined for 13 sacks.
On the chart below, I plugged in average sacks, interceptions and fumbles lost by each offense. Then I ran those numbers through the upcoming schedule, looking at the next five games for each team. Philadelphia’s schedule grades out as the 2nd-easiest in the league, trailing only Atlanta (but the Falcons don’t have much of a defense).
Based on these numbers, I also notice Pittsburgh sitting at 4th. The Steelers rank only 4th so far, but that’s a defense that could get a lot better with T.J. Watt coming back.
A bit farther down, I see Jets, Bucs, Vikings, Cowboys and Ravens – all defenses that could be helped some by schedule.
At the other end of the scale, I see the Patriots, 49ers and Titans. All have defenses that have done some good things, but they’ll face more of an uphill climb statistically (based on schedule). New England’s next five opponents have given up the fewest sacks in the league (an average of a sack less per week versus the Eagles, all things being equal).
| STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE, DEFENSES (next 5 G) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Sack | Int | Fum | Pts |
| Atlanta | 14.5 | 4.6 | 2.5 | 28.6 |
| Philadelphia | 14.6 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 27.8 |
| LA Rams | 12.1 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 27.4 |
| Pittsburgh | 14.2 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 27.0 |
| New Orleans | 12.7 | 4.5 | 2.6 | 26.9 |
| NY Jets | 11.6 | 4.7 | 3.0 | 26.9 |
| Tampa Bay | 12.8 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 26.4 |
| Minnesota | 11.3 | 4.6 | 2.8 | 26.2 |
| Dallas | 13.2 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 25.8 |
| Baltimore | 12.3 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 25.6 |
| Chicago | 11.5 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 25.5 |
| Carolina | 12.6 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 25.2 |
| Washington | 13.4 | 3.0 | 2.7 | 24.9 |
| Detroit | 11.4 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 24.9 |
| Miami | 10.9 | 4.0 | 2.9 | 24.8 |
| Denver | 12.3 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 24.5 |
| Seattle | 10.9 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 24.4 |
| Buffalo | 10.0 | 4.2 | 2.9 | 24.3 |
| Cleveland | 11.7 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 24.2 |
| LA Chargers | 12.1 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 24.1 |
| Las Vegas | 11.6 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 24.0 |
| Kansas City | 13.2 | 3.6 | 1.8 | 23.9 |
| NY Giants | 12.2 | 3.9 | 1.8 | 23.6 |
| Arizona | 11.2 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 23.4 |
| Cincinnati | 10.6 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 23.3 |
| Tennessee | 12.1 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 23.1 |
| San Francisco | 10.7 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 22.7 |
| Houston | 10.4 | 3.9 | 2.2 | 22.6 |
| Green Bay | 11.7 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 22.3 |
| Indianapolis | 11.7 | 3.7 | 1.6 | 22.1 |
| New England | 9.6 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 22.0 |
| Jacksonville | 10.1 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 21.9 |
—Ian Allan