I heard it suggested a couple of times on podcasts this week that the Eagles have benefited from playing an easy schedule – that their defense hasn’t really been tested. Nobody would argue that their playoff run has been pretty comfortable, with home games against the Giants and a 49ers team playing without its top 3 quarterbacks.
But I don’t agree with the premise that Philadelphia simply hasn’t played anyone. The NFC East, after all, was the only division that put three teams in the postseason. And while the NFC in general was down (with the Rams, Bucs and Packers coming in below expectations), Philadelphia did a great job of decisively dismantling the vast majority of its opponents.
Based strictly on wins and losses, the Eagles played a harder schedule than Kansas City. KC’s 17 opponents went 126-142-2 in their other regular-season games (only nine teams played easier schedules). Philadelphia’s was closer to average, with its opponents going 131-135-6 in their other 272 games.
DIFFICULTY OF SCHEDULE, 2022 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Final version | W | L | T | Pct |
San Francisco | 116 | 155 | 1 | .428 |
LA Chargers | 120 | 150 | 2 | .445 |
Atlanta | 124 | 146 | 1 | .459 |
Houston | 124 | 145 | 3 | .461 |
Seattle | 125 | 146 | 1 | .461 |
Las Vegas | 125 | 145 | 2 | .463 |
Carolina | 126 | 144 | 1 | .467 |
Denver | 126 | 144 | 2 | .467 |
Jacksonville | 124 | 142 | 6 | .467 |
Kansas City | 126 | 142 | 2 | .470 |
Minnesota | 131 | 137 | 3 | .489 |
Philadelphia | 131 | 135 | 6 | .493 |
Indianapolis | 134 | 135 | 3 | .498 |
New Orleans | 134 | 134 | 1 | .500 |
New England | 136 | 135 | 0 | .502 |
Tampa Bay | 136 | 135 | 0 | .502 |
Tennessee | 133 | 131 | 6 | .504 |
LA Rams | 137 | 134 | 0 | .506 |
Arizona | 140 | 132 | 0 | .515 |
Baltimore | 138 | 130 | 1 | .515 |
Dallas | 138 | 127 | 6 | .520 |
Cleveland | 139 | 128 | 2 | .520 |
Buffalo | 142 | 130 | 0 | .522 |
Pittsburgh | 140 | 128 | 1 | .522 |
Green Bay | 141 | 128 | 2 | .524 |
NY Giants | 143 | 126 | 3 | .531 |
NY Jets | 144 | 125 | 0 | .535 |
Washington | 145 | 124 | 3 | .539 |
Detroit | 145 | 124 | 2 | .539 |
Cincinnati | 147 | 125 | 0 | .540 |
Miami | 145 | 123 | 1 | .541 |
Chicago | 149 | 119 | 3 | .555 |
—Ian Allan