Who are the Philadelphia Eagles’ 2021 NFL opponents as they look to bounce back from a poor performance in the 2020 season? Let’s look at who the Eagles will play in 2021, and what that means in terms of their strength of schedule ranking compared to their rivals.
Who do the Eagles play in 2021?
The Eagles’ list of 2021 opponents will see them play the regular six games against the NFC East: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, and Washington Football Team. As is customary, the Eagles will face each of those three teams both at home and on the road during the 2021 season.
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The 2021 season will also see the NFC East compete against the NFC South and AFC West for another eight games. Finally, the remaining two games on the traditional 16-game schedule will see the Eagles face the two teams that finished in last place of the NFC North (Detroit Lions) and NFC West (San Francisco 49ers).
What about the Eagles’ 17th game in 2021?
The 2021 season is expected to introduce a 17th regular-season game for all NFL teams. Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported on NFL.com that plans are in place to expand the regular season, although their report has yet to be officially confirmed by the NFL. Therefore, who would be the opponent for the Eagles’ 17th game in the 2021 season?
Reports suggest that a decision has been made on how the 17th game opponent will be decided. The matchup will be an interconference matchup based on standings on a rotational basis.
Albert Breer reports that the divisional alignments for the 2021 season had already been set. According to Breer, the NFC East will face the AFC East for the 17th game. Therefore, the Eagles’ opponent for their 17th game in 2020 would be the New York Jets.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ 2021 opponents
Here are the teams that the Philadelphia Eagles will play against in the 2021 NFL season:
Home: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Washington Football Team, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers
Road: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Washington Football Team, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions
17th game (location TBD): New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles’ strength of schedule for 2021
As we look ahead towards the 2021 NFL season, how does the Eagles’ strength of schedule for 2021 shape up? The strength of schedule rankings are compiled from the 2020 records of the Eagles’ 2021 opponents.
The Eagles have one of the easiest schedules in 2021
The Eagles’ 2021 strength of schedule ranks as the easiest in the league. They have the easiest schedule in the NFC and the easiest schedule in the NFC East. On average, the Eagles’ 2021 opponents won 6.9 games in the 2020 season.
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One of the reasons the Eagles’ schedule sets up as the easiest? Their games against the NFC East division. Those six games come against three teams who won a combined 19 of their 48 games in 2020. In total, the Eagles are set to play 12 games against non-playoff teams from the 2020 season.
However, their remaining five games include three games against teams who won double-digit games in 2020. Two of those games come against the two teams who competed in Super Bowl 55 — the Chiefs and Bucs.
How does their schedule at home compare to their schedule on the road?
The Eagles have a wide split in their home and road strength of schedule. The Eagles’ 2021 opponents at Lincoln Financial Field is tied for the ninth-hardest home game schedule in the league. This is because the Eagles host juggernauts in the Saints, Buccaneers, and Chiefs in 2021.
However, their road schedule ranks as the easiest in the entire league. The Eagles will not have to face a single opponent on the road in 2021 who won more than eight games in the 2020 NFL season.
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