Undefeated Eagles have aced the only test that matters
In Philadelphia, land of rainbows and pots of gold, the undefeated Eagles (8-0) can do no wrong. They trail only the Buffalo Bills in the shortest odds to win the Super Bowl and beat the hapless Texans (1-5-1) in Houston on Thursday night, 29-17.
However, there is a growing perception that the Eagles "haven't played anyone."
The combined record of Eagles opponents so far is 25-36-1 (.403 winning percentage). Philadelphia's best opponent was the Vikings (6-1), who lost to the Eagles, 24-7. The only other team the Eagles have played with a winning record is Dallas, which fell to Philly, 26-17.
The Eagles' schedule gets tougher in the second half, with two games against the Giants, a game at Dallas and a potentially difficult home game against the Titans (5-2). The combined record of their second-half opponents is 33-29-1.
Heading into the season, CBS Sports ranked the Eagles' schedule as the 30th-most difficult. Philadelphia's 2022 opponents had a combined 2021 record of 133-154-2, a .464 winning percentage. That was higher than only the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders (.462).
Before the season, the four NFC East teams ranked at the bottom of the NFL for the strength of schedule. But the perception that this would be a poor division has proved unfounded.
The Giants and Cowboys are each 6-2, giving the NFC East the best combined record in the NFL (24-8). The AFC East is the next closest with a record of 20-11.
Season-over-season strength of schedules can be a fool's errand. Teams change from year to year, sometimes dramatically. Before the season, who thought the Bucs (3-5), Packers (3-5), Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers would be floundering now?
In the end, you play the hand you are dealt. So far, the Eagles have aced that test.
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