September 09, 2023
The wait's nearly over.
Fueled behind months of anticipation, sky-high expectations, and maybe just as strong of a roster as the last, the Eagles will finally kick off their 2023 season against the Patriots on Sunday afternoon in Foxboro, and with it, what all of the Delaware Valley is hoping will be the start of a long road back to the Super Bowl.
But they have to start first, and take it one game at a time – every Eagle right now will be the first to tell you that.
And the first in line standing in their way will be Bill Belichick, Mac Jones, and a New England squad looking for the early upset.
Are the Eagles ready for the next challenge?
Here's what our writers think:
TV: CBS (Jim Nantz,Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson)
RADIO: 94.1 WIP (Merrill Reese, Mike Quick)
| Book | Spread | Money Line | Total (O/U) |
| DraftKings | PHI -4 | PHI -112 NE -108 | 45 |
| FanDuel | PHI -4 | PHI -115 NE -105 | 45 |
| BetMGM | PHI -4 | PHI -110 NE -110 | 45 |
| UniBet | PHI -4 | PHI -109 NE -112 | 45 |
| PointsBet | PHI -3.5 | PHI -110 NE -110 | 45 |
When the Eagles are good, road games can often feel like home games because Philly fans travel so well. This Sunday, there won't be many Birds fans at Gillette Stadium because Tom Brady is being honored at halftime, which is causing astronomical ticket prices. In that sense, it's not ideal that the Eagles drew a Patriots away game Week 1.
Ultimately, it shouldn't matter. The Pats have a very good defense, but the Eagles can score on anyone. On the other side of the ball, the Pats' already bad offense will be compromised by their banged-up offensive line. The Eagles should dominate in the trenches and pound Mac Jones.
It’s really early in the year to have a handle on just how good the Patriots' defense will be against what should be a potent Eagles offense, but I do think Philly will cover the spread on the road and get off to a convincing start.
I’m most interested to see how the running backs and run game are used with the new tailbacks on the roster.
As the Patriots prepare to honor failed Montreal Expos catcher Tom Brady, the Eagles will ruin that homecoming party for TB12.
Bill Belichick is 25-25 in the post-Brady era and their once indomitable presence is gone.
Against a banged-up New England offensive line, I expect the Birds’ pass-rushers to feast, including Jalen Carter’s first career NFL sack. On the offensive side of the ball, we’re in for an MVP-caliber performance from Jalen Hurts, throwing for a touchdown and rushing for two others in a 30-16 win.
The Eagles are on a mission and the Patriots just aren't the powerhouse that they were. Nakobe Dean getting his first true test relaying the defensive plays might make this one seem a little shaky at first, but that should wear off quick. Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, and Nolan Smith are going to feast off the edge, and Jalen Carter is ready to wreak havoc himself on the inside.
The Patriots do have a somewhat underrated defense, but at the same time, I have a hard time imagining Jalen Hurts and the Eagles' offense not getting theirs – not with DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown, and Dallas Goedert all needing to be covered.
It'll be a 1-0 start for the Birds.
The Eagles embark on a long journey back to the postseason through a much more difficult schedule than last year. Nick Sirianni seemed to understand the grueling strain of preseason to be unnecessary, as evidenced by the lack of any real starters playing. Jalen Hurts and the offense didn’t lose much, nor did the defense outside of a loudmouth coordinator.
Two new coordinators, a little rust, and the wear on anyone’s body taking a shorter turnaround are working against the Eagles. Kudos to anyone who got in New England at +5. This is a close game where Philadelphia eventually overcomes the hoody. Eagles win, 22-20.
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