Your 2008 Eagles season breakdown

The 2008 NFL season is almost upon us. After an offseason filled with joy (Asante Samuel), hope (McNabb's health) and plenty of distractions (Lito, Westbrook's contract), the Eagles are ready to start their 2008 campaign.

The Eagles have become a trendy pick in the NFL Expert circles, with first Sports Illustrated picking them to make the Super Bowl and now ESPN.com's Mike Sando also predicting that they will make it to the big game. I am not quite as high on the Eagles as those "experts", although I am confident that they are a playoff team. They are instantly improved on offense if Donovan McNabb stays healthy and their defense is going to shut some teams down. Their stellar secondary (with or without Lito) coupled with a solid pass rush is going to cause a ton of turnovers and will carry this team when the offense is sputtering. Their offense could run into some problems, especially considering the lack of a go-to wide receiver for McNabb. Then again, McNabb has always made big plays without a top receiver.

Here is my week by week projection of how I think the Eagles season will play out.

Week 1: Rams: W, (1-0)
-They will start out the season with a big win at home against a lackluster Rams team.

Week 2: @ Cowboys: L, (1-1)
-With this one in Dallas, the team I think will win the NFC East, the Eagles will come up short. They always play the Cowboys hard but Dallas simply has too much talent.

Week 3: Steelers: L, (1-2)
-Another tough loss, this time at home. Remember when the Steelers whupped that undefeated Eagles team back in 2004? This game won't be like that, but the Eagles offense is going to struggle in this one.

Week 4: @ Bears: W, (2-2)
-The Bears aren't that good. No matter who they put under center, the Eagles will win this one easily.

Week 5: Redskins: W, (3-2)
-I am not sold on the Redskins. Jason Campbell has a lot to learn in the new offense and their defense isn't going to scare anyone.

Week 6: @ 49ers: W, (4-2)
-Easy win. It's a little scary because it's the dreaded "trap game" right before a bye, but I see the Eagles taking this one seriously enough to beat the offensively-challenged Niners.
Week 7: BYE

Week 8: Falcons: W, (5-2)
-Andy Reid's teams always win the game after a bye. It's too bad they don't get to beat a tougher opponent.

Week 9: @ Seahawks: L, (5-3)
-It's always hard to win in Seattle and this team has an underrated defense to go with their always strong offense.

Week 10: Giants: W, (6-3)
-The Eagles will take care of the defending champs at home in a close contest.

Week 11: @ Bengals: W, (7-3)
-The Bengals shouldn't be scaring anyone. They still have a dreadful defense and their offense has taken some major hits this offseason. I like the Eagles on the road here.

Week 12: @ Ravens: L, (7-4)
-This pick isn't a testament to the Ravens being any good. I just think there is no way the Eagles will win back to back games on the road. The Eagles are the better team but I think they will struggle in this one.

Week 13: Cardinals: W, (8-4)
-Will it be Kurt Warner or Matt Leinart at QB at this point of the season? It doesn't matter!

Week 14: @ Giants: L, (8-5)
-The Eagles won't sweep New York this year. You have to respect the Giants enough that they will hold their own at home.
Week 15: Browns: L, (8-6)
-I can go either way on this game. It has the potential to be a shoot out or a blow out for either team. Derek Anderson might not even be the quarterback for the Browns at this point of the season, but I think the Browns pull off the mild upset on the road on Monday Night.

Week 16: @ Redskins: W, (9-6)
-The Eagles will sweep the Redskins. I just don't think they are any good. The Skins will finish with 6 or 7 wins and they will be lucky to win 2 NFC East games.

Week 17: Cowboys: W, (10-6)
-Philly always plays the Cowboys tough at the end of the year. I would also expect that Dallas would be resting their starters because they already have a playoff spot locked up.

So, there you have it. Your Eagles will finish 10-6 and make the playoffs as a Wild Card. From there, the playoffs are a whole new game where anyone can win; just ask the Giants. Right now I would pencil in the Eagles with a first round win and then a loss in the second round.

Those are my picks for the Eagles this season. If you agree or disagree or have picks of your own, feel free to leave comments! Enjoy the first weekend of football!