Primetime Eagles games: Looking ahead to Philly’s 2023 standalone affairs
The NFL schedule was just officially released, so Philadelphia Eagles fans now know when their favorite team will be playing. With the franchise coming off an impressive 14-3 season, one that includes a Super Bowl appearance this past February, the league’s schedule makers and TV networks have made it clear what their expectations are for Philly this upcoming season.
The Birds are scheduled for five primetime games and multiple appearances in the late window on Sundays. That occurs because a team is expected to rank among the top teams in pro football.
This is great for Eagles fans that live outside the Philadelphia broadcasting area. It’s also great for the team’s national exposure. Local Birds fans will have multiple nights of short sleep.
Regardless of how you look at it, there’s nothing that compares with the national attention that comes from playing in the late windows.
Here’s a closer look at the five primetime games that are on the Eagles’ schedule.
Philly is currently scheduled for five standalone games. With the NFL’s flex-scheduling procedures, that number could increase or decrease later in the season depending on how they and the competition are faring.
Week 2 – Eagles home opener (Thursday Night Football)
The Eagles get right to primetime action in Week 2 at home against the Minnesota Vikings. Interestingly enough, it’ll be back-to-back years welcoming Minnesota to Lincoln Financial Field for the home opener. Last year’s Monday Night Football 24-7 blowout win over the Vikes doubled as a 2-0 start and helped get a successful regular season rolling.
Minnesota doesn’t look much different from the team we saw last year, aside from the rookies of course. They finished with a 13-4 mark to win the NFC North. They ultimately lost to the New York Giants in the Wild Card Round of the NFC Playoffs. The all-time series between the two teams is tied at 15 wins with the Eagles winning three of the last five meetings.
Week 3 – Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Monday Night Football)
Philadelphia travels to Florida to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3 for Monday Night Football. This was one of the more surprising prime-time games on the Eagles’ schedule given the struggles Tampa had last year, but the Bucs still won the NFC South in 2022 regardless of how you feel about their 8-9 record.
After three years of enjoying the spoils of having Tom Brady at quarterback, Tampa has to move on following the retirement of the seven-time Super Bowl champion. The Buccaneers lead the all-time series versus Philly by an 11-10 margin. That includes four straight victories. Philadelphia’s last win against Tampa came in 2013.
Week 7 – Dolphins at Eagles (Sunday Night Football)
The Eagles host the Miami Dolphins in a Sunday night affair on October 22nd. Miami is coming off an inconsistent 2022 season where they finished 9-8 after a successful 8-3 start to the year. The health of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa ultimately helped determine the Dolphins’ fate, and despite a valiant effort, they lost in the Wild Card Round without their starting QB.
This will be the first regular-season matchup between the two former Alabama quarterbacks, Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa. In the 2018 College Football National Championship Game, Tua replaced a struggling Hurts to lead the Crimson Tide to victory over Georgia. Hurts eventually transferred to Oklahoma to finish his NCAA career. Both quarterbacks were selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, so their careers will always be compared for years to come.
Week 11 – Eagles at Chiefs (Monday Night Football)
The Monday Night matchup versus the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium will be one of the most anticipated games of the 2023 season. It’ll be a rematch of Super Bowl 57 in which the Eagles lost in heartbreaking fashion.
This game will be the ultimate measuring stick for Philly when comparing the 2022 and 2023 teams. This past offseason, Philly had significant roster turnover, especially on defense. It seems that Howie Roseman and company did a fine job rebuilding the team, but this game will go a long way in telling us whether some of the efforts have paid off.
The Eagles have lost four straight games to the Chiefs with 2009 being their last win against them. We’ll see if 2023 marks the first time Philly wins against their former coach, Andy Reid.
Week 14 – Eagles at Cowboys (Sunday Night Football)
On December 10th, Philadelphia travels to Dallas for Sunday Night Football. It seems these two teams battle it out in primetime at least once a year, and this season is no exception.
One of Philly’s most hated rivals has had the Eagles’ number in Arlington during recent years. Dallas leads the all-time series by a 73-55 margin, and that includes victories in four of the last five games.
Both teams split the series last year with each team winning in their home stadium. Both teams claim to have been shorthanded in the losses. Both teams have valid points in that regard.
Jalen Hurts has missed two games versus the Cowboys since taking over as the starter. He rested in the 2021-2022 regular-season finale. He missed last year’s game on Christmas Eve in Arlington due to an injury. Philadelphia’s last win against the Cowboys in Texas came back in 2017.
