Bye week comes at the perfect time for Eagles after shaky start

When Philadelphia's schedule for the 2024 NFL season was initially released back in May and it was revealed that the team's bye would come in Week 5, my initial thought was, "That's too early." The NFL schedule features 18 weeks and 17 games now, and usually a bye week around or after the midway point of the season is pretty ideal.

Injuries, other issues already mounting for Eagles

But, after four weeks of action and all that has transpired since the start of the season, it seems safe to say that the bye is actually coming at a perfect time for Philadelphia, for a couple of reasons.

The added time for rest will be very beneficial for the Eagles, who have several key contributors dealing with injury issues already. A.J. Brown has missed three straight games with a hamstring injury, and DeVonta Smith was sidelined in Week 4 with a concussion. Offensive tackle Lane Johnson also missed the last game with a concussion.

All three of those guys are central to success for Philadelphia's offense, and the extra week off should provide them all with ample time to overcome their ailments. Hopefully all three will be good to go for the Week 6 matchup against the Cleveland Browns.

Also, it's clear that the Eagles could use the added week to kind of just hit the reset button after what has been an extremely underwhelming start to the season. The Eagles had the win against Atlanta locked up in Week 2, but then they dropped it, literally. They played poorly for three quarters against the Saints in New Orleans before making a late run, and then they absolutely stunk it up against the Bucs in Tampa Bay in Week 4.

In that game they looked lost on offense (albeit they were playing without the three aforementioned starters) and entirely too soft on defense. The game-planning on both sides of the ball has been head-scratching and it's clear that some changes need to be made. The bye week should provide an extended opportunuty to address issues and make those changes. Will the necessary adjustments be made? We'll see, but it's fair to be skeptical.

The obvious downside of having a bye so early is that the Eagles will have to play from Week 6 forward without a break, or any extra time to nurse any new injuries that pop up. That's tough. But this season, the bye being so early should be a big boon for Philly, if it's properly utilized.