Last night, the NFL announced that they will unveil the 2016 league schedule on Thursday night at 8 p.m. on NFL Network.
Here is a quick rundown on who the Eagles are slated to play in Doug Pederson's first season as head coach.
Division
Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys are an interesting team. Was their disappointing 2015 season due to Tony Romo's injury or are their major holes in their roster? With Romo's health starting to fail him, it would be wise of Dallas to start looking toward the future, but that isn't in the Jones's blood. A total wild-card, the Cowboys can run right through the division if everything falls into place or end up back at the bottom of the division.
New York Giants: I'm not sure if the Giants have gotten any better this offseason. After ousting Tom Coughlin, they replaced him with Ben McAdoo who has retained Steve Spagnuolo as defensive coordinator and made very few changes. They signed Janoris Jenkins and Olivier Vernon to mega-deals in the offseason, but neither one has proven to be an elite player in the NFL. Maybe McAdoo can instill a culture change, but with so many things remaining from a mediocre team, I can't see them performing better than 8-8.
Washington Redskins: It's a weird thing to type, but the Redskins are the best team in the NFC East. Kirk Cousins is a perfect fit in Jay Gruden's offense and their defense is a solid unit. Not an elite team by any measure, but in this putrid division, they're the cream of the crop.
Home Games
Green Bay Packers: After a disappointing year by his standards, Aaron Rodgers should enter 2016 on a mission. Reunited with his favorite target, Jordy Nelson, Rodgers and the Packers will be on top of the NFC at the start of the playoffs, barring injury. This may be the toughest home game on the Eagles schedule.
Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings are a young team, with one exception: Adrian Peterson. With Teddy Bridgewater starting to mature, he can take some of the pressure off Peterson in 2016 and the team will look to build off of a playoff appearance in 2015. They are a dark horse contender.
Cleveland Browns: The Browns are an absolute mess, but this game could feature some intrigue. This may be Eagles fans first look at Carson Wentz, provided he beats out Josh McCown for the starting job by then. With such little talent on their roster, this should be a rather easy game for Pederson's squad.
Pittsburgh Steelers: This isn't exactly a rivalry, but it is always nice to have bragging rights in your state. The Steelers boasted the best offense in the league at the end of last year and that was without their star running back Le'Veon Bell. If they can get their defense together and keep their offense rolling, they will be Super Bowl contenders.
Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons took the league by surprise early last year before falling back to earth. They were the only team to beat the Carolina Panthers in the regular season and with another full offseason under Dan Quinn, could be playing with much more consistency. Expect the Eagles to have revenge on their mind after last year's disappointment on Monday Night Football.
Away Games
Chicago Bears: The Bears will start their second season under John Fox with Alshon Jeffery and Kevin White at wide receiver, and not much else worth noting. Matt Forte has moved on and this offense looks to be a bit one-dimensional at the moment. With Jay Cutler still manning the helm, the playoffs are well out of reach for this team. It'll be one of the easier games on the schedule.
Detroit Lions: This game may carry a bit of a revenge factor for Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who was fired as Lions head coach after the 2013 season. Playing without Calvin Johnson after his retirement, the Lions offense is missing a true playmaker, but running back Ameer Abdullah could put the offense on his shoulders if he takes a big step forward. Once again, an easy game, but not a sure-win by any means.
Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens season will hinge on Joe Flacco's recovery from a season-ending knee injury in 2015. If Flacco comes back healthy and Justin Forsett can still put up decent numbers, the Ravens will return to form and contend for a playoff spot. John Harbaugh will make sure he has his troops ready to go against his former employer.
Cincinnati Bengals: It seemed like Andy Dalton and the Bengals finally turned a corner last year, but poor discipline ruined their shot at a deep playoff run. It will also be interesting to see how Dalton plays now that his offensive coordinator is coaching across the Buckeye State in Cleveland. 2016 may be Marvin Lewis' last shot at proving he can put together an elite team, so expect them to pull out all the stops and try to impose their will on each opponent.
Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks have watched their team get dismantled in free agency and with the retirement of Marshawn Lynch, there will be a lot of pressure on a stable of unproven running backs. Still, with Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson running the show, and this game taking place at CenturyLink Field, it will be a firm test for the Eagles. It might be their toughest game against an NFC opponent all season.
Tucker Bagley is a columnist for Eagledelphia. Follow him on Twitter @tbagley515.
