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How The Philadelphia Eagles Can Seize the NFC East in the Next 2 Weeks

It’s been four weeks. The Philadelphia Eagles have still not managed to put together an A game, but they somehow sit undefeated atop the NFC East. I’ve grown a little…

Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles against the Dallas Cowboys in an NFC East battle
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

It's been four weeks. The Philadelphia Eagles have still not managed to put together an A game, but they somehow sit undefeated atop the NFC East. I’ve grown a little tired of hearing that “you don’t want to play your best football now” excuse.

This is a classic straw man argument. I interact and speak with listeners every day. Nobody has ever said, “I want this team playing their best ball now!” It’s a classic excuse-making deflection for mediocre play.

It’s great to be 4-0, but you should expect to see progression weekly. We haven’t, but the next few weeks are critical. I’ll explain why.

The Eagles face two very beatable opponents on the road for the next two weeks.

I’m expecting that in one of the next two weeks, we will see the Eagles we all expected to see. This Sunday might be the time when Philly fans travel to Los Angeles to join their West Coast friends to take over SoFi Stadium.

If you get to 5-0, a trip up the turnpike to face the Jets is next. These are two winnable games and would have you sitting at 6-0 and 4-0 in the NFC. That would mean the driver's seat. The 49ers game will also be in Philadelphia in December.

The Dallas Cowboys are also moving to California for a few weekends.

The Cowboys already trail the Eagles by one game in the NFC East, and they have a conference loss. They face the 49ers in prime time on Sunday then play the Chargers in Week 6. I can’t decide which game I want them to lose. Having Dallas two games behind with conference losses would be a huge edge, but seeing the 49ers with a loss allows the Eagles a little more breathing room.

As long as the Cowboys are 4-2 after six games, I’m feeling great. If they emerge 5-1, it’s going to be a season-long stress test.

Eagles Atop NFC East: Commanders not ready; Giants are a dumpster fire!

The Eagles did their best to give the Commanders confidence moving forward on Sunday. I don’t think you will ever see that team play much better. The Giants, on the other hand, look awful. They have been outscored 64-3 in their two home games. The Eagles face the Giants in two of their last three games this season. It’s clear the schedule makers didn’t understand the Giants weren’t going to be that good.

A 6-0 start might just be enough to breathe easier.

A two-game cushion would make the gauntlet section of the schedule easier to navigate with less pressure.

Watch The John Kincade Show live on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page on weekday mornings from 6am-10am.


The Philadelphia Eagles will travel to the West Coast in Week 5 of 2023 NFL season to face the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium with questions about some of their starters. They are one of only two NFL teams with a 4-0 record.

The defending NFC champs beat the Washington Commanders 34-31 in Week 4.

Philadelphia Eagles Defeat Washington Commanders

The Eagles snuck away with an overtime victory in their first NFC East matchup of the 2023 season. Fans at the Linc breathed a collective sigh of relief when Jake Elliott booted a 54-yard field goal to seal the win.

Jalen Hurts also took steps forward with a stronger passing performance. He threw for 319 yards through the air. His favorite target A.J. Brown dominated with nine catches for 175 yards, including a pair of touchdowns.

It wasn't the most convincing win you'll ever see. Sam Howell threw for 290 yards against a porous defense that gave up 31 points. However, Nick Sirianni keeps on winning. After a 2-5 start to his career as a head coach, he has won 27 of 35 games.

The Eagles will enter as 5.5 point favorites against the Rams in a matchup of the past two NFC champions.

Projected Philadelphia Eagles Week 5 Starters

The Eagles still face some injury concerns as they travel to Los Angeles They must figure out a way to compensate for the loss of Avonte Maddox in the slot. James Bradberry has slid inside for most of the defensive snaps, while Josh Jobe has played outside. 

Nicholas Morrow came up from the practice squad to start in Week 2. He seamlessly jumped in with strong games against the Vikings and the Buccaneers. However, he officially made his mark with three sacks against Washington.

Reed Blankenship has recovered from a rib injury, and he's become the most reliable safety on the roster. Sydney Brown, Justin Evans, and Quez Watkins missed Week 4, but all three players hope to return to face the Rams.

Injury news will also affect the Eagles Week 5 starters. It should trickle out as the week progresses.

Jalen Hurts

Jalen HurtsPhoto by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Quarterback, #1
Oklahoma University/University of Alabama
4th NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (53rd overall) in 2020

D'Andre Swift

D'Andre Swift of the Philadelphia EaglesPhoto by Rob Carr/Getty Images

Running Back, #0
University of Georgia
4th NFL season- Acquired in a trade from Detroit Lions (April 2023)

A.J. Brown

A.J. BrownPhoto by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Wide Receiver, #11
Ole Miss
5th NFL season- Acquired in a trade from Tennessee Titans (April 2022)

DeVonta Smith

DeVonta SmithPhoto by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Wide Receiver, #6
University of Alabama
3rd NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (10th overall) in 2021

Olamide Zaccheaus

Oldmide Zaccheaus of the Philadelphia EaglesPhoto by Mike Carlson/Getty Images

Wide Receiver, #13
University of Virginia
5th NFL Season, Signed in Free Agency (April 2023)

Dallas Goedert

Dallas GoedertPhoto by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Tight End, #88
South Dakota State
6th NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (48th overall) in 2018

Jordan Mailata

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Left Tackle, #68
Jeff Stoutland University
6th NFL Season- Drafted in 7th Round (233rd overall) in 2018

Landon Dickerson

Landon Dickerson of the Philadelphia EaglesPhoto by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Left Guard, #69
University of Alabama
3rd NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (37th overall) in 2021

Jason Kelce

Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia EaglesPhoto by Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images

Center, #62
University of Cincinnati
13th NFL Season- Drafted in 6th Round (191st overall) in 2011

Sua Opeta

Sua Opeta of the Philadelphia EaglesPhoto by Rob Carr/Getty Images

Right Guard, #78
Weber State University
4th NFL Season, Signed as Undrafted Free Agent (November 2019)

Lane Johnson

Lane Johnson of the Philadelphia EaglesPhoto by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Right Tackle, #65
Oklahoma University
11th NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (4th overall) in 2013

Josh Sweat

Josh Sweat of the Philadelphia EaglesPhoto by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Defensive End, #94
Florida State
6th NFL Season- Drafted in 4th Round (130th overall) in 2018

Fletcher Cox

Fletcher Cox of the Philadelphia EaglesPhoto by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Defensive Tackle, #91
Mississippi State
12th NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (12th overall) in 2012

Jordan Davis

Jordan Davis of the Philadelphia EaglesPhoto by Norm Hall/Getty Images

Defensive Tackle, #90
University of Georgia
2nd NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (13th overall) in 2022

Milton Williams

Milton Williams of the Philadelphia EaglesPhoto by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Defensive Tackle, #93
Louisiana Tech
3rd NFL Season, Drafted in 3rd Round (73rd Overall) in 2021

Haason Reddick

Haason ReddickPhoto by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Edge Rusher/Linebacker, #7
Temple University
7th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (March 2022)

Zach Cunningham

Zach Cunningham of the Philadelphia EaglesPhoto by Rob Carr/Getty Images

Linebacker, #52
Vanderbilt University
7th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (August 2023)

Nicholas Morrow

Nicholas Morrow of the Philadelphia EaglesPhoto by Mike Carlson/Getty Images

Linebacker, #41
Greensville University
6th NFL Season, Signed in Free Agency (March 2023)

Darius Slay

Darius Slay of the Philadelphia EaglesPhoto by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Cornerback, #2
Mississippi State
11th NFL Season- Acquired in trade from Detroit Lions (March 2020)

James Bradberry

James Bradberry of the Philadelphia EaglesPhoto by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Cornerback, #24
University of Arkansas/Samford University
8th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (May 2022)

Reed Blankenship

Reed Blankenship of the Philadelphia EaglesPhoto by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Safety, #32
Middle Tennessee State
2nd NFL Season- Signed as Undrafted Free Agent (May 2022)

Justin Evans

Justin Evans of the Philadelphia EaglesPhoto by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Safety, #30
Mississippi Gulf Coast
4th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (March 2023)

A full blooded Delco native from a sports crazed family, John has been obsessed with Philly sports from his days at St. Annie’s drawing team logos on his book covers! Told many times by teachers along the way “if you knew your studies as well as you know your sports” he turned that perceived weakness into a career. John has been broadcasting at the local and national levels since 1992. As a content creator for 97.5 The Fanatic he writes about Eagles, Sixers, Phillies and Flyers. You can follow @johnkincade or reach him at John.Kincade@bbgi.com