After a miserable season in 2020, the Eagles have just two primetime games scheduled in 2021.
They’ll travel to play the Cowboys on Monday Night Football in late September and will host the world champion Buccaneers and Tom Brady in October.
That’s it. At least for now.
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While there’s a chance the Eagles could get a game flexed into a primetime slot later in the season, perhaps Week 15 vs. Washington, which could be Saturday or Sunday, this is quite a departure from recent seasons.
If the Eagles play just two primetime games in 2021 it would be their fewest since Andy Reid’s first season back in 2000, when they played just one. If they play three primetime games, it would still be their fewest since 2006.
The Eagles have played at least three primetime games in each of their last 20 seasons and at least four in their last 14 years.
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Last year, the Eagles played five games in primetime and had a 3-2 record with wins over the Cowboys, Giants and 49ers. And since the turn of the century, the Eagles have played the second-most primetime games in the NFL, behind their biggest rival:
Cowboys: 94
Eagles: 90
Packers: 88
Giants: 86
Patriots: 85
Steelers: 85
Here are some other notes about the schedule:
• The Eagles will kick off their season in Atlanta on Sept. 12, which means they will not play the Falcons in London this season. The Eagles were one of five teams up for that London game; it went to the Jets.
• After getting a perfect Week 9 bye week in 2020, the Eagles won’t have their bye week until Week 14 in 2021. That means they’ll start the season playing 13 straight weeks. But after the bye, they’ll have four NFC East games to wrap up the regular season. They won’t have to get on a plane for the final eight weeks of the season.
• The Eagles’ first-ever trip to Las Vegas comes in Week 7 (Oct. 24). It will likely be a popular travel game for Birds fans.
• The Eagles will obviously play their division opponents twice each. This year, the NFC East plays the NFC South and the AFC West. The Eagles also play the other teams who match up with them from the other division. So the last place teams from the NFC West (49ers) and NFC North (Lions).
• The Eagles will play at the Jets (same place finisher from AFC East) on Dec. 5. That’s the extra (17th) game this season. This year, the AFC is playing host to the extra game. Next year, the Eagles will end up with nine home games and eight on the road.
• Based on 2020 record, the Eagles’ strength of schedule is the easiest schedule in the entire NFL. Their opponents’ winning percentage in 2020 was .430 (117-155).
• Here’s where the other NFC East teams rank in SOS:
t-15. Washington: .504
25. Giants: .474
31. Cowboys: .452
• Doug Pederson could be back in the Linc in Week 2 on Sept. 19 when the 49ers visit the Eagles. Doug’s son Josh is an undrafted rookie tight end with the 49ers. If he makes the team, Pederson will likely be at the game to cheer on his son as he plays against the Birds.
Here’s the full 2021 schedule:
Week 1 — at Falcons on Sept. 12 at 1 p.m. on FOX
Week 2 — vs. 49ers on Sept. 19 at 1 p.m. on FOX
#Week 3 — at Cowboys on Sept. 27 at 8:15 p.m. on ESPN
Week 4 — vs. Chiefs on Oct. 3 at 1 p.m. on CBS
Week 5 — at Panthers on Oc. 10 at 1 p.m. on FOX
$Week 6 — vs. Buccaneers on Oct. 14 at 8:20 p.m. on FOX
Week 7 — at Raiders on Oct. 24 at 4:05 p.m. on FOX
Week 8 — at Lions on Oct. 31 at 1 p.m. on FOX
Week 9 — vs. Chargers on Nov. 7 at 4:05 p.m. on CBS
Week 10 — at Broncos on Nov. 14 at 4:25 p.m. on CBS
Week 11 — vs. Saints on Nov. 21 at 1 p.m. on FOX
Week 12 — at Giants on Nov. 28 at 1 p.m. on FOX
Week 13 —at Jets on Dec. 5 at 1 p.m. on CBS
Week 14 — BYE
Week 15 — vs. Washington on Dec. 18 or 19, TBD
Week 16 — vs. Giants on Dec. 26 at 1 p.m. on FOX
Week 17 — at Washington on Jan. 2 at 1 p.m. on FOX
Week 18 — vs. Cowboys on Jan 9 at 1 p.m. on FOX
* Sunday Night Football
# Monday Night Football
$ Thursday Night Football
Preseason schedule:
Week 1: vs. Steelers on Aug. 12 at 7:30 p.m. on NBC10
Week 2: vs. Patriots on Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m. on NBC10
Week 3: at New York Jets, TBD
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