Taking a deep dive into the 2021 Eagles schedule

After a miserable 2020 season, the Philadelphia 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. And that’s it, for now at least. While there’s a chance the Eagles could get a game flexed into a primetime slot later in the season, this is quite a dip 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.

Last year, the Eagles played five primetime games and had a 3-2 record with wins over the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, and the San Francisco 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

Green Bay Packers: 88

Giants: 86

New England Patriots: 85

Pittsburgh 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 that could play in a London game, but it went to the Jets.
After getting a perfect week nine bye week in last season, 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 seven (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 (Detroit Lions).
The Eagles will play at the New York Jets (last 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 strength of schedule:

t-15. Washington: .504

25. Giants: .474

31. Cowboys: .452

Doug Pederson could return back to Philadelphia in week two 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: