There's no getting around it – not having an Eagles game to watch this weekend stinks. But if there is one nice thing about the bye week, it's that it affords Eagles fans the opportunity to fully commit to the rest of the schedule games on Sunday and Monday. So throw on your Eagles jersey this weekend anyway and kick back as you get to know some of the other NFL teams.
Here are five games to watch this weekend, and why they matter for the Eagles …
Lions At Chiefs – Sunday, 9:30 AM
Neither the Lions nor the Chiefs have played very well this season, but there are still a number of reasons to set your alarm and watch the two teams go head to head in London as you enjoy your Sunday morning breakfast.
Last week's early morning London matchup turned out to be one of the better games of the week, as the Bills stormed back to take the lead on the Jaguars before Blake Bortles threw a late touchdown pass to Allen Hurns to give Jacksonville the win. Aside from just hoping that this game will match last week's, fans can also do some advance scouting here. The Eagles and Lions will meet in Detroit on Thanksgiving, so now's a good time to get a read on Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and the rest of the Lions.
Buccaneers At Falcons – 1 PM
Four days before the Eagles spend Turkey Day with the Lions, they'll host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs have had an up and down season, as has first-overall pick Jameis Winston. The Florida State product has thrown for 1,471 yards and nine touchdowns this season, but his seven picks have slowed down the Tampa offense. Stud wideout Mike Evans has missed some time due to injury this year, but now he's back in the lineup, making Winiston all the more dangerous.
The Eagles faced Atlanta in the Monday night opener, and while they came up just short of a victory, they proved that they could hang in there with the physical Falcons defense under first-year coach Dan Quinn. How will Tampa Bay fare against Atlanta? This game could be a barometer of how the Eagles will match up with the Buccaneers on November 22.
Giants At Saints – Sunday, 1 PM
The Eagles took care of business earlier this season against the Saints, winning 39-17 in Week 5 at the Eagles' Nest. But the Saints defeated Dallas at home earlier this year, and will not look to help the Eagles out again by defeating another NFC East opponent. New York currently sits atop the division with a 4-3 record, but if the Saints can come away with a win, things will look much brighter for the Eagles coming out of the bye as they travel to Dallas.
The Giants have won four of their last five with the only loss coming in Philadelphia. They survived a tough game with the Cowboys last week, but now have to play in the dome against the Saints, which is never a tough task. This is big game for Big Blue, as a two road games and home matchup with New England are in the immediate future.
Seahawks At Cowboys – Sunday, 4:25 PM
Both the Seahawks and Cowboys were in the playoffs in 2014, and both have been disappointments to this point in 2015. While Dallas' struggles are somewhat understandable given the crushing injuries to Tony Romo and Dez Bryant, the Seahawks' struggles are much more inexplicable. Not only has Seattle not lost any of their key players to injury, but they also added Jimmy Graham this past offseason.
The real problem for the Seahawks has been their offensive line, as they've failed to keep Russell Wilson upright this years. Wilson, one of the most mobile quarterbacks in the game has been sacked an astounding 31 times, the most in the NFL by a margin of five. In comparison, Sam Bradford, who isn't known to be the most fleet of foot passer out there, has been sacked just 13 times. Seattle clearly has the talent to get things turned around, and they could do the Eagles a big favor by handing Dallas their fifth-straight loss on Sunday.
For the Cowboys, the game is another chance to get things figured out offensively. Matt Cassel will make his second start after losing to the Giants last week, but the good news for the Cowboys is that Bryant has been back out on the practice fields this week. It's still unclear as to whether or not Bryant will actually be able to suit up and go on Sunday, but he's inching closer towards a return. With the Eagles off this weekend, they can still pick up ground on the Giants and gain another step up on Dallas if both of those teams lose this weekend.
Packers At Broncos – Sunday, 8:30 PM
Without a doubt, this is the premier matchup of the NFL weekend. Both teams enter the game at Mile High with identical 6-0 records, but they've gotten there by taking different roads. Aaron Rodgers is having another ho-hum season, throwing for 1,491 yards and 15 touchdowns compared to just two interceptions. Even without Jordy Nelson, who was lost for the year in the preseason with an ACL injury, Rodgers has been in complete control of the Packers' offense, boasting a passer rating of 115.9.
Other the other side, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has struggled mightily, yet his team remains undefeated. Manning had thrown more interceptions than touchdowns to this point (10 to 7) and he's been largely unable to get the ball down the field in the vertical passing game.
Despite that, Denver has managed to stay undefeated thanks to one of the top defensive units in the NFL. The Denver defense has forced 17 turnovers, second only to the Eagles at 19. Denver and Green Bay are both tied for second when it comes to net turnover difference at 6, so whomever can win the takeover battle on Sunday will most likely come away with a big win and maintain their unblemished record.
