Eagles' schedule: open vs. Falcons, go to London, face many playoff foes

The Eagles have a chance to get off to a fast start in defense of their Super Bowl championship.

That's because most of their games against teams with sub-.500 records in 2017 will take place in the first half of the season as the NFL schedule was released Thursday night. Then again, the availability of quarterback Carson Wentz could have something to do with the Eagles' start.

Wentz is recovering from two torn knee ligaments. While Wentz said Tuesday that his goal remains to be ready for Week 1, he wouldn't put a timetable on his return. If he can't start the season, it's expected that Nick Foles, the MVP of the Super Bowl, will be the starter.

Still, the Eagles will play seven of 16 games against playoff teams and nine against teams with winning records. Conversely, the Eagles also will play five games against teams that went 5-11 or worse. That's why their strength of schedule ranks 20th in the NFL despite playing so many playoff teams. 

As the defending Super Bowl champs, the Eagles will have the honor of hosting the first game of the season, on a Thursday night, Sept. 6, with a game against the Atlanta Falcons. The Eagles beat the Falcons 15-10 in the NFC Divisional Round. The rest of the NFL will open Sept. 9 and Sept. 10.

In all, the Eagles will play five games in prime time this season. 

After the opener, the Eagles will have two straight games against teams with losing records last season, with a Sept. 16 game at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11) and a home game on the 23rd against the Indianapolis Colts (4-12). That game will mark the return of Colts head coach Frank Reich, who was the Eagles' offensive coordinator the previous two years.

But then the schedule gets markedly tougher as four of the next five opponents will be against playoff teams – at Tennessee on Sept. 30 and home against the Vikings on Oct. 7 in a rematch of last season's NFC Championship game.

The Eagles will then play a Thursday night game at the Giants, who went 3-13 last season, on Oct. 11 before facing Carolina at home on Oct. 21 and the Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 28.

The game against the Jaguars will take place in London; it's the first time the Eagles will play there. The Eagles will then have the following week off before returning for a difficult second half of the season.

That's because five of their final eight games will come against NFC East opponents, beginning with a Sunday night game at home against the Dallas Cowboys. Then they'll face the Saints, another playoff team, in New Orleans on Nov. 18 followed by two straight home games against NFC East teams – the Giants on Nov. 25 and a Monday night game against Washington on Dec. 3 – and a road game against the Cowboys on Dec. 9.

That stretch of games could very well decide the NFC East.

The Eagles will then finish out the season with a road game against the Rams on Dec. 16, scheduled as a Sunday night game, followed by a home game against the Houston Texans, likely with quarterback Deshaun Watson, who missed most of last season with a torn ACL.

The Eagles will conclude the season in Washington on Dec. 30.

The dates for the Eagles' preseason games were also set. They'll open against Pittsburgh on Thursday, Aug. 9 at the Linc, followed by road games against New England (a Super Bowl rematch) on Aug. 16 and Cleveland on Aug. 23. They'll finish the preseason with a home game against the Jets on Aug. 30.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.