Eagles vs. Patriots 2015: Game Predictions

Philadelphia Eagles versus New England Patriots game day is here. The Birds are playing away at Gillette Stadium. It could be a long day for Chip Kelly.

The Eagles are probably not going to win this game. That's not even me being negative. It's just the reality of the situation. The New England Patriots deserve a lot of credit. They're a top notch franchise. They're 10-1 this season and their first loss came last week on the road in overtime. The Patriots rarely lose back-to-back games; they've only lost four since 2003. Tom Brady hasn't lost a game he's started and finished in Foxborough since 2012. The odds are stacked against the Eagles.

And not only are the Patriots really good, but the Eagles have been really bad lately. They've lost their last two games by a combined score of 90 to 31, with at least 10 of those points coming in garbage time. The offense hasn't been able to move the chains. The defense looks like a complete mess after being so solid earlier this season. It's hard to have any level of confidence in this team right now.

With that said, I'll do my best to highlight some reasons for optimism. The Patriots are dealing with some injuries. Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman are out. Some other key New England players are listed as questionable on the final injury report. Meanwhile, the Eagles are set to get Sam Bradford back at quarterback. Bradford hasn't exactly lit it up this season but at least he's not Mark Sanchez. Zach Ertz is also set to return this week after suffering a concussion in Week 11.

Although this game is a surefire loss, maybe you can look at it as a win-win for the Eagles. I know that sounds dumb, but allow me to explain. If the Eagles shock the world and beat the Patriots, that would be a pretty satisfying win. The Eagles are only one game out in the NFC East, so a win would keep their season alive. On the other hand, a loss puts the Eagles closer to getting a top pick in the NFL Draft. Losing out and getting a top talent, especially at quarterback, could really help this franchise.

I'm typically not a big believer in moral victories, but I think the Eagles absolutely need one of those today. Chip Kelly can't keep affording to get blown out each week. He needs to find a way to at least make this game reasonably competitive.

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My predictions:

Score prediction: 31-14.
Bold prediction: The Eagles allow less than 45 points!

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