Breaking down the fourth quarter of the Eagles’ 2018 schedule

After breaking down the first three quarters of the Philadelphia Eagles’ upcoming season, I’ve come to conclusion that this team is — once again — going to be incredibly fun to watch.

With Doug Pederson keeping things fresh, and the growing chemistry between Carson Wentz and his offense — not to mention the should-be super fun Wentz to Mike Wallace combo —, fans should settle in for some exciting post-Super Bowl football.

Here’s the final set of four games, taking us through the end of the 2018 regular season:

Week 14: at Dallas Cowboys (Dec. 9, 4:25 p.m. ET)

I have a hard time believing that the Cowboys end up pulling themselves together enough to put up a tough fight against the Eagles. At this point down the stretch, the postseason picture should be getting a lot clearer, and with dwindling hopes of a playoff run, Dallas puts up a poor — albeit scrappy — fight against the Birds.

A rivalry game is a rivalry game, but ultimately Philadelphia out-talents the Cowboys to go 2-0 against them on the season.

Week 15: at Los Angeles Rams (Dec. 16, 8:20 p.m. ET)

This is one of the toughest games on the Eagles’ schedule this season, with the Rams possibly one of the three top-talented teams in the league.

In a new city and with a new, young head coach, the Rams had their first decent season in recent memory in 2017, and with notable additions like Ndamukong Suh and Aqib Talib, the team has never had so much potential.

Jared Goff didn’t have the same quick start in the NFL thanks to Jeff Fisher being the head coach when he was drafted, but under Sean McVay he improved 10-fold. In 2017, he threw for 3,804 yards and 28 touchdowns, and finished with a 100.4 QB rating.

Don’t get me wrong; I’d still want Carson Wentz leading my offense every day of the week — and twice on Sundays — but Goff has definitely improved and with some consistency could be very successful.

I think this matchup is a defensive battle until the final whistle, but ultimately ends up as a loss for Philly.

Week 16: vs. Houston Texans (Dec. 23, 1:00 p.m. ET)

The Texans continue to be a head-scratcher, and trying to predict what they’ll look like in Week 16 is a challenge. If they’re healthy, they could be one of the top teams in the League under up-and-coming quarterback Deshaun Watson. But that’s a big if.

As always, the team has the defensive talent to stop any offense in the NFL with guys like Jadeveon Clowney and the one-and-only J.J. Watt. But with Mike Vrabel having moved on to his own head coaching gig, the defense is bound to look a little different in 2018.

Last season, the team completely crumbled without Watson and Watt and other players sidelined by injuries. But, as the Eagles know all too well, losing a starting QB and top defender is no excuse not to succeed.

It could be a much closer game than some might think if all their weapons are still in play, but ultimately the Eagles get a good win heading into the final game of the regular season.

Week 17: at Washington (Dec. 30, 1:00 p.m. ET)

I’m hoping at this point in the season, the Eagles are mostly resting their starters and are getting their game plan ready for the postseason.

Depending on how the season shakes out with the rest of the NFC East, there’s a slight chance this game ends up deciding the fate of the playoff spot. If that’s the case, I think Washington’s lack of experience shines through and the Eagles end up finishing their season strong on the road.

If Philly’s second team is lining up for most of the snaps, and just riding out the regular season, then I wouldn’t be surprised if Alex Smith leads Washington to a meaningless Week 17 win.