An Inside Look at How Eagles' Schedule was Formulated
The NFL likes the Eagles in primetime.
Since 2000, they have appeared in the second-most primetime games of any team in the league, doing so 94 times.
A year after being the kings of the 1 p.m. kickoff, the Eagles are set to have five primetime games, and maybe more depending on if they get flexed late in the season.
“That's a playoff team from last year,” said NFL Broadcasting Vice President Mike North during a conference call Friday afternoon with the league’s other Broadcasting VP, Onnie Bose.
“I mean, we always talk about, you know, playing your way into primetime. You don't draft your way into primetime. You don't trade your way into primetime. You play your way into prime time, and the Eagles are a playoff team last year.
"(Plus), playing in that NFC East that's been a, you know, a lifeline of ratings, you know success for our network partners. They were always going to be destined for some national television. They've also got a really interesting slate of opponents as well.”
A formula determines each team’s opponents every year, and a rotating schedule ensures that every team plays each of the other 31 at least once in a four-year period.
It takes thousands of cloud-based computers to produce thousands of possible schedules — a process that is followed by schedule makers pouring over the printouts to pick the best possible one.
North is right about this being a compelling season worth of games for Philadelphia.
The Eagles welcome back Doug Pederson and the Jaguars.
They host Aaron Rodgers and the Packers on Thanksgiving weekend, a game followed immediately by a visit from the Titans, and that means a revenge game for A.J. Brown.
Carson Wentz is on the schedule twice and the cross-state Pittsburgh Steelers come to Lincoln Financial Field as well.
“We definitely tinkered a little bit with, should we do something a little different with the Tennessee game once the A.J. Brown trade happened?” said North.
The bottom line was the NFL has to allow some primo games in the 1 p.m. slot for the networks and the decision was made to keep the Eagles-Titans in that spot.
Last year, coming off a four-win season, the Eagles had 13 of their games scheduled for 1 p.m., but the Week 15 game against Washington had to be moved to a Tuesday night due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
This year, they have five primetime night games, with four of those at the Linc.
North said the schedule wranglers debated on which Thursday night game to pick for the Eagles.
“For a long time, we had Jacksonville at Philly on the Thursday schedule for coach Peterson and his return to Philadelphia,” said North. “Then we started thinking about well, should it be Tennessee-Philly then we saw scheduled to head Tennessee-Green Bay for Amazon and we were wondering if maybe that wasn't better use of that asset.
“Once Tennessee-Green Bay is one of the Thursday nights, you couldn't do Tennessee-Philly for Thursday. We certainly saw schedules with Tennessee-Philly on Monday night, but you know, again, we look at not just the primetime's ... but we've got six or eight or nine games every Sunday afternoon at one o'clock. You gotta leave some decent quality in there, too.”
The league opted to choose a schedule where the Eagles visit the Houston Texans on Thursday night, Nov. 3, four days after they host the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Eagles will then have 11 days off before its next game, which is home against Wentz and the Commanders on Monday Night football.
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
