As the Eagles begin to make their trek into the second half of the season, ESPN's biggest storyline for the team, according to Eagles beat reporter Tim McManus, is pretty apparent. Can the defending champs defend their crown?
Can the reigning champs defend their crown? The Eagles are in good position to repeat in the NFC East and boast arguably the most talented roster in the league. Some marquee matchups, including back-to-back games against the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, will help gauge how much separation, if any, there is between Philadelphia and the rest of the NFC contenders. The Eagles have the fourth-most difficult remaining strength of schedule, so there will be plenty of tests along the way. --Tim McManus
Eagles got a tough schedule to end the 2025 regular season
McManus's "storyline" is pretty transparent. When you're the defending champs, all that matters is the "main thing". With the difficult stretch that not only includes the Packers and Lions, the Eagles will also be tasked with slowing down an improving Caleb Williams' Bears team, a playoff-bound Chargers team, and a Super Bowl-contending Buffalo Bills team. Not to mention the division rival Washington Commanders twice down the stretch.
While the Eagles' schedule isn't advantageous to their credit, they've managed to deliver losses to the Bucs, Rams, and Chiefs, all teams that have had postseason success this year. While there has been plenty to scoff at in terms of on-field production, Philadelphia currently sits at 6-2 with the number one seed in the NFC going into Week 10.
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Philadelphia is currently set to take on the Green Bay Packers to open up its final "gauntlet" of the 2025 regular season. With plenty of additions added at the deadline, such as Jaire Alexander, Jaelan Phillips, and Michael Carter, along with Brandon Graham rejoining the team, the Eagles seem to have plenty of firepower in an effort to defend their crown this season.