The Rest Of The Eagles Season, Because True Hope Isn't Part Of Eagle Fan's Worldview

Yes, Philosoraptor, it is

So, with a bye week and the best game of their season in the books, it's time for Philly Fan's favorite thing to do: nitpick the starting QB on a winning team.

It's just what is done, really, and it's done for any fan base that hasn't won and freaks out about that fact all too easily. It's even more acute when the QB in question has no real hard-core commitment, because Foles is a third-round pick in the Luck-Griffin-Wilson draft, and hasn't cashed in the big long-term contract that signifies He Is Muy Macho.

Last year's Foles was, of course, downright magical in his ability to avoid turnovers... while this year's model leads the league, and actually is a little fortunate not to have more. The fact that the QB leads the NFL in turnovers on a 5-1 team is just one of the more absurd facts from this year's laundry. (Secondary absurdities: that LeSean McCoy is still at just 3.6 yards a carry even after the SNF statsfest, and that the 28th ranked defense just registered the franchise's first shutout in a generation.) But mixed in with all of the jaw-dropping mistakes has been any number of stick throws, good courage in the face of a rush, keeping the tempo up in ways that other QBs can't, and, well, just being the only guy on the roster with the potential to play well enough to steal you a game of consequence.

Stealing a game of consequence was, of course, something we all thought that Foles would have to do for this team to go deeper in the playoffs. No one imagined the club to be in the position of #1 slot in the standings with a bye and home-field if the season were to end today, because the more realistic won-loss prediction was 4-2, with a couple of undefeated teams (Seattle, New Orleans and Green Bay all were world-beaters, right?) ahead of them.

Well, nice to have new problems, right? Except that Dallas looks for real (I will now gargle with bleach), and the schedule looks murderous. Here's what's ahead...

Week 8 (after the bye) at Phoenix. Who just got back their QB1, who are leading their presumably better division, and have home field, albeit one where Road Fan will make an appearance. It's a toss-up at best.

Week 9 at Houston. Who will have OLB Javedon Clowney back from injury, and if they've got RB Arian Foster healthy, could be more than a little troublesome. This one has must win written all over it, and the Texans offense should be beatable, but still.

Week 10, Carolina on MNF. Home game, which helps, against the possibly rejuvenated QB Cam Newton. Carolina's defense looks vulnerable now, but in a month, they might have some actual starting caliber RBs back in the lineup. This is looking like one of the easier games on the schedule, which is also kind of frightening.

Week 11 at Green Bay. This game last year was so much easier to take against QBs Seneca Wallace and Scott Tolzien. Life isn't going to go that smoothly again. The Pack isn't real good right now, but they've got a way of gelling over time, and going to Lambeau is never easy.

So... anywhere from 9-1 (as if) to 6-4, but more likely somewhere in between. Meanwhile, here's the absolute cakewalk that Dallas has.

Week 7 - Giants at home. Let's just say that Blue looks a little softened up after last week,

Week 8 - Slurs at home. Who will either start Turnover Machine Kirk Cousins at QB, or a rusty Bob Griffin. As if it really matters who plays QB for a 1-win team. I get that the Slurs games are always close for Dallas, but the talent levels between these teams is a cliff right now.

Week 9 - Cardinals at home. The only actual test in the month is at home, and by this point, Cowboy Fan will actually start showing up for games, rather than selling all of those seats to Road Fan. Not an auto-win, but the home team will probably be favored.

Week 10 - At Jacksonville. About as difficult as Week 11...

Week 11 - Bye.

 So as we move into the home stretch of the NFL season, it's going to be real hard to see Dallas as anything but ahead in the division. Which means that everything will come down to...

Week 13 - Dallas-Philadelphia, Thanksgiving Day, in Dallas, and

Week 15 - Philly-Dallas, in Philly, on SNF.

Oh, and the loser of the division has to play on Wild Card Weekend (let's imagine the NFC South winner, at home, which could easily be New Orleans), then more road work against the probable top seed in the conference. Dallas again, in Dallas.

And sure, they could get exposed by then, with an injury or two showing suspect depth... but I'm from Philadelphia.

I know how this movie ends.

And yes, I'm part of the problem.

Oh, and Foles?

Clearly not good enough to win playoff games on the road, right?