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          NFL Nation

          Philadelphia Eagles' schedule includes Super Bowl rematch with Patriots

          Carson Wentz and the Eagles are on the road for the last three weeks of October before coming home to face the Bears in what should be a key stretch of their 2019 season. AP Photo/Mark Zaleski
          • Tim McManus, ESPN Staff WriterApr 18, 2019, 12:37 AM
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              Tim McManus covers the Philadelphia Eagles for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2016 after covering the Eagles for Philadelphia Magazine's Birds 24/7, a site he helped create, since 2010. You can follow him on Twitter @Tim_McManus.
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          The NFL has released its 2019 regular-season schedule. Here's a look at what's in store for the Philadelphia Eagles.

          Game-by-game prediction

          Eagles reporter Tim McManus is predicting an 11-5 finish:

          Sept 8: vs. Washington -- win

          Sept. 15: at Atlanta -- loss

          Sept. 22: vs. Detroit -- win

          Sept. 26: at Green Bay -- loss

          Oct. 6: vs. N.Y. Jets -- win

          Oct. 13: at Minnesota -- win

          Oct. 20: at Dallas -- loss

          Oct. 27: at Buffalo -- win

          Nov. 3: vs. Chicago -- win

          Nov. 17: vs. New England -- loss

          Nov. 24: vs Seattle -- win

          Dec. 1: at Miami -- win

          Dec. 9: vs. N.Y. Giants -- win

          Dec. 15: at Washington -- loss

          Dec. 22: vs. Dallas -- win

          Dec. 29: at N.Y. Giants -- win

          Strength of schedule: 26th, .477 opponent win percentage

          Breakdown

          The Eagles play five games against teams that made the playoffs in 2018 (Seahawks, Patriots, Bears and Cowboys twice), with four of those matchups at home. This schedule might have more bite to it than one might think, with the Falcons, Vikings and Packers all capable of having bounce-back seasons. A Thursday night tilt at Lambeau Field is a tough draw. It will take some mental fortitude for the Eagles to escape Green Bay with a win on a short week. Philly will have a chance to rack up some wins in December, with a pair of games against a retooling Giants team.

          Super Bowl redux

          A rematch of Super Bowl LII, the Nov. 17 matchup between the Eagles and the Patriots, pits the past two championship teams against each other. It ought to be good theater, and Philly has the benefit of playing at home. An interesting twist is that both the Pats and Eagles will be coming off a bye. The teams will be fresh, and coaches Bill Belichick and Doug Pederson will have an extra week to concoct their game plans. It should be "special."

          The key stretch

          Philadelphia is on the road for the last three weeks of October before returning home to face the Bears, who will have revenge on the brain after last season's wild-card loss to the Eagles at Soldier Field. That's followed by home games against the Patriots and Seahawks right after the bye. If they can navigate that, they should be in good shape for a division-heavy home stretch that ought to treat them well.