Undefeated NFL Teams - Can The Eagles Join The Flock?

Since their remarkable 2018 Super Bowl win against the New England Patriots, outscoring the defending Super Bowl LI victor 41-33, the Philadelphia Eagles have seen their fair share of ups and downs these past few years. That 2018 victory marked The Birds’ first NFL win and Super Bowl title since 1960, but they’ve struggled to pull off Super Bowl-caliber performances since then...

...until now? Following their 27-15 defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals on their September 29th face-off (ESPN), the Miami Dolphins went 3-1 (they’re currently now 7-3, as of today), rendering the Philadelphia Eagles the remaining undefeated team in the 2022 NFL season, and as of now, they haven’t taken any L’s since.

Led by the exceptional talents of quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Eagles have gone 8-0 heading into their Nov. 14th Monday Night Football matchup against the Washington Commanders, who are conversely heading into it with a comparatively iffier 4-5 record. 

The Eagles have had a number of great factors keeping the odds in their favor this season, including a relatively favorable schedule and an entire arsenal of unparalleled offensive firepower at their disposal. They enjoyed an early bye week, affording them additional rest and ample training time to really let their wings take flight.

Furthermore, the Eagles have relished the opportunity to demolish weaker teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions. This season, they absolutely wiped the floor with the Jags, outscoring them 20 points to nil in the 2nd quarter alone! Though they didn’t blow out the Lions quite as badly, the Eagles narrowly came out the victorious predator, striking down the Lions in a narrow, 38-35 win.

But will the Eagles be able to maintain this winning performance for long, or will the Commanders put that to rest? If they can keep it up through the end of the regular season, they will join the likes of only three (or technically, four?) NFL teams that completely cleaned house with an undefeated regular season record - throughout the entire history of the league!

Let’s look back at a few other NFL teams that accrued historic undefeated regular season records, and let’s look forward to whether or not the Eagles make (or break) that cut next.

1. The 1934 and 1942 Chicago Bears (13-0 + 11-0)

The Chicago Bears had a clean 13-0 regular season sweep in 1934, only losing to the New York Giants in the year’s NFL Championship. Eight years later, the same Windy City team pulled off the same feat in the 1942 NFL season, albeit over a slightly shorter 11-game stretch.

The Bears would subsequently lose that year’s NFL Championship against Washington, but 30 years later, our subsequent team would go on to bring them down in the big game. 

2. The 1972 Miami Dolphins (14-0)

For as good as the Tua Tagovailoa-led 2022 Miami Dolphins’ lineup is, the team’s peak was still during its 1972 season. The Dolphins’ roster went for 14 perfect games, leading the league in both points scored and points allowed. Despite this, the team would go on to win against Washington in a tight, low-scoring 14-7 affair at Super Bowl VII. 

Miami’s ‘72 lineup are widely recognized as the league’s #1 all-time greatest team. The Dolphins were recognized as such by the league themselves, in a 2019 NFL Films short commemorating the league’s 100th Anniversary. 

While the 1972 ‘Phins were snubbed from a celebratory visit by President Richard Nixon at the time (perhaps a little too busy with Watergate shenanigans), President Barack Obama would go on to honor the 1972’ team by inviting them to The White House in 2013. 

He noted that the team “never got their White House visit” and evidently wanted that to change. Nine Dolphins would go on to receive awards for their performance in the 72’ season, and it’s been difficult for any other NFL team to top their awards and accolades since then. 

3. The 2007 New England Patriots (16-0)

Led by quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick, the 2007 New England Patriots would go on to achieve what few teams have, climbing all the way to the top of the AFC East with 16 perfect games. 

They won the Divisional Playoffs, but would ultimately lose the Super Bowl XLII game against the New York Giants in a tight 17-14 matchup. Nevertheless, the Pats still walked away with 8 Pro Bowls and 9 AP All-Pro Awards, and it can’t be denied that going for a perfect 16-game regular season streak is still an impressive feat.

New England would go on to have three more shots at the Super Bowl in 2014, 2016, and 2018. While they both won Super Bowl XLIX and LI, the Patriots saw their big dreams for a Big Game hat-trick dashed by the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LI, when quarterback Nick Foles led the Birds to a striking 41-33 victory at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

But since 2018, Philadelphia hasn’t returned to the Super Bowl stage, nor to potentially winning it all. Could that all change in 2022, or will the second half of the season send Jalen Hurts’ Birds into a world of struggle?

Monday Night Football Odds

Right now, PointsBet Sportsbook has pegged the Eagles as a heavy -550 moneyline favorite, which, according to Dimers’ algorithm, implies an 86% probability to win it against Washington. But if you think the Commanders could defy the odds and burst The Bird’s bubble (which there’s been precedent for, as they’ve gone 2-1 against the spread in games where they were double-digit dogs), you can get them for a hefty +400 odds to win outright. 

At $30, that bet would return a $120 payout if it wins. But for a safer wager, you could back them to cover within a +10.5 spread at -105 odds. But if you’re confident the Birds will blow them out in a few hours, you can pick them for a slightly riskier (but more profitable value) to cover over -10.5 points at -110 odds. 

Either way, your best bet would be starting with the sportsbook’s stacked risk-free first bet welcome bonus, which refunds up to two Gs as free bet site credit if your first wager loses. Don’t wager more than you can afford to lose before the first kickoff, but do read our review of PointsBet Sportsbook before getting started with their first-deposit welcome bonus!