Just under seven months removed from a three-point loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 57, the Philadelphia Eagles enter the 2023 NFL season as one of the heavy favorites to once again represent the NFC in the Big Game. And the march to Las Vegas begins with the Eagles' Week 1 matchup with the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick, who knows a thing or two about getting to the Super Bowl.

It's certainly not easy reaching the title game two years in a row, but Nick Sirianni has more than enough talent on both sides of the football to make that happen. And that's with some new faces in the Eagles' Week 1 starting lineup, as GM Howie Roseman did a fantastic job during the offseason in replacing the players he lost in free agency.

The Philly offense, of course, is led by fourth-year quarterback Jalen Hurts, who finished second in the NFL MVP vote behind Patrick Mahomes last season and was rewarded with a five-year/$255 million extension in April.

Hurts had a monster season in 2022, completing 66.5% of his passes for 3,701 yards with 22 touchdowns against just six interceptions while adding another 760 yards and 13 scores on the ground. Assuming he can stay healthy, he'll be right there in the MVP conversation yet again.

Hurts' top four receiving weapons from a season ago are all back, those being DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown, Dallas Goedert, and Quez Watkins, who combined to catch 271 passes for 3,748 yards with 24 TDs. And he'll undoubtedly have plenty of time to throw as the Eagles will once again boast one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.

Hurts will, however, not have Miles Sanders in the backfield, as he's now a member of the Carolina Panthers. But he will have the services of former Lions running back D'Andre Swift. More on him in a moment.

The Philadelphia defense may not be quite as dominant as it was a year ago, particularly on the pass rush. But even after replacing five starters in the middle and having a new defensive coordinator in former Seahawks associate head coach Sean Desai, Sirianni should still feel confident about the unit as a whole. It certainly didn't hurt that the Eagles were able to retain cornerbacks Darius Slay and James Bradberry, both of whom seemed destined to go elsewhere for a while during the offseason.

But enough with the broad look. Let's get to some Eagles' Week 1 predictions as they kick off the 2023 campaign on the road against the Patriots.

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3. D'Andre Swift will rush for 100 yards in his Eagles debut

Replacing Miles Sanders won't be easy. After all, Sanders earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl a season ago after rushing for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns during the regular season, adding another 148 yards and two scores in the playoffs.

But D'Andre Swift was a solid choice to fill that vacancy. Okay, so his overall numbers don't look quite as good as those Sanders put up during his four-year stay in Philly. But let's get real here. Swift didn't have the greatest offensive line in the world in Detroit. He's now got that with the Eagles. One also has to assume that he'll get far more touches. And that's a good thing.

Many simply look at the overall yardage. And a season ago, that wasn't close. Sanders, as mentioned, rushed for 1,269 yards, while Swift finished the year with 542. But the latter only carried the ball 99 times. As far as yards per attempt go, Swift actually won that battle, averaging 5.5 yards per carry compared to Sanders' 4.9. Naturally, more touches will equal more yardage.

And that will start in the Eagles' Week 1 clash with New England. To get Swift integrated into the offense and to get his confidence up with his new team, I see offensive coordinator Brian Johnson making him a sizable part of the attack against the Patriots, ultimately leading to Swift rushing for at least 100 yards in his first game in green.

2. The Philadelphia defense will force at least three Patriots turnovers

Let's shift gears to the Philadelphia defense.

As mentioned, the pass rush may not be quite as strong as it was a year ago. Let's get real here. It's going to be difficult for the Eagles to match last year's 70 sacks, which tied for the third-most in a single season in NFL history. But Philly will still be one of the strongest teams in the NFL in that regard.

While Javon Hargrave may be gone, Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, and Fletcher Cox aren't. And that fearsome foursome combined for 45 sacks in 2022. Add highly-touted rookie defensive tackle Jalen Carter to the mix, and New England quarterback Mac Jones could be in for a very rough day.

Jones has already taken 62 sacks and fumbled the ball a dozen times in his first two seasons. He's also thrown 24 interceptions. The Philly defense is going to make his life extremely difficult on Sunday. And if Jones gets rushed, the Eagles' secondary will likely see plenty of opportunities for picks, especially over the middle.

The Patriots committed 23 turnovers last year, tied for the eighth-most in the NFL. Expect at least three from New England to start the 2023 season.

1. The Eagles will take a double-digit victory

Per FanDuel, the Eagles head to Foxborough as a four-point road favorite. But while some experts are picking the Patriots not only to cover the spread but also to win, I don't see things playing out like that.

For one, New England was 1-4 last year when facing a top-10 pass defense. When their QBs, whether it be Jones or Bailey Zappe, were under pressure, New England ran successful plays on only 19.6% of pass attempts, the fourth-worst percentage in the league. The Philly defense pressured QBs on 28.4% of pass plays in 2022, the best mark in the NFL. So there's that.

In addition, the Pats were also winless when allowing at least 120 rushing yards, which they will on Sunday. Between Jalen Hurts and D'Andre Swift, don't be surprised if the Eagles double that number.

Simply put, Sirianni has too much on both sides of the ball for Belichick to keep up. It might be close early, but the Eagles will leave Gilette Stadium with a double-digit victory. Book it.