Eagles vs. Raiders predictions: Our writers pick a winner for Week 15

The 8-5 Eagles bring their three-game losing streak back home to Lincoln Financial Field for a Sunday afternoon game vs. the 2-11 Las Vegas Raiders.

The Eagles are looking to right the ship and keep the Cowboys at arm’s length in the NFC East as the playoffs near.

Will they? Here’s how our writers see Sunday going:

This is the get-right game of all get-right games. The Raiders are the final boss of get-right games. If you can’t win Sunday, then you’re never getting right.

That’s a little bit hyperbolic, but the Eagles can’t lose this one, can they?

The Eagles-Cardinals New Year’s Eve game in 2023 would like a word. The 2023 comparisons with me will stop there. I think it’s kind of silly to compare the two seasons. But the Eagles are obviously sliding.

The two-win Raiders, however, should be the perfect remedy for all that ails the Eagles.

» READ MORE: Jake Elliott’s missed field goal proved critical, but the Eagles’ end-of-half conservatism has been a trend

I can’t see the Raiders scoring enough points to win the game, even with all the troubles the Eagles are having on offense. Kenny Pickett is likely to start, and his best pass catcher, tight end Brock Bowers, should be a manageable opponent for the Eagles. They have one of the best nickel players in the league in Cooper DeJean, and two linebackers, Nakobe Dean and Zack Baun, with coverage chops. The Raiders don’t have enough offensive talent besides him to make you worry. Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty has been mostly a nonfactor in the running game, although he’s been dangerous as a pass catcher.

Pickett, meanwhile, should face a swarm of defenders. The Raiders allow pressure on 36.9% of their drop backs, tied for ninth in the NFL. Geno Smith was pressured on 56% of his 25 drop backs in Sunday’s loss to Denver, according to Next Gen Stats, while Pickett was pressured on 38.5% of his 11 drops.

Expect the Eagles, who generated a 68.3% pressure rate against Justin Herbert Monday night, to get after the quarterback and disrupt Vegas’ offense.

On the other side, I think the Eagles did enough positive things offensively Monday to convince me they won’t have trouble moving the ball Sunday. They just need to avoid turnovers. Easier said then done, of course.

Prediction: Eagles 27, Raiders 11

If the Eagles can’t win this game against the Raiders, don’t expect them to win a playoff game this year.

This is a game the Eagles should win, even in the offense’s current state of disarray. But don’t expect it to be a blowout. It’s going to be cold and windy at the Linc (remember how the Eagles fared in those conditions against the Bears?), so it seems unlikely that this game is going to be high-scoring if the weather gets ugly. Perhaps that works to the Eagles’ advantage, seeing as they’ve been practicing in an icebox all week and the Raiders are living it up in temperate Las Vegas.

» READ MORE: Jordan Davis was lights-out for the Eagles defense on Monday night. He also believes in the struggling offense.

Pickett is likely capable of keeping the Raiders offense more competitive than Smith could if he were healthy enough to start. In a brief showing to end the Raiders’ Week 14 loss to the Denver Broncos, Pickett went 8-for-11 for 97 yards and a touchdown. He has some trusty receivers — Bowers is one of the best receiving tight ends in the league and rookie receiver Jack Bech has been coming on over the last couple of weeks.

But the Raiders’ running game, led by Jeanty, has been one of the worst in the league this season. The Eagles should be able to contain them on the ground, forcing Pickett to drop back and throw.

The Raiders defense, led by TFL machine Maxx Crosby, will likely look to do the same to the Eagles offense. They’ve had a rough last couple of weeks against the run, conceding 344 rushing yards (172 per game), tied for third-worst in the NFL in that span. Meanwhile, Saquon Barkley showed some flashes in the loss to the Chargers, especially on his handoffs from under center.

Could you imagine the reaction if Pickett beats his former team? I wouldn’t expect that to happen, but crazier things (e.g. two Jalen Hurts turnovers on the same play) have occurred this season.

Prediction: Eagles 20, Raiders 13