Why Eagles fans should be optimistic... and pessimistic

As they enter their bye week, the Philadelphia Eagles are a mediocre 3-3. Their wins have not been pretty, and fans are disappointed. The Eagles have allowed 22 more points than they've scored, and have lost two games in a row.

Still, Jeff McLane and Zach Berman at Philly.com have some reasons that the rest of the season could be promising. Here's one:

Schedule gets easier
Some of the opponents that appeared daunting before the season should be less worrisome now. Specifically, the Carolina Panthers have not taken a step up after quarterback Cam Newton's spectacular rookie season, and none of the Cincinnati Bengals' three wins have come against teams with winning records. The New Orleans Saints have also struggled after the season-long suspension of head coach Sean Payton. In the first six games, the Eagles played three teams with winning records. In the next 10 games, they play only two teams that presently have winning records.

Oh, by the way, McLane and Berman also have some reasons for pessimism. Check out the full article, and you decide.