According to DraftKings, the Philadelphia Eagles are favored to win 13 games next season. So, what’s up with those other four games? We have some thoughts.
Week 8 | at Cincinnati Bengals
Philadelphia hasn't beaten Cincinnati since 2000, when second-year head coach Andy Reid defeated interim coach Dick LeBeau’s Bengals at Veterans Stadium. Overall, Philadelphia is 3-9-2 against Cincinnati without a road victory.
The teams last met in 2020 when rookie quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 312 yards and two scores in just his eighth NFL game. Since then, he’s been thrown for 11,904 yards and 87 touchdowns, carrying his team to Super Bowl LVI.
He missed seven games with a torn wrist ligament in 2023, but with an additional 10-15 pounds of offseason muscle, Burrow sounds eager to regain his championship form. “I’m going to give people something to talk about this year. I’m excited about it,” Burrow said during an appearance on Pardon My Take.
He’ll also give Philadelphia’s 31st-ranked secondary fits with wide receivers like Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on the field.
Week 10 | at Dallas Cowboys
Dallas is 12-8 against Philadelphia over the past 10 years. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is 9-4 against the Eagles in his career, winning five of six home starts. The Eagles haven’t won a game in AT&T Stadium since 2017 and aren’t likely to do so in 2024.
While Philadelphia stumbled through a 1-5 finish to the 2023 regular season, Prescott put up a league-high 36 touchdowns with a career-best 105.9 quarterback rating. Most of his passes went to wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who finished with a career-high of 1,749 yards and was second-highest in the NFL.
That and a top-five defense for yards (299.7) and points per game allowed (18.5) should keep the team’s stellar home record against Philadelphia intact.
Week 12 | vs L.A. Rams
Once again, Philadelphia’s struggling secondary will have their hands full with Rams receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. If not for Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, Nacua would easily have been named Offensive Rookie of the Year after finishing 2023 with 1,486 yards, fourth-most in the NFL.
At the same time, second-year running back Kyren Williams averaged a league-best 95.3 yards per game in 12 appearances, leading the team with 1,283 yards, third-most among running backs. That’s a lot of talent for Rams coach Sean McVay to work with, especially at home on Sunday Night Football.
Week 13 | at Baltimore Ravens
After flying 2,399 miles to play the Rams in Week 12, the Eagles travel 98 miles south on I-95 to face NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. In their history, Philadelphia is 2-3-1 against the Ravens, with both wins coming at home.
Bouncing back from a cross-country trip can be difficult for NFL teams, but so is stopping a dual-threat quarterback like Jackson, who accounted for 4,499 of Baltimore’s 6,296 yards in 2023.
He’ll share the backfield with former Titan and four-time Pro Bowler Derrick Henry this year. Thanks to Jackson, Baltimore led the league in rushing with 156.5 yards per game last season. With Henry, they’ll add a running back who finished as the NFL’s second-leading rusher in the last two seasons.
Of course, the league’s stingiest defense (16.5 points per game) will have something to say against an Eagles offense playing under Kellen Moore, their third offensive coordinator in as many years. Fortunately for the team, the Carolina Panthers will be up in Week 14.
