The Eagles Have A 2024 “Gauntlet” After All

When reviewing the Eagles 2024 schedule there was something that I especially enjoyed about it. I always look first after the reveal of the schedule if there is a gauntlet of games awaiting them. At first glance, I didn’t feel that the Eagles had one of those stretches.

Las Vegas clearly believes that I was mistaken. Our friends at @betonline on X have unveiled their lines for all 17 games and they believe that the Eagles have a very difficult five-week stretch. Remember, these are pre-season projections on what they expect to happen. A slow start, key injury, or an unsuspected rise by an opponent could change all of these by the times the games are played.

The Eagles begin the 2024 season with four NFC games in the month of September. Only one of those games will be played at Lincoln Financial Field despite the Eagles technically being the home team in Sao Paolo against the Green Bay Packers. The Birds are considered to be the favorite in all of these matchups.

Week 1: Green Bay Packers @ Philadelphia Eagles -1½ 

Week 2: Atlanta Falcons @ Philadelphia Eagles -3½ 

Week 3: Philadelphia Eagles -3 @ New Orleans Saints

Week 4: Philadelphia Eagles -2 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

After the bye week the Eagles will see another couple of games where they will be favored.

Week 6: Cleveland Browns @ Philadelphia Eagles -3 

Week 7: Philadelphia Eagles -4½ @ New York Giants

After the first six games where they are favored, the Eagles once again will face a stretch that could be considered a gauntlet. If they have taken care of their business in the first six games this series will be able to clarify whether they are truly Super Bowl contenders.

Week 8: Philadelphia Eagles +3 @ Cincinnati Bengals

Week 9: Jacksonville Jaguars @ Philadelphia Eagles -4

Week 10: Philadelphia Eagles +2 @ Dallas Cowboys

Week 11: Washington Commanders @ Philadelphia Eagles -6½ 

Week 12: Philadelphia Eagles +½ @ Los Angeles Rams

Week 13: Philadelphia Eagles +4 @ Baltimore Ravens

The Eagles find themselves underdogs in four of the six matchups. You have two games against AFC Super Bowl contenders at Cincinnati and Baltimore sandwiching this stretch. Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson will present supreme challenges for Vic Fangio and his defense.

Thankfully they have the first six games to work out the kinks. In between the Birds go to Dallas as a dog and then come home for their first look at the Washington Commanders on a short week Thursday night matchup. The opponents don’t look that dangerous but the scheduling could prove cumbersome.

The other two games are a home Sunday night game vs Doug Pederson and the Jaguars and a Sunday night showdown in Los Angeles against the Rams high-flying offense.

The final five games will give the Eagles the opportunity to secure the top seed if they have survived the gauntlet. Four of those games will be played at Lincoln Financial Field. Their only road trip after December 1st will be a short visit to Landover, Maryland to face the Commanders in the rematch.

Last season we all looked at the schedule and thought the end of the season would be easy. It most certainly wasn’t. This certainly looks easily navigable.

Week 14: Carolina Panthers @ Philadelphia Eagles -7½ 

Week 15: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Philadelphia Eagles -3½

Week 16: Philadelphia Eagles -3 @ Washington Commanders

Week 17: Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles -2 

Week 18: New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles -5½

It may seem way too early to look at this stuff, but the schedule once again looks favorable for the Eagles to have a chance to return to the Super Bowl stage.

Happy holiday! The NFL schedule has been released. We have known for a while now who the Eagles would be playing in the 2024 season, but now we know the dates and times. We now can determine which spots are good, which spots are bad, and of course the dreaded trap games. Whether you are like my partner John Kincade and think that doing wins and losses is “lazy radio”, there isn’t a single sports fan who doesn’t do it on their own time.  

After you make your prediction, you will text your friends and family to make sure it is on the record. You will call your favorite radio show and utter the words “you heard it hear first.” We will also find out some important answers:

Who will be the member of the Fanatic who has the Eagles winning 14 games? Who will be the first caller who predicts a perfect season including a Super Bowl win? Who will be the “Negadelphian” who has the Eagles finishing below 500?  

The schedule release isn’t just about determining the record of your favorite team, it is also a chance to start planning road trips, tailgates, or the big family get-together.

Will that family get-together be for a divisional rival? Or will it be for some of the nationally anticipated games between two potential Super Bowl opponents? Either way, the schedule release gives us a ton to be excited about. 

This bit of content is not about wins and losses, this is about my own personal likes and dislikes of the Eagles schedule. I will tell you about the games I am most excited for, and the games I am least excited about.  

Some games will be rated highly on my list for the quarterback battle, whereas some games may be low on the list because of the opponent or the field of play... Let me know what you think! 

I stated on Kincade and Salciunas last week that the Eagles would win the NFC East comfortability. That means by at least 2 games which is not something we are used to in this wild division. For that to happen, they have to take care of business against the Cowboys. I think this game will solidify the Eagles as division champs. Added bonus for it being at home.

Like I said, this is personal. I have a TON of family in Balitmore. There is also a big Lithuanian community in Baltimore. I need Philly to win this one. It is also a great quarterback battle and a late season matchup between two great teams which helps put this so high on the list.

Eagles vs Bengals was my Super Bowl pick for last season. It won’t be my pick this year, but I do think the Bengals bounce back in 2024. Between the quarterback battle and my prediction that didn’t come to fruition last year, this was a game I was excited for when the opponents first came out.

This game would be higher if it was at The Linc. It would also be lower if it wasn’t week 1. There is nothing like the first game of the season on the national stage. I want the Eagles to win every game, but especially this one. Midday Show producer Ray Dunne is the conductor of “The Love Train”. I need the Eagles to show the world early that the Packers cute little playoff run isn’t the sign of the future in the NFC. 

I am excited for this game because it will be a major test for the new look Eagles secondary. Between Cooper Kupp and Puca Nacua, we will find out a lot if this secondary is ready for the eventual Super Bowl expectations. Darius Slay will be on one side, but so will rookie Quinyon Mitchell. And against the Rams, potential slot corner Cooper Dejean will have a lot on his plate. Extra points for Sunday Night Football.

I have more road games in the top 5 than I do home games, this one is always a fun one no matter where the game is played. Philly or Pittsburgh, the cross-state rivalry is something that always brings a little extra to games like this between two out of conference opponents. Eagles fans make the drive to Pittsburgh, and Steelers fans make the drive to Philadelphia. And oh by the way, for all you morons who wanted Russell Wilson (It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me), we will get to see Jalen Hurts go up against him.

Not that one game against the Cowboys is necessarily more important than the other, but the end-of-the-season matchup with Dallas seems to always mean more. Points loss for it being “Americas Game of the Week” which means Tom Brady.

Most times a playoff rematch would be higher on the list, but last year sucked. Last year didn’t even feel like a playoff game. I will put money down now on the Eagles winning no matter what the spread is. It won’t be like last year. Why 8th then? Have fun making the trip Philly. I know you are going to have a blast.  

Dougie P in Philadelphia! Really the only thing I am looking forward to. Unless Trevor Lawrence turns things around and stops playing like a major disappointment, there isn’t much juice to this game for me.  

I can always use a laugh. The Giants usually provide that for me unless the Eagles find a way to crush my heart like they did at the end of last season. There is nothing like a beatdown of the Giants at the Linc. Also, because it is the final game of the regular season this could either mean something for division/conference standings, or a nice relaxing Sunday afternoon.

The Atlanta Falcons are one of the dumbest franchises in sports. Everything they do confuses me. Drafting Kyle Pitts instead of a quarterback. Drafting Bijan Robinson (and barely using him) when they had so many other areas to fill. Finally drafting a quarterback after they just signed Kirk Cousins to a 3-year deal. They offend my football intelligence. But hey, I’ll take a win at home.

Cleveland was a fun story last year... with Joe Flacco. They are back to that quarterback they gave a ton of guaranteed money to despite what he did off the field. Oh by the way, he hasn’t been anywhere close to the quarterback he was in Houston. At least the game is at home where I am sure Eagles fans will make Deshaun Watson feel comfortable... go get him Birds fans 

This is such a sleepy game. This isn’t the New Orleans Saints of 2017 where a rivalry had started very similar to the one against the 49ers following the 2022 season. You know, the one where they made ridiculous statements but couldn’t back it up because they lost? Yeah, that rivalry. Now the Saints regretfully have Derek Carr and a team in cap hell. This shouldn’t be a fun game, but if you are heading to New Orleans, have the time of your life.

They stink. That is all I have to say.  

Notice I haven’t had the Commanders on here once yet, and they play each other twice. No one in their life has said “I can’t wait for the Eagles to play the Commanders.” You know why? Because the Eagles should win every time... but sometimes they don’t and we lose our minds, and even in the games they win, they are NEVER pretty. I dread the Commander's games. 

Why is this one lower than the other matchup? Because it is being played in that toilet bowl of a stadium. Literally. Sewage has been seen falling from parts of the stadium. Looking forward to the day Josh Harris comes through and builds a new stadium just for Eagles fans to take over again. 

This one is self-explanatory. MetLife Stadium is Satan's favorite NFL stadium. It is a ticking time bomb for injuries. We saw last season, in one half, the Eagles lost both A.J and Sydney Brown for the remainder of the season. No other stadium has fans saying, “Just please get out of there healthy.” This game will always be at the bottom of my list.