Eagles beat writers predict the 2024 season game by game

Now we know who, when, and where the Eagles will be playing this season. Here’s how our Eagles beat writers see things unfolding.

» READ MORE: Eagles’ 2024 schedule features five early road games, and five matchups in prime time

EJ Smith: The Packers, unlike the Eagles, finished last year on a high note and are talented enough to spoil the Eagles’ trip to São Paulo, especially if the new-look defense experiences growing pains against Packers quarterback Jordan Love. Nick Sirianni may be 3-0 in season openers with the Eagles, but the unknown coming out of the offseason makes this look like a toss-up. LOSS, 0-1

McLane: The Eagles are expected to keep travel to São Paulo to a bare minimum and won’t arrive early for practice dates. The direct flight is approximately eight hours, but there’s only a one-hour time difference. With burgeoning quarterback Jordan Love, Green Bay is a hot pundit pick to be a rising NFC team. The Eagles, with two new coordinators, will try to avoid a slow start. LOSS, 0-1

Olivia Reiner: The Eagles’ season opener in São Paulo against the Packers features a matchup between two teams that had opposite seasons in 2023. The Eagles started last season 10-1 and lost six of their last seven games, including their wild-card game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After a 3-6 start, the Packers won six of their final eight regular-season games and upset the Dallas Cowboys in the wild-card round before falling to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round. Jordan Love had success leading the Packers’ young offense last season, and I think he’ll continue to build in 2024. LOSS, 0-1

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Smith: Returning on a long flight home from Brazil may add some element of an international game hangover to this matchup, but the extended week works in the Eagles’ favor here. Atlanta added some credibility to the quarterback position with Kirk Cousins and now boasts one of the most explosive offenses in the league, but the Falcons’ defense is less intimidating. The Eagles might need to win a shootout here, but the boost of a home opener is enough to tip the scales. WIN, 1-1

McLane: The NFL gives the Eagles 10 days in between the opener and this Monday night matchup that is actually at home. The Falcons are undergoing yet another shift with a new coach (Raheem Morris) and new quarterback (Kirk Cousins). Running back Bijan Robinson could cause problems, but Atlanta should be one of the Birds’ easier opponents. WIN, 1-1

Reiner: The Falcons spent the offseason revamping their quarterbacks room, signing Kirk Cousins and selecting Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick. Barring injury, Cousins figures to start against the Eagles. Can he replicate the success he had in 2022, one year removed from a season-ending Achilles injury? There’s reason for skepticism. WIN, 1-1

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Smith: The Saints have been pushing off a rebuild for some time now and don’t look like a true contender. Traveling on a short week so quickly after the international trip is a tough break for the Eagles, as is catching the Saints before their season has the chance to take a downturn, but this is still a very winnable game. WIN, 2-1

McLane: The Eagles play in New Orleans for the first time since Alshon Jeffery dropped the Nick Foles pass that knocked them out of the 2018 playoffs. The Saints have been a middling team since Drew Brees’ retirement and again don’t look poised to make a jump. Could this be the first of two games at the Super Bowl-hosting Superdome? WIN, 2-1

Reiner: The Saints didn’t make any notable free-agency moves. However, they made some solid additions in the draft, picking up cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry to complement an already strong cornerbacks group. But offensively, starting quarterback Derek Carr is inconsistent and their outlook with him at the helm heading into the season isn’t very high. WIN, 2-1

Smith: After getting bounced by the Buccaneers in the wild-card round of the playoffs last season, this will be viewed as a revenge game regardless of how the first few weeks of the Eagles’ season go. Tampa Bay doubled down on Baker Mayfield this offseason and focused mostly on retaining the roster from last year. The Bucs figure to be a handful most weeks, especially for a road-weary Eagles team, but they should be beatable. WIN, 3-1

McLane: The Eagles will be back at the Bay looking to avenge an embarrassing playoff loss that ended one of the worst season-ending spells in team history. Newly acquired linebacker Devin White may also have some extra juice against his former team. Three straight wins against NFC South opponents could get coach Nick Sirianni off any potential early hot seat heading into a bye. WIN, 3-1

Reiner: The Eagles head back to Tampa to avenge their humiliating wild-card loss last postseason. This time around, they ought to have a better plan and performance against Todd Bowles’ blitz. WIN, 3-1

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Smith: An early bye week is usually a bad thing for a team with playoff aspirations, but after just one true home game sandwiched between an international trip and two flights to NFC South opponents, this will be a reprieve for the Eagles.

McLane: The Eagles get their earliest week off since 2016 when the bye came in Week 4. It may have slowed the momentum of a 3-0 start as they lost nine of their next 11 in Doug Pederson’s first season as coach.

Reiner: The Eagles land an early bye week after opening the season with three of four games on the road, including the trip to Brazil. It should be a welcome break before the travel picks up again.

Smith: Cleveland has a chance to be one of the best teams in the AFC because of a talented defense led by Myles Garrett, a capable offensive play-caller in Kevin Stefanski, and a strong offensive line. Catching the Browns earlier in the season lessens the likelihood of the Eagles seeing Nick Chubb returned from a gruesome knee injury suffered last year, but Cleveland should be good enough to beat anybody so long as Deshaun Watson plays at a high enough level to buoy the offense. LOSS, 3-2

McLane: The controversial acquisition of Deshaun Watson hasn’t paid off for Cleveland, but Philly-born coach Kevin Stefanski has still managed to win. A stocked defense has helped offset the issues on offense. Former Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz returns with the Browns and is often at his best when he has a gear to grind. LOSS, 3-2

Reiner: The Browns offense, which finished in the top 10 in 2023, took a step up this offseason with the acquisition of former Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. They didn’t add much young talent in the draft (their first selection was at No. 54 thanks to the picks conceded in the Deshaun Watson trade), but they have a solid team on both sides of the ball capable of contending so long as Watson stays healthy and consistent. LOSS, 3-2

Smith: Saquon Barkley’s return to MetLife will be appointment viewing for both sets of fan bases, but this game will also feature an intimidating Giants pass rush against the Eagles’ reworked offensive line. Can Cam Jurgens hold up against Dexter Lawrence? Can the Giants’ new edge-rusher duo of Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux match up against Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata? That could be the deciding factor in the game, but the Eagles have owned the Giants during the Daniel Jones era. WIN, 4-2

McLane: New Eagles running back Saquon Barkley faces his old team for the first time. His return to MetLife Stadium will likely be the most talked-about story heading into the divisional matchup. By this point the Eagles should have a grasp on Barkley’s role in an offense that isn’t lacking in firepower. WIN, 4-2

Reiner: In their 2023 regular-season finale, the Eagles suffered a humiliating loss to the Giants at MetLife and were losing when playoff seeding was still on the line. The Giants added a new receiving weapon for Jones in No. 6 overall pick Malik Nabers. But they’re still arguably the weakest team in the NFC East, and the Eagles should have the upper hand in their return to East Rutherford, N.J. WIN, 4-2

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Smith: Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts, both young quarterbacks who have led their teams to Super Bowl berths early in their careers, will be a marquee matchup. With Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, Cincinnati is one of the few teams with a receiving corps talented enough to rival the Eagles’ duo of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, setting up an interesting midseason test for the Eagles’ new-look secondary with rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. LOSS, 4-3

McLane: Joe Burrow is expected to make a full recovery from surgery, but Cincinnati’s fortunes may rest on the right wrist of the quarterback. If he has the same arm strength and accuracy, the Bengals should be back in the championship mix. The Birds’ chances of slowing Burrow could depend on how they’ve adapted to new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme and play-calling. LOSS, 4-3

Reiner: With quarterback Joe Burrow set to return this season after missing the final seven games of 2023 due to a wrist injury, the Bengals have their sights set on a Super Bowl. They have a stellar offense headlined by receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and a talented defense featuring 2023 Pro Bowl edge rusher Trey Hendrickson and safety Geno Stone, a free-agent acquisition who had seven interceptions for the Ravens last year. LOSS, 4-3

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Smith: Another Doug Pederson reunion. Like the Eagles, the Jaguars had a late-season collapse to finish out last year. Also like the Eagles, Pederson retained Press Taylor as offensive coordinator despite some lackluster offensive production during that 1-5 stretch to close the regular season. While it’s worth mentioning the Jaguars will be returning from consecutive games in London at this point in the season, they’ve got enough experience with international games to make that perceived advantage less significant. WIN, 5-3

McLane: Pederson has already been back to the Linc since the Eagles fired him in January 2021. The Jaguars lost that game and the early call here is that they fall again in Philly. The clock is ticking on quarterback Trevor Lawrence and maybe even Pederson if Jacksonville doesn’t turn it around this season. WIN, 5-3

Reiner: Pederson returns to the Linc with the Jaguars, who narrowly missed out on the playoffs last year. Can they clean up the mistakes that hampered their season? While they added receiver Brian Thomas Jr. in the draft, their offense may not have what it takes to beat the Eagles at home. WIN, 5-3

Smith: Dallas hasn’t had a convincing offseason and it’s fair to wonder if the team has hit its ceiling as currently constructed. Still, the Cowboys are good enough to split with the Eagles, who haven’t won in Dallas since 2017. This will be an important test for Jalen Hurts’ ball security at this point in the season, facing off against Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland, two of the most aggressive cornerbacks in the NFL when it comes to making plays on the ball. LOSS, 5-4

McLane: The Eagles have lost six straight at Dallas dating back to their Super Bowl-winning season of 2017. There isn’t much of a running thread except that the Cowboys are just that much better at home. They lost only one game in Arlington, Texas in the two previous seasons. It’s tough to bet against those numbers. LOSS, 5-4

Reiner: The Eagles haven’t beaten the Cowboys on the road since the 2017 season. They also haven’t won both of their games against Dallas since 2011. While the Cowboys had an underwhelming offseason in terms of roster building, they’re still a good team and they’ll manage to split the series once more. LOSS, 5-4

Smith: If Jayden Daniels progresses by this point in his rookie season, this game could be more interesting. Still, the Commanders are in the early stages of a rebuild and don’t match up with the Eagles in several key areas. One that stands out? The outside cornerback spot across from A.J. Brown, who had a combined 305 receiving yards in the Eagles’ two games against Washington last year. WIN, 6-4

McLane: If Washington opts to start rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels from Day 1, he could have it at least partially figured out by mid-November. But there will likely be growing pains and with it setbacks for a franchise that is rebooting again. On another note, Zach Ertz should finally get a curtain call at the Linc. WIN, 6-4

Reiner: The Commanders have some promise in their future with No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels set to assume the starting quarterback role. But can the rookie make an immediate impact? Otherwise, former Eagles backup Marcus Mariota could be running the offense (it’s unlikely, but not out of the realm of possibility). WIN, 6-4

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Smith: An Eagles-Rams game without Aaron Donald lining up across from Jason Kelce will be a sobering reminder of the two greats’ decisions to hang it up. This game could be harder than Los Angeles’ win total from last year (10) would suggest. From Sean McVay to Matthew Stafford and the receiving duo of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, the Rams have the pieces to be an elite offense. Their defense is the question mark, meaning this could be a shootout. McVay may have spent the last few years practicing against defensive coaches emulating Fangio’s scheme, but the Eagles learned last year there’s a difference between a Fangio-inspired defense and the real thing. WIN, 7-4

McLane: This could be a trendy loss to predict for prognosticators. The Rams got hot late last season and Matthew Stafford can still sling it. Coach Sean McVay no longer has Aaron Donald in the middle of his defensive line, though. The Eagles, of course, won’t have center Jason Kelce to steer double-team blocks to the future Hall of Fame D-tackle’s side either. But they love playing in L.A. of late and this will be their last flight of the regular season. WIN, 7-4

Reiner: For the first time in 10 years, the Eagles won’t have to game plan for Aaron Donald in their Rams matchup. Still, the Rams worked to bolster their defensive front in the offseason, adding edge rusher Jared Verse with the 19th overall pick in the draft and his Florida State teammate Braden Fiske, a nose tackle, with the No. 39 selection. Offensively, Stafford, Nacua, and Kupp continue to make the Rams a formidable group. LOSS, 6-5

Smith: Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson’s first meeting as two of the most athletic quarterbacks in the NFL figures to be an entertaining showcase of how far the position has evolved. Still, the Ravens have a defense talented enough to tread water against the Eagles offense and Jackson is good enough to torch even a well-organized defense, especially one coming off a cross-country trip. LOSS, 7-5

McLane: Can the Birds win at Baltimore? Absolutely. The same can be said for every game if we’re being honest here. That’s the NFL. The Eagles won at the Chiefs last season and then went on a historic free fall. Who saw that coming? So, yes, predictions in May are as meaningless as preseason games. But for the sake of the enterprise, let’s go with the chalk and John Harbaugh, Lamar Jackson and Co. winning at home. LOSS, 7-5

Reiner: The Eagles haven’t had any success on the road against the Ravens — they’ve gone 0-2-1 in Baltimore in the regular season. No, history doesn’t necessarily mean anything to the 2024 Eagles. But they’ll face the reigning NFL MVP in Lamar Jackson and an improved defense (particularly in the secondary after adding cornerback Nate Wiggins in the draft) that was the best in the league last season. LOSS, 6-6

Smith: Carolina was dreadful last year and will need a significant leap from Bryce Young to reverse course this season. Even if the Panthers take a step forward, they’re still in the early stages of a multiyear rebuild and should be one of the easier games on the Eagles’ schedule. WIN, 8-5

McLane: Is there a franchise with as little juice as the Panthers? They have the worst owner, a petite quarterback, and their seventh head coach — including two interims — in the last seven years. Dave Canales is the latest and if you knew his name before he was hired, we bow to your NFL knowledge. A loss here would suggest the Eagles might not be as good as advertised. WIN, 8-5

Reiner: The Panthers will enter the season with a retooled offensive line thanks to the free-agent signings of Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt. Young should have better protection up front, but they’re still expected to be among the bottom-feeders in the league this season. WIN, 7-6

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Smith: This Steelers team has seemed ready for a rebuild for some time now, but Mike Tomlin grinding out another winning season feels inevitable at this point. T.J. Watt is one of the few edge rushers good enough to challenge Lane Johnson, but Pittsburgh’s potential this year will be determined by what they get out of Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields. If one of those two quarterbacks can regain their footing to save their career, the Steelers could make this a much more difficult game. Whether that happens, though, is anyone’s guess. WIN, 9-5

McLane: The Kenny Pickett revenge game no one in Philly would want because that would mean Jalen Hurts was either hurt or benched. For all the ink spent on Hurts’ durability and the Eagles keeping him safe, he missed only five meaningful snaps last season. As for how he’ll bounce back from 2023, the guess here is that he’ll play at a level somewhere in between 2022 and last season. WIN, 9-5

Reiner: The Steelers spent the offseason upgrading their offense, adding Russell Wilson in free agency (and Justin Fields as a backup) and improving the offensive line in the draft. The Eagles ought to be thankful that they’re facing new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith later rather than earlier in the schedule, so they’ll have a better idea of what to expect from the Steelers’ new-look offense. WIN, 8-6

Smith: By this point of the season, the Eagles will be pushing for a playoff spot while the Commanders could be eyeing draft order. Commanders head coach Dan Quinn has evolved from his Cover 3 Seattle days, but it’s easy to see the Eagles’ offense having a big day against his overmatched secondary even if he deploys two high safeties most of the game. WIN, 10-5

McLane: The Eagles are going to win and lose at least a few games in which most expected the opposite result, right? I’ll go with a pre-Christmas shocker at dreadful FedEx Field. Why? I think new coach Dan Quinn will have the Commanders believing and I’m not yet a believer in Sirianni’s sustainability. LOSS, 9-6

Reiner: Last season, the Commanders went 4-13, but they gave the Eagles fits in both games. Brighter days could be on the horizon for the Commanders under new general manager Adam Peters, but they are still a ways away from contending in the NFC East. WIN, 9-6

Smith: The Eagles’ final stretch is noticeably favorable from a travel standpoint — their last flight for a regular-season game will be in Week 12 — which should help counteract the early bye-week woes. This game may come down to the Eagles’ youth-infused pass rush against a Dallas offensive front that could feature some youngsters of its own, especially this late in the season. WIN, 11-5

McLane: At least one Eagles-Cowboys tilt is typically scheduled for Sunday night, so this matchup has the possibility of being flexed into prime time. With both Mike McCarthy and Sirianni likely on short leashes, this could be labeled the Bill Belichick Bowl. More likely, this meeting could decide the NFC East. WIN, 10-6

Reiner: Dak Prescott is coming off the best season of his career, finishing the runner-up in MVP voting. He and receiver CeeDee Lamb boast great chemistry and production as a result. But the Cowboys lost plenty of important players in free agency, including running back Tony Pollard, center Tyler Biadasz, and defensive end Dorance Armstrong, and didn’t replace them one-for-one. The Eagles should be able to split their series against the Cowboys, and in this exercise, Philly wins at home. WIN, 10-6

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Smith: Similar to the game against Washington, this could very well be a situation where the Eagles are playing for playoff seeding while the Giants are more preoccupied by the draft. Unless the Giants make a surprise playoff push or the Eagles have little at stake, this should be a winnable regular-season finale. WIN, 12-5

McLane: Recent season finales for the Eagles have had little meaning. Who knows what peaks and valleys they will traverse over the previous 16 games and whether they’re heading for a fourth straight postseason? The relative strength of the roster and an easier schedule, on paper, suggests they should be back and possibly competing for the Super Bowl. An 11-6 record sounds about right. WIN, 11-6

Reiner: With the addition of Brian Burns, the Giants have a pretty solid defensive corps, which includes edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, cornerback Deonte Banks, defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, and linebacker Bobby Okereke. But as long as Jones is the starting quarterback, the Eagles should be able to beat this team handily if playoff seeding is still on the line. They finish the season 11-6. WIN, 11-6