September 09, 2026
Vincent Carchietta/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Jaxson Dart or Dak Prescott will be 0-1 after Week 1. (Or they'll both be 0-0-1.)
The Philadelphia Eagles will take on the Washington Commanders at 4:25 on Sunday. That matchup aside, here we'll lay out a rooting guide for non-Eagles games on the NFL schedule for those of you on the fence while watching the other action around the league. And yes, I'm aware that most of the below is obvious. Ideal winners bolded.
• Cowboys at Giants: I'd rank the Eagles' biggest threats in the NFC East like so:
But beyond just hoping the Cowboys lose, it would also be encouraging if you're an Eagles fan to see the Cowboys' defense struggle again like it did in 2025.
• 49ers vs. Rams: The Rams are loaded, so it would be be ideal for the Eagles and the rest of the league to see that they are not invincible.
• Saints at Lions: The Lions actually finished in fourth place in the NFC North in 2025, but with a winning record. They are still a good team. But they have an unusually soft fourth-place schedule, and could be contenders for a high playoff seed. The more losses they get early on the better.
• Bears at Panthers: The Bears proved in 2025 that they are a viable threat. The Panthers made the playoffs last season, but are further away than the Bears.
• Packers at Vikings: Neither of these teams should scare anyone, but it's probably ideal if the Packers were to land in the playoffs, since the Eagles have repeatedly shown that they can handle that team.
• New England at Seattle: The Eagles own the Pats' fifth-round pick in 2027, but the value of a Seattle loss right off the bat could be a big deal in a loaded NFC. A Pats win is the better outcome.
• Buccaneers at Bengals: The Bucs are probably the favorite in the NFC South, though not a strong contender on the level of the Rams or Seahawks.
The following bolded teams play the Eagles this season, so they're just worth keeping an eye on:
Follow Jimmy & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @JimmyKempski | thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
Add Jimmy's RSS feed to your feed reader
