September 30, 2018
In past seasons, Philadelphia Eagles fans generally rooted for their own team, and kept an eye on the rest of the NFC East. In 2018, with the Birds being among the favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, it's perhaps worth keeping tabs on the conference, as opposed to just the division.
And so, each week we'll lay out a rooting guide for non-Eagles games on the NFL schedule, and yes, I'm aware that most of the below is obvious.
• Bengals at Falcons: Obviously, an AFC win over a legitimate NFC contender is always ideal.
• Buccaneers at Bears: The Bucs hold a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Eagles, so a Bears win is preferable. Plus, the Bears have a good defense, but wouldn't pose much of a threat in the playoffs with Mitchell Trubisky failing to make much of a jump so far this season.
• Lions at Cowboys: As we've noted previously, the Cowboys are going nowhere with their offensive skill players. A disastrous season could lead to the team tearing it all down, from the head coach to the quarterback, while also maybe landing a top five pick. The best scenario, from an Eagles fan perspective, is for the Cowboys to win enough games to make Jerry Jones think Garrett and Dak Prescott are worth keeping around, while also drafting in the teens. This is a harmless game for them to win. Suck it up and root for the Cowboys, for long-term reasons.
• Bills at Packers: The Bills did the rest of the NFC a solid when they knocked off the Vikings in Minny last week. Can they do it two weeks in a row to an NFC North contender?
• Browns at Raiders: I'm on full Raiders tank watch. Which Raiders players can be had in a trade because they're butting heads with Jon Gruden as the team spirals into a winless abyss? Another Oakland loss could accelerate the turmoil, and perhaps the Eagles can be beneficiaries.
• Seahawks at Cardinals: It's probably just best if the Cards keep losing, so they're picking in the top 5 ahead of the Cowboys and Giants.
• Saints at Giants: A Giants win is clearly preferable. The further back they're drafting, the longer they're going to talk themselves into Eli Manning. And obviously, a Saints loss would be good for the Eagles.
• 49ers at Chargers: After losing Jimmy G, the 49ers are done. It's probably best if they secure a top five pick instead of the Giants or Cowboys.
• Ravens at Steelers: The Eagles own the Ravens' second round pick. Root for Pittsburgh.
Irrelevant to the Eagles:
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