The third weekend of the 2026 NFL season brings a clean little scoreboard watch for Eagles fans, and it starts with Philadelphia’s own game in Chicago. The Eagles are favored against the Caleb Williams-less Bears, and if they avoid the kind of slip that hands a backup quarterback a signature win, they’ll move to 3-0. Go Birds.
Around the NFC East, the rooting picture is pretty straightforward. In Tennessee’s visit to the Giants, Philadelphia should be pulling for the Titans.
Jaxson Dart is out for the season, which leaves New York’s 2026 campaign looking cooked, but the Eagles probably don’t want the Giants stumbling into any kind of momentum with Jameis Winston taking over at quarterback. The hope is also that New York doesn’t wind up with a very high pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, though the more immediate concern is keeping the G-Men from building anything that feels real.
Washington’s matchup with Seattle is another spot where the Eagles should be watching with interest. The Commanders are sitting at 0-2 with two division losses already, which is about as ugly as an 0-2 start can get.
Jayden Daniels is expected to miss multiple games because of injury, but if he somehow returns and the Commanders start finding their footing, it’s better for them to be digging out of a deeper hole. Even if a Seahawks win also helps Philadelphia in the race for a top seed in the conference, the call here is still Seattle.
Root for the Seahawks.
Dallas gets the most direct hit of the weekend in its home game against Baltimore. Since this is the Cowboys’ floating AFC opponent, it carries the least meaning for them in the standings, but there’s still plenty of narrative value.
A Cowboys win would leave them feeling pretty good about themselves. The Eagles would much rather see Lamar Jackson carve up that defense and send Dallas to 1-2.
Root for the Ravens.
If Philadelphia handles business on Monday night and the division rivals all lose, the NFC East picture gets a little cleaner.
Outside the division, the Eagles have a few more reasons to keep one eye on the scoreboard. In Carolina’s trip to Cleveland, it’s simple: AFC team over NFC team. Root for the Browns.
The same logic applies in Las Vegas at New Orleans. AFC team over NFC team. Root for the Raiders.
The Rams’ visit to Denver carries a little extra weight because Philadelphia sees Los Angeles in Week 4. The Rams still loom as a conference threat, so an Eagles fan should want them to lose here.
Put even more simply: AFC team over NFC team. Root for the Broncos.
There are also a couple of games tucked into the “what’s left” category that matter for future tiebreakers. Cincinnati at Pittsburgh is one of them.
The Eagles play the Steelers later this season, and if the idea is that Philadelphia beats them, then Pittsburgh having the better record helps boost Philly’s strength of victory tiebreaker. Root for the Steelers.
And in New England’s visit to Jacksonville, the same strength-of-victory logic applies because the Eagles play the Jaguars this season. Philadelphia would benefit if Jacksonville stacks up as many wins as possible, and there’s another layer too: the Eagles own the more favorable of two 2027 fifth-round picks either from the Patriots or Bears.
So it’s a good weekend to root against New England. Root for the Jaguars.
In Other News...
Eagles Suddenly Face A Tougher Week 3 Question Than Expected
The Eagles went into the week expecting a clearer read on Chicagos quarterback situation, but the Bears now appear likely to be without Caleb Williams because of a hamstring injury. Tyson Bagent has cleared concussion protocol and could return to practice, which at least gives Chicago another option as it sorts through the position for Week 3.
Ben Johnson confirmed Bagents clearance, a positive development for a Bears team still trying to stabilize under center. Case Keenum could still end up starting, so Philadelphia may have to prepare for more than one possibility even as the matchup looks different than it did when the schedule first pointed to Williams. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Suddenly Have A Week 3 WR Question Fans Did Not Expect
The Eagles entered the week expecting to sort through a familiar set of early-season injury concerns, but the wide receiver picture took an unexpected turn when Hollywood Brown was added late to the injury report with a knee issue and sat out a practice. For a team still trying to settle its passing-game rotation, the timing matters, especially with a game coming up and the depth chart suddenly looking a little thinner than it did a day earlier.
If Brown is unable to go, Elijah Moore could become part of the conversation in a bigger way. The offseason addition has not played in the first two games, but the Eagles may turn to him for specific offensive packages or even special teams work if they need another receiver available, giving him a chance to finally enter the mix at a moment when the team did not seem to be planning for one. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Defense Suddenly Faces A Bigger Bears Problem Than Quarterback
The Bears quarterback picture has been murky all week, and that has kept a little extra attention on Chicagos visit to Philadelphia. Backup Tyson Bagent was back at practice after reportedly clearing concussion protocol, according to head coach Ben Johnson, after sitting out earlier in the week and fueling speculation that Case Keenum might get the nod if Caleb Williams remains sidelined.
For the Eagles, the bigger issue is not simply who lines up under center, but how much the uncertainty changes the shape of the game. The betting line has already moved as Bagents status has swung back and forth, and Philadelphias defense now has to prepare for a matchup that could still tilt depending on whether the Bears are dealing with one backup quarterback, another, or more late-week confusion. [Read more 🡒]