It’s weird how 10-1 can feel like a fever dream. If you look back at the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles schedule, the first half of the season was basically a masterclass in winning ugly. They were finding ways to pull games out of the fire, whether it was Jake Elliott’s leg or Jalen Hurts just refusing to go down. But man, the wheels didn't just come off later; they disintegrated.
Everyone remembers the "Brotherly Shove" being the talk of the league. It was efficient. It was frustrating for every other defensive coordinator. Honestly, though, it felt like the team was leaning on that one trick a bit too much while the rest of the engine was smoking under the hood.
Breaking Down the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles Schedule: Month by Month
The season kicked off in a way nobody expected: São Paulo, Brazil. Playing the Green Bay Packers on a Friday night in a different hemisphere was a massive logistical headache. The field conditions at Arena Corinthians were... questionable, to put it lightly. Players were slipping everywhere. Yet, Saquon Barkley showed up and immediately proved why the front office paid him. Three touchdowns in his debut? That’s how you make a first impression.
Then came the home opener against Atlanta. That one stung. It was one of those "how did they lose that?" moments that signaled some underlying defensive lapses.
October was where things got interesting. They had an early Bye Week in Week 5. Usually, players hate an early bye because the rest of the season becomes a brutal marathon. But the Eagles used it to get healthy. They came out of it and rattled off wins against the Browns, Giants, and Bengals. Beating the Giants is always fun for Philly fans, especially seeing Saquon go back to MetLife and absolutely tear his former team apart.
The Brutal November Stretch
This was the part of the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles schedule that everyone circled in red ink. It was supposed to be the gauntlet.
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- They handled the Jaguars in a game that was closer than it should have been.
- They went into Dallas and absolutely embarrassed the Cowboys. 34-6. You love to see it.
- A short turnaround for Thursday Night Football against the Commanders.
That Commanders game in Week 11 was actually a huge turning point. Jayden Daniels was the "it" kid of the NFL at the time, and the Eagles defense finally looked like the elite unit Vic Fangio promised. They shut him down.
But then December happened.
Why the Late-Season Slide Felt Different This Time
If you’ve followed this team for a while, you know the late-season collapse of 2023 was a scar that hadn't quite healed. Heading into the final stretch of the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles schedule, there was this collective "here we go again" vibe from the fans at Lincoln Financial Field.
The loss to the Ravens in Week 13 was a heavyweight fight. Lamar Jackson vs. Jalen Hurts. It was a game of inches, and unfortunately, those inches went Baltimore's way. But it wasn't just losing to good teams. It was the way the offense started to look stagnant. Nick Sirianni’s "CEO coach" role was under the microscope again. Kellen Moore’s play-calling, which looked so fresh in September, started to feel predictable by mid-December.
The Defensive Identity Crisis
Vic Fangio was brought in to fix the secondary. For a while, Quinyon Mitchell looked like the Defensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner. He was sticky in coverage and didn't play like a kid from Toledo. But as the schedule ground on, the lack of a consistent pass rush outside of the occasional Josh Sweat burst became glaring.
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The schedule didn't do them any favors with back-to-back road trips late in the year. Traveling is hard. Traveling when your defense is on the field for 35 minutes a game because the offense can't sustain a drive is harder.
The Games That Defined the Season
You can't talk about the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles schedule without mentioning the rivalry games. The NFC East was surprisingly competitive. Usually, someone runs away with it, but the Commanders stayed scrappy way longer than anyone predicted.
- The Giants Games: Total dominance. It’s clear the Eagles own the trenches in that matchup.
- The Cowboys Series: Splits are common, but the way the Eagles won in Arlington felt like a changing of the guard, especially with Dak Prescott’s injury woes.
- The Finale: Ending the season against division rivals is always a coin flip.
By the time the playoffs rolled around, the Eagles were a battle-worn group. They weren't the "undefeated through October" team anymore. They were a team that had been punched in the mouth by the schedule's difficulty.
Lessons from the Gridiron
Looking back, the 2024 campaign taught us that talent only gets you so far when the schedule starts stacking up against you. Depth is everything. When Jordan Mailata or Lane Johnson missed time, the drop-off was noticeable. The Eagles' success is—and always will be—built on that offensive line.
The schedule also showed that the NFL is a league of adjustments. What works in Week 3 is "tape" by Week 12. Defensive coordinators figured out how to bait Hurts into those mid-range throws that resulted in a few too many interceptions.
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What to Do With This Info
If you’re looking at these trends to understand what's coming next for the Birds, focus on these specific takeaways.
Watch the "Trench Fatigue"
The Eagles rely on their O-line more than almost any other team. When the schedule has late-season road trips, keep an eye on the rushing yards per carry. If it drops below 4.0, the offense usually stalls.
The Fangio Factor
The defense actually improved statistically over the 2023 disaster, but they struggled against "mobile plus" quarterbacks. When the schedule features guys like Lamar Jackson or even Jayden Daniels, the defensive ends have to play disciplined "contain" football rather than just hunting sacks.
Betting on the Bounce-Back
History shows the Eagles under Howie Roseman don't stay down. They use the failures of a previous schedule to aggressively target needs in the draft. Expect them to continue prioritizing cornerbacks and edge rushers to avoid the late-season defensive gassing we saw.
The 2024 season wasn't a total failure, but it was a loud reminder that in the NFL, it’s not about how you start the schedule, it’s about having enough gas in the tank to finish it.
Actionable Next Steps:
To truly understand the trajectory of this team, go back and re-watch the Week 13-16 tape. Don't just look at the highlights. Look at the pre-snap motions. You’ll see exactly where the communication broke down. Also, keep an eye on the upcoming compensatory pick announcements; the way the 2024 roster was managed through the schedule's end will dictate how many extra swings they get in the next draft.