Eagles bye week rooting guide: Which teams to root for with the Birds off this weekend

The Eagles are off this weekend and return in Week 10 for a Monday Night Football showdown with fellow NFC contender Green Bay at Lambeau Field.

That’s certainly one to look forward to. But what about the Week 9 slate?

Here’s a rooting guide for Eagles fans during the dreaded bye week.

» READ MORE: Eagles’ biggest priorities for the bye week: Grow the offense, get healthy, and bulk up that pass rush

Bears (-2.5) at Bengals: Audubon High School’s Joe Flacco is dealing with a shoulder injury and seems like a coin flip to suit up Sunday for the Bengals. Even if he doesn’t, you should almost always be rooting for the AFC team here, even if the 4-3 Bears have more Philly flavor on the roster.

Vikings at Lions (-8.5): The Lions would equal the Eagles’ 6-2 record with a win Sunday, and they’re favored to do so. The two teams meet at the Linc for a Sunday night game in Week 11. Root for the rookie J.J. McCarthy to lead Minnesota to a road upset. The Eagles own Minnesota’s 2026 sixth-round pick, but home field in the playoffs is a much bigger deal.

Panthers at Packers (-13.5): The answer is obvious here, but is it? Maybe you don’t want to face an angry Packers team coming off an embarrassing home loss to the lowly Panthers. Green Bay would be 6-1-1 with a win, and would be in position to separate itself from the Eagles next week with another victory. Hey, the Packers’ only loss is to the Browns. Anything is possible.

Chargers (-9.5) at Titans: An all-AFC matchup that’s probably high on the list of worst games of the week. Tennessee has been pretty dysfunctional, and it cost Brian Callahan his job. The Titans might rather lose at this point to continue the path of trying to secure the top pick again. But the Eagles play the Chargers in December, and one of Tennessee has a female coach with a Pennsylvania background.

Falcons at Patriots (-4.5): Atlanta was 3-2 and looked to be gaining some steam as a sneaky, dangerous potential NFC wild-card opponent. But the Falcons have lost two straight games, including a blowout home loss to the Dolphins last week. The Patriots, meanwhile, have been one of the surprises of the NFL season. Root for the Patriots? Seems like a no-no in this city. The Falcons, even with a win, might face a bit of a climb to get into the playoff picture. Flip a coin.

» READ MORE: Eagles’ trade deadline targets, bye week concerns, best locker room humans and other AMA highlights

49ers (-2.5) at Giants: This one won’t be easy for Eagles fans, but the answer has to be the Giants. The 49ers don’t look like the same 49ers teams of the recent past, but who wants to test that theory in a playoff game? This Giants season isn’t going anywhere. Plus, more Giants victories mean a worse draft slot.

Colts (-3.5) at Steelers: In a week with some pretty boring games, this one is among the best. The Colts and old friend Shane Steichen are the biggest surprise of the 2025 season. Daniel Jones apparently just needed to get the stink of the Giants off him. Go Colts? Why not? Jonathan Taylor is from South Jersey and attended Salem High School.

Broncos at Texans (-1.5): The first thing that stands out here is that Houston is a slight favorite at home. Eagles fans don’t need a reminder that Denver has been pretty good. The Broncos’ two losses are to the Colts and Chargers, two teams with a combined record of 12-4, and the losses were by a combined four points. There’s no clear answer here, but a Texans win would shake up the AFC standings a little at the top, and that seems like more fun.

Jaguars (-2.5) at Raiders: Is there a less meaningful game on the Week 9 slate? That’s probably a bit harsh to the Jaguars, who are 4-3 and had been playing well before two ugly losses. Speaking of ugly losses, how about that 31-0 defeat to the Chiefs the Raiders had before hitting their Week 8 bye? Root for a tie. Better yet, don’t watch. Luckily for you, there’s a great game in this window.

Saints at Rams (-14.5): No, the most lopsided point spread of the week isn’t the aforementioned great game. But the rooting interest here is obvious. Root for Kellen Moore and rookie quarterback Tyler Shough to pull off a shocking upset.

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Chiefs (-2.5) at Bills: Ah, the game of the week. Jim Nantz and Tony Romo. A late-afternoon fall Sunday in Buffalo. There won’t be too many in Philly pulling for Kansas City besides the Swifties. The Eagles beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl and beat them again in Week 2. They get their chance at knocking off Buffalo, another potential Super Bowl opponent, in Week 17 in Buffalo. The more bumps Kansas City takes along the way, the more unlikely its inevitable run to the Super Bowl gets.

Seahawks (-2.5) at Commanders (Sunday night): Jayden Daniels is returning, but Terry McLaurin is out. The Commanders wanted to take another step forward this season, but they’re moving backward. There’s no harm in rooting for rival Washington here. The Commanders don’t seem like the same threat they were in 2024, and Seattle, behind one of the best defenses in the NFL, looks to be a real contender for the top of the NFC.

Cardinals at Cowboys (-2.5) (Monday night): Does anything need to be said here?