Commanders final game-by-game predictions for the 2024 season

Commanders vs. Eagles - Week 16

Beating the Philadelphia Eagles at any stage of the season is a tough challenge. They've retooled this offseason and look more than capable of taking the division despite the high-profile retirements of Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox in the trenches. If there was ever a time for the Washington Commanders to make a statement, this is it.

That's easy to say but much more difficult to do. The Commanders are just one game removed from their bye week, so they should be relatively fresh so late into the season. But their cornerbacks must step up after getting bullied by Philadelphia's high-octane passing attack during their two fixtures last time around.

Prediction: Loss (9-7)

The fans need to make this a feared place to come for the Eagles, who've had their way with the Commanders since their rapid ascent into perennial Super Bowl contention. Whether that'll be enough to stop the rot is another matter.

Commanders vs. Falcons - Week 17

It would be a surprise if the Atlanta Falcons were leading the NFC South with two weeks of the season remaining. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers also fancy their chances, but they look like the far superior team on paper. They also have a head coach in Raheem Morris who can lead from the front and come through in clutch moments.

This is another return to Washington for Kirk Cousins. The veteran signal-caller's departure to the Minnesota Vikings after his contract was mismanaged by Dan Snyder sparked a carousel of quarterback changes and poor decisions that proved detrimental to the team's chances. The Commanders believe they've fixed that with Jayden Daniels, who'll be looking to end his regular season home slate on a high.

Prediction: Win (10-6)

Again, it's another contest that could go either way. The Commanders have plenty of those on their 2024 schedule. How they fare will likely determine whether this campaign is going to be successful.

Commanders at Cowboys - Week 18

This would be like playing with house money if the Commanders won 10 games by this point. It's probably beyond anyone's wildest dreams. But if Dan Quinn can navigate a tricky start and pick up some wins midway through the campaign, it's a feasible objective in Year 1 of his tenure.

The Dallas Cowboys harbor big ambitions of their own and won't want to finish the season with a loss on home soil. Washington will be fighting for playoff positioning if this scenario comes to fruition. Even so, winning on the road at AT&T Stadium seems like a stretch considering how they've been demolished at the venue in recent years.

Prediction: Loss (10-7)

This is on the optimist side, I'll admit that. The Commanders' schedule is loaded with games that have 50/50 outlooks right now, so it could legitimately go the other way to a 7-10 season or maybe even worse. But if fans don't have hope at this stage after so many positive changes throughout the franchise this offseason, they never will.

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