Commanders schedule 2024: Game-by-game predictions for upcoming season
By Dean Jones
Commanders at NY Giants - Week 9
MetLife Stadium has not been a happy hunting ground for the Washington Commanders in recent seasons. This is a different roster and coaching staff, but it still represents a significant challenge they must take seriously at a crucial stage of the campaign.
It's hard to gauge where the Giants will be at this juncture. Daniel Jones is on the hot seat in no uncertain terms, but someone like wide receiver Malik Nabers could have enough confidence at the midseason point to cause the Washington secondary untold complications unless improvements arrive from the likes of Emmanuel Forbes and Benjamin St-Juste.
Prediction: Loss (5-4)
This could go either way with the Giants in 2024. The two sides look evenly matched on paper, but it wouldn't be the biggest shock to see them split the NFC East series by both achieving victories on home soil.
Commanders vs. Steelers - Week 10
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a tough evaluation right now. They have one of the league's most accomplished coaches in Mike Tomlin, so the Washington Commanders should know they'll fight with their hands. But the AFC North team's chances in 2024 will be predicated on how their quarterback situation unfolds during the campaign.
After cutting the Kenny Pickett experiment short, the Steelers signed Russell Wilson and traded for Justin Fields. This is an interesting dynamic, to put it mildly, but it doesn't necessarily mean all the pieces of the Pittsburgh puzzle are solved.
Prediction: Win (6-4)
The Commanders have a better long-term option at football's most important position if Jayden Daniels reaches his ceiling. Pittsbirgh's defense will give the No. 2 pick all he can handle, but he's got the big game experience and poise needed to emerge victorious if everything else meets their end of the bargain.
Commanders at Eagles - Week 11 (TNF)
The Washington Commanders embark on a primetime showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11. This was one of the more entertaining games last season thanks to Sam Howell's heroics, but the result was in keeping with the two teams' differing trajectories in recent seasons.
Philadelphia collapsed late in the 2023 campaign, but they've done a good job of retooling their roster this offseason despite losing Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox to retirement. This looks like a roster capable of going deep into the postseason, but every team is beatable on any given occasion.
Prediction: Loss (6-5)
The Eagles seem to have Washington's number lately. Perhaps a fresh injection of coaching schematic ideas and a more accomplished roster will help. But until the Commanders prove capable of going on the road and dethroning a division juggernaut, it's hard to predict anything other than defeat right now.