Eagles rooting guide for Week 5 games

The fifth Sunday of the 2022 NFL regular season is here!

It’s time to run through a Philadelphia Eagles-focused rooting guide for all of the Week 5 games. This exercise will be especially interesting this year since the Birds have more things to care about than usual due to owning a first-round pick from the New Orleans Saints in the 2023 NFL Draft.

EAGLES GAME

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES at ARIZONA CARDINALS: With a win, the Eagles advance to 5-0 and remain the NFL’s only undefeated team. Root for the Eagles, obviously.

FAN CONFIDENCE

NFC EAST

NEW YORK GIANTS at GREEN BAY PACKERS: The Packers are a bigger threat to the Eagles winning the No. 1 seed than the Giants are to the Eagles winning the NFC East. More losses will come for NY. It’s preferable to see Green Bay lose in this spot. Root for the Giants.

TENNESSEE TITANS at WASHINGTON COMMANDERS: The Commanders are currently dead last in the NFC playoff picture. They’re in a real bad spot with two division losses and three intraconference losses. If they continue to struggle, they will be incentivized to bench Carson Wentz to avoid sending a 2023 second-round pick to Indy instead of a 2023 third-round pick (based on Wentz playing at least 70% of the season snaps). In order to have the Commanders delude themselves into thinking they can contend for the playoffs, it’s best for them to pick up a win here. Beating an AFC team is the least valuable win they can get, anyway. Also keep in mind Washington has THE toughest remaining strength of schedule in the league. Root for the Commanders.

DALLAS COWBOYS at LOS ANGELES RAMS: The Cowboys are a threat to the Eagles winning the NFC East. Root for the Rams.

NFC PLAYOFF PICTURE

CHICAGO BEARS at MINNESOTA VIKINGS: The Vikings losing is good for the Eagles when it comes to both 1) giving Philly more cushion atop the NFC and 2) the Bears remaining behind New Orleans in the draft order. Root for da Bears.

ATLANTA FALCONS at TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: Though they haven’t looked great early on, the Bucs are still a threat to the Eagles winning the No. 1 seed. Better to see the lesser team win here. Root for the Falcons.

DRAFT PICK WATCH

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS at NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: The Saints are currently set to send the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Eagles. The more the Saints lose, the more favorable that pick is for Philly. Root for the Seahawks.

HOUSTON TEXANS at JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: The Texans are currently No. 1 in the draft order. For a chance of the Saints getting ahead of them, need to see Houston win. Sorry, Dougie P. Root for the Texans.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS at BUFFALO BILLS: The Steelers are right behind the Saints in the draft order. In order for New Orleans to stay ahead, best to see Pittsburgh win. Root for the Steelers.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS at CLEVELAND BROWNS: The Browns might seem like the bigger threat to surpass the Saints in the draft order ... but Cleveland has the third easiest remaining schedule and they’ll get Deshaun Watson back. Better to see the Chargers grab a winnable game for them. Root for the Chargers.

DETROIT LIONS at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: With the NFL’s second-toughest remaining strength of schedule, it could be better to see Detroit pick up a win now to stay behind the Saints in the draft order. Root for the Lions.

MIAMI DOLPHINS at NEW YORK JETS: The Jets are obviously a bigger threat to pick ahead of the Saints’ slot in the draft order. Root for the Jets.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS at CAROLINA PANTHERS: The Panthers are currently No. 2 in the draft order. For a chance of the Saints getting ahead of them, need to see Carolina win. The 49ers losing is also helpful to the Eagles from an NFC playoff picture perspective. Root for the Panthers.

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS at KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: The Raiders are currently No. 3 in the draft order. For a chance of the Saints getting ahead of them, need to see Las Vegas win. Root for the Raiders.

WHAT’S LEFT

CINCINNATI BENGALS at BALTIMORE RAVENS: No real Eagles implications but should be a good battle between AFC North rivals on Sunday Night Football.