Game Preview: Commanders vs. Eagles
With first place in the NFC East on the line, the Eagles host Washington tonight (8:15 PM, Amazon Prime, FOX 29 in Philadelphia) in a game of intriguing storylines and matchups. Washington has been a resurgent team under the direction of new Head Coach Dan Quinn and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and the Eagles have soared since a 2-2 start, winning five straight games since the bye week.
These two teams are the class of the division and in this game, the first of two meetings between the Eagles and Commanders, we're going to learn a bit about both teams. Let's inspect the games within the game …
The second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Daniels has been the driver of Washington's improvement. He has been, in a word, sensational. He has completed 69 percent of his passes, with 9 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions. Daniels has been up to the task of reading complex NFL defenses and his ability to escape pressure and drive defenses crazy with his running ability (he has a team-high 464 rushing yards and is in the top 10 in the NFL with 342 rushing yards before contact). Daniels has been excellent on the road, too, with 11 total touchdowns – 7 passes and 4 running TDs – and a 116.2 passer rating in five starts away from home.
So, how do the Eagles attack him?
"He's done a great job for them. Kudos to him for what he's been able to achieve. Kudos to the coaches there that are coaching him because that's not an easy offense to run. They do a lot of different things," Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio said. "He's only thrown two interceptions, which is unreal, really. He's done a great job. He's a really good player, highly talented. I think they're running an offense that he's very comfortable in, and he's got a lot of good players around him. I think it's an accumulation of all that."
It isn't just Daniels, obviously. Washington runs the ball extremely well – 153 yards per game, fourth in the NFL – and expects to have Brian Robinson, Jr. in the lineup after missing two games with a hamstring injury to team with Austin Ekeler. Terry McLaurin is a player the Eagles know and respect. He's a game-breaking wide receiver who has 711 receiving yards (third in the league) and 6 touchdowns on 47 catches. Former Eagle Zach Ertz is in the top 10 among NFL tight ends statistically and he has 37 catches and 381 yards. The offensive line is sound. Kliff Kingsbury is an outstanding offensive coordinator. This is a huge test for an Eagles defense that has been dominant in this five-game winning streak, allowing fewer than 300 total net yards in each of the five wins. It's the first time since the Jim Johnson defenses of 2008 that the Eagles have had such a streak defensively.
Nobody is talking about the Eagles scoring early in games because they've done so the last few weeks, and it is important they get off to a good start against a Washington team that has a +73 in point differential in the first half of games this season. Washington averages 16.2 points per game in the first half this season, ranking second in the NFL. The Eagles average 12.8 points per first half during the five-game win streak.
1 / 34
A.J. Brown somehow made this ridiculous one-handed TD grab in the Week 8 win over the Washington Commanders to help secure the season sweep.
Kiel Leggere
2 / 34
Jake Elliott's 54-yard field goal in overtime won the game for the Eagles, a 34-31 win over the Commanders.
Drew Hallowell/2023 Philadelphia Eagles
3 / 34
A.J. Brown hauled in nine catches for 175 yards and two touchdowns in a Week 4 win over Washington.
Drew Hallowell/2023 Philadelphia Eagles
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Haason Reddick record his first sack of the 2023 season against the Commanders.
Drew Hallowell/2023 Philadelphia Eagles
5 / 34
D'Andre Swift continues his hot start to the season with a rushing touchdown in a home win against Washington.
Drew Hallowell/2023 Philadelphia Eagles
6 / 34
A.J. Brown catches his first touchdown as an Eagle against the Commanders!
KIEL LEGGERE
7 / 34
A.J. Brown celebrates his first touchdown as an Eagle!
Hunter Martin
8 / 34
DeVonta Smith hauls in a career high 169 receiving yards against the Commanders last season.
Philadelphia Eagles
9 / 34
Spectacular catch after spectacular catch for DeVonta Smith in Washington.
Hunter Martin
10 / 34
Greg Ward catches the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter against Washington in 2019.
Drew Hallowell/2019 Philadelphia Eagles
11 / 34
Nigel Bradham's fumble return touchdown in the final seconds sealed the Week 15 victory over Washington.
Philadelphia Eagles
12 / 34
DeSean Jackson returns to Philadelphia for the 2019 home opener against Washington.
Drew Hallowell/2019 Philadelphia Eagles
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DeSean Jackson caught two touchdowns in his return to the Eagles.
Philadelphia Eagles
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DeSean Jackson celebrates one of two touchdowns in the Eagles 2019 Week 1 victory over Washington.
Hunter Martin/Augusta National
15 / 34
Nick Foles' 25 consecutive completions against Washington in 2018 tied an NFL record.
Philadelphia Eagles
16 / 34
Nate Sudfeld throws his first career touchdown pass in 2018 Week 17 against Washington.
Hunter Martin
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Mack Hollins hauls in his first career touchdown grab in a 2017 win over Washington.
Hunter Martin/2017 Hunter Martin / Philadelphia Eagles
18 / 34
Hollins and his teammates pulled out a baseball celebration after the receiver scored a 64-yard touchdown against Washington.
Brian Garfinkel/Philadelphia Eagles
19 / 34
Did Mack make contact?
Philadelphia Eagles
20 / 34
Fletcher Cox's fumble return touchdown sealed the victory for the Eagles in Washington.
John Geliebter/John Geliebter
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Cox celebrates the Week 1 win in 2017!
John Geliebter/John Geliebter
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Chris Polk goes the distance against Washington with a 102-yard kickoff return touchdown.
Hunter Martin/2014 Philadelphia Eagles
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Chris Polk celebrates his kickoff return score en route to a 37-34 2014 victory over Washington.
Hunter Martin/2014 Philadelphia Eagles
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Trent Cole started Week 1 in 2013 off with a bang, recording a safety that gave the Eagles the lead for good.
Drew Hallowell/2013 Drew Hallowell
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Eagles players celebrate Trent Cole's safety in a 33-27 victory in Washington.
John Geliebter/John Geliebter
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Led by Michael Vick's six total touchdowns, the Birds rolled over Washington 59-28 in Washington.
Hunter Martin/2010 Hunter Martin
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DeSean Jackson celebrates his 88-yard touchdown that got the scoring started just 18 seconds in to the 2010 Week 10 battle with Washington.
Drew Hallowell/2010 Drew Hallowell
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Michael Vick had 413 total scrimmage yards in the Eagles 2010 victory in Washington.
Hunter Martin/2010 Hunter Martin
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DeSean Jackson ran for a caught a touchdown against Washington in a 2009 Week 7 victory.
Hunter Martin/2009 Hunter Martin
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Brian Westbrook scores three touchdowns against Washington in 2007, including two late in the fourth quarter to give the Eagles the win.
Drew Hallowell/2007 Drew Hallowell
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Brian Westbrook was the man of the hour after the Eagles defeated Washington 33-25 in 2007.
Drew Hallowell/2007 Drew Hallowell
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A late David Akers field goal gave the Birds a three-point victory over Washington in 2000.
Hunter Martin/2000 Hunter Martin
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Akers made three field goals, including two in the fourth quarter during the team's 23-20 win in Week 13.
Hunter Martin/2000 Hunter Martin
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Charlie Garner rushes for three touchdowns in the Eagles three-point OT victory over Washington in 1995.
Hunter Martin/1995 Hunter Martin
Philadelphia ranks second in the NFL in the running game, averaging 176 yards per game. Saquon Barkley leads the NFL with 127.7 yards from scrimmage per game and his 672 yards before contact are best in the league. Clearly, the Eagles have all kinds of confidence running the ball. Washington has allowed 142.7 yards per game on the ground, 28th in the NFL. Now, there are some numbers that just don't equate when it comes to the actual game, so we'll see how this translates. But it is something to keep an eye on tonight.
Washington's defense has not been good in the red zone, with a touchdown percentage of 70 percent (teams that reach the red zone score touchdowns 70 percent of the time). That ranks 30th in the NFL. This really isn't any different than any other game, but it's worth pointing out: The Eagles want touchdowns in the red zone, not field goals. Against a high-scoring offense, the Eagles need points, and Philadelphia has been good in the red zone on both sides of the ball – the Eagles are third in the NFL defensively in the red zone (42.3 percent) and 10th offensively (60 percent).
