The Eagles’ Saquon Barkley (26) runs away from the Commanders’ Daron Payne throughout their sport in Philadelphia. The NFC East rivals every received their house sport this season.
(Terrance Williams / Related Press)
Sunday, midday. TV: Channel 11 (Fox), Fox Deportes
Line: Eagles by 6½. Over/Below: 47½.
How the Commanders can win: Let rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels do his factor. He’s not rattled by huge moments. Defensively, it’s a pick-your-poison matchup for Washington. The Commanders have to discover a method to sluggish both operating again Saquon Barkley or receiver A.J. Brown. After Barkley ran for greater than 100 yards towards them within the opening quarter in Week 16, the Commanders clamped down on him the remainder of the best way. Brown all the time has been an issue for them. Washington doesn’t have nice run protection, as Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs demonstrated within the divisional spherical. The Commanders are likely to get in their very own manner with penalties and turnovers, so if they’ll restrict these… A key participant to look at on protection is nook Marshon Lattimore, twice flagged for cross interference whereas protecting Brown final month.
How the Eagles can win: They should run the ball. That’s their components. Barkley tends to hammer a protection early and sometimes breaks by in some unspecified time in the future. Defensively, the Eagles have restricted explosive performs, completed sufficient to cease the run and have a tendency to drive turnovers, one thing they didn’t do as nicely earlier within the season. Quarterback Jalen Hurts can’t flip over the ball, and he’s been fairly good about that and cautious about avoiding dangerous throws. His left leg is hurting — how a lot, we don’t but know — and that may very well be a difficulty if it makes him much less cell. He’s robust, although. On protection, sort out Jalen Carter is a wrecking ball. He attracts so many double groups that it frees teammates with one-on-ones. Nonetheless, the secret is defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. He’s made everyone higher.
Prediction: The Eagles seemingly would have swept each video games with the Commanders however for Hurts’ concussion of their final assembly. Daniels is so poised and so scorching, he’s going to current huge issues. These division opponents know one another nicely, and the damage to Hurts may wind up making the Eagles barely extra one-dimensional. An upset may very well be within the works. Commanders 30, Eagles 28
