The Washington Commanders will host the Philadelphia Eagles in a rematch at Northwest Stadium with hopes of getting their 10th win of the season. Here are three keys to them getting a victory this weekend.
1. Start fast, stay fast.
The first matchup with the Eagles started about as well as the Commanders could hope for. Although their first offensive possession ended after three plays, they only needed four plays on their next drive to go 58 yards and take a 7-0 lead with a one-yard run by Brian Robinson Jr.
The rest of the night, however, was more of a slog for both teams. Up until their next touchdown drive, which occurred at the end of the game, the Commanders spent almost as much time off the field as they did on it. Their next two possessions totaled a combined zero yards. They did start the second half off with a field goal, but the next two drives after that ended in a punt and a turnover on downs.
Meanwhile, the Eagles, now ranked sixth in total offense, were having almost as much trouble as the Commanders. They didn't get into the end zone until 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter and missed two of their three field goal attempts. They still ended up with 434 yards of offense, though, because Saquon Barkley finally broke free and scored the two touchdowns that basically iced the game on runs of 23 and 39 yards.
There are several lessons to be learned from Washington's first matchup with Philadelphia, but perhaps one of the biggest is that the Commanders cannot afford to have offensive lulls on Sunday. The Eagles can erupt at any time, and the four-point lead Washington had at the start of the fourth quarter is not good enough.
2. Get ready for Marshon Lattimore to be tested.
Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore was shown plenty of respect by his former team in his debut, as the New Orleans Saints didn't target him once. Anyone who liked that kind of afternoon from Lattimore will likely be disappointed against the Eagles, because he will likely be tested several times this weekend.
Though Lattimore has several positive traits in his skill set, his prowess in man coverage is arguably his strongest quality. He famously has not allowed a touchdown in single coverage since 2021, and he had a –12.3% completion rate over expected when targeted as the nearest defender before he was traded to the Commanders.
On the other side, A.J. Brown was seemingly built to beat man coverage. His 6-foot-1, 226-pound frame makes him a difficult challenge for any defensive back, and he often gets open because of his physicality at the point of attack. Pro Football Focus ranks him as the best receiver against man coverage with a 93.5 grade, and he's caught 75% of his passes for 415 yards and three of his five touchdowns.
It's worth pointing out that Lattimore did well the last time he played Brown and the Eagles. He received a 93 coverage grade from PFF back in 2022, allowing 44 yards on five receptions and scoring a 12-yard touchdown on an interception. The pass was intended for Brown, and the interception sealed a 20-10 win for the Saints.
Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders at the Caesars Superdome for their Week 15 matchup with the New Orleans Saints, Shot on Sony. (Photos by Emilee Fails/Washington Commanders)
3. Stay on the field in the second half.
There are two obvious reasons why the Commanders would want to sustain offensive drives in the second half.
For starters, it keeps any momentum they have squarely in their corner. That was something they struggled with in their first matchup with Philadelphia. They had just two drives that lasted longer than four minutes in the third and fourth quarters, one of which ended with a turnover on down while the other did end with a touchdown but came when the outcome was basically in the Eagles' favor.
The Eagles didn't hold the ball for long, either, but most of that was because they scored so quickly in the fourth quarter. Their longest drive, which took 11 plays and bled more than five minutes off the clock, ended with the touchdown that finally gave them the lead to start the fourth quarter.
That leads to the other reason why Washington must sustain drives in the second half: they must keep Barkley off the field. Nearly 1,100 of his 1,688 rushing yards have come in the second half, and as the Commanders can attest, he thrives on putting away games with his legs. It seems that the best way to contain Barkley is to keep the ball away from him. The only way to do that is by putting together long possessions that take time off the clock and, most importantly, end with points.
