The Washington Commanders are traveling to Lincoln Financial Field for a road matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles in a battle for first place in the NFC East. Here are three keys to securing a victory.
1. Gang up on Saquon Barkley.
The Eagles certainly have a talented passing attack with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith as their top receivers, but they've been much more productive on the ground this season. They're third in expected points added (EPA) per rush compared to 14th in EPA per pass.
Saquon Barkley, who's on pace to shatter his career rushing record, is at the root of that success. The Eagles are 5-0 when he rushes for 100 yards, and thanks to his rare ability to accelerate without much build up, bringing him down has been a challenge for defenses, as he's broken seven tackles, forced 30 missed tackles and ranks eighth in yards after contact.
It won't be easy, but coach Dan Quinn knows the strategy for containing Barkley: get as many players in on the action as possible.
"You don't want a lot of one-man tackles on a ball player of his ability where he can change and spin," Quinn said.
Should the Commanders successfully implement that strategy and limit Barkley to limited gains, it would force the Eagles to put the game in Jalen Hurts' hands, which hasn't worked out for them so much this season. His pass grade from Pro Football Focus ranks 30th in the NFL, and his 14 turnover worthy plays are tied for third most in the NFL. He has the second most turnover worthy plays while under pressure (9) and PFF notes that 26 of the Eagles' 27 allowed sacks have come while Hurts is under duress.
2. Get back in sync on offense.
Last Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers was the Commanders' worst offensive performance, both from a statistical perspective and in terms of execution. Those two compounded on each other all afternoon through drops, missed assignments, overthrown passes and penalties, which led to the Commanders putting up just 242 yards and converting five of their 14 third down attempts.
Sunday's game was a reminder for the Commanders that small mistakes throughout the game will eventually add up against good teams. That will be just as important to remember against the Eagles, who have not only won their last five games but also possess one of the league's best defenses. They rank fifth in EPA/play while ranking second in yards allowed and fifth in scoring defense. They have the third-stingiest red zone unit, allowing touchdowns on 42.31% of such trips.
As sloppy as the Commanders' offense played on Sunday, there were still opportunities for them to change the outcome. Had Jayden Daniels been able to connect with players like Olamide Zaccheaus or Zach Ertz on third down, or had the offense managed to score more than three points on a drive that started at Pittsburgh's 42-yard line in the third quarter, things could have been different in a game that was decided by one point.
Moments like that will show up against the Eagles, and as Sam Cosmi told the team after Sunday's loss, the Commanders can't let the results carry into their next matchup.
"I wanted them to know what we have here is still special," Cosmi said. "Like no matter what, we still keep fighting. I want them to know this should hurt. This should hurt your core. This means a lot to us. Winning is the ultimate goal."
3. Control the clock.
It's inadvisable to compare two games against teams with almost completely different rosters separated by the almost two full seasons, but there is something this version of the Commanders can take from the last time the team played the Eagles in primetime back in 2022: control the clock and keep the momentum in their favor.
Back in 2022, when the Commanders traveled to Philadelphia to upset the undefeated Eagles on Monday Night Football, the Burgundy & Gold dominated the time of possession, 40:24-19:36. Some of that was a credit to the Eagles committing four turnovers, but the way the Commanders ran the ball -- 152 yards on 49 carries -- was just as much of a factor.
It's unlikely that Washington will commit to the run that much in Thursday's game, but controlling the clock is something that it could get back to this season. It was a top 10 team in time of possession for most of October and even ranked as high as fifth heading into Week 6. They are currently 15th overall but rank 25th over the last three weeks.
Some of that stems from the Commanders playing quality defenses like the Steelers and the absence of Brian Robinson Jr., who said he feels like he has a good chance of playing on Thursday. Injuries at other positions, such as the offensive line, have contributed to the Commanders slipping in the run game -- a key piece of what makes their offense so successful.
But as the playoffs inch closer and games start to carry more weight in terms of seeding, the Commanders must find ways to sustain drives and finish them in the end zone.
