(Photo: Clutchpoints)
NFC Game Of The Week
Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Commanders
Eagles: Ten and counting. That’s how many games they have won consecutively and they continue to trend in the right direction. They are juggernauts right now and continue to show why they could be one of the teams to beat in the NFC. Throughout this year, Saquon Barkley has been the saving grace of this offense and when they fed him the football, great things happened and he got stronger as the game went on. This Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Eagles changed their entire philosophy and decided to attack with their passing game. Now, I know there have been some issues amongst Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown, plus it didn’t help that Brandon Graham aired out the drama to the media which is the worst thing he could’ve done. Outside chatter creates unwarranted distractions, or maybe, it was a good thing because Sunday was the best I’ve seen their passing attack look all year long. Jalen Hurts completed 25 of his 32 pass attempts and accounted for three touchdowns (two passing and one rushing) and both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith each had over 100 yards receiving in the win on Sunday. They’ve also been successful on the other side of the football and have one of the best overall defenses in the league. I don’t think this team is as good as the group that won the Super Bowl in the 2017 season or even 2022 when they were the top team in the NFC and it wasn’t even close. What looked to be rocky early on in the year has turned into being one of the hottest teams in the league. They travel to Landover on Sunday.
Commanders: They got all they could handle from the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, but were able to prevail in the end for the win. This was a 7-2 football team at one time with Dan Quinn as the frontrunner for Coach of the Year and Jayden Daniels was breezing through for Offensive Rookie of the Year. I truly believe they found their franchise Quarterback and hopefully, he pans out because it’s been a long time coming and I don’t want to see a repeat of Robert Griffin III. As I mentioned, the nine-game start was the best since 1996 and they were rolling, then they came back down to reality. If you look at every Commanders’ loss this year, they were to the Buccaneers, Eagles, Steelers, Ravens, and Cowboys, four of those teams are playoff caliber. To be considered a top-tier team, you must show you can beat the other elite teams in the league and they haven’t done that. I understand you play who’s on your schedule and you beat who you beat, all of their wins have come against teams with below .500 or .500 records. If they continue to build within the draft and add the right pieces through free agency, they will be strong for years to come and there isn’t a doubt in my mind. I was never ready to put them in the conversation with the Eagles, Lions, Vikings, and Packers in the NFC. Have they been a good team? Yes, but great maybe stretching it. The Commanders will return home on Sunday for a divisional showdown with the first-place Eagles.
Eagles X-Factor: Kenneth Gainwell– He’s a dual-threat playmaker who has found his rhythm with the Philadelphia Eagles. I’ve always been a fan of how tough of a runner Kenneth is and even with four to five guys around him, he still finds ways to move and fight for yards. What also stands out is how he’s able to bounce off tackles and find space anywhere. Kenneth doesn’t go down without a fight whether it’s as a receiver or a runner out the backfield. Saquon will do what Saquon will do, which is a fact, but Kenneth is the one the Commanders must circle in on this Sunday.
Commanders X-Factor: Zach Ertz– The former Philadelphia Eagle himself! He’s made a nice name for himself in Landover and is a veteran presence for the rookie Quarterback. He provides exactly what the Commanders needed which was a receiver to move the chains and he’s done just that. Zack has the veteran savviness, the championship pedigree, and mentorship to the younger players on the offense. The Eagles have some issues in the secondary and getting Zach going will jumpstart the offense.
Final Thoughts: These two met in Philadelphia on November 14th and what started as a defensive slugfest became the Saquon Barkley show in the second half when he took the game over leading Philly to another victory. The NFC East has been a two-team race throughout the year between the Commanders and Eagles. The Commanders have struggled this year to stop the run and what have the Eagles been consistently good at? Running the football and they will look to get back to their identity on Sunday. I’ve been so impressed with the Eagles’ defense lately as they’ve allowed less than 20 points in five of their last six games. Can Washington get it going early on and start quickly? That’s what the Eagles have done which is jumpstart their offense early and don’t look back. Philly is still in the running for the one seed in the NFC Playoff Picture. They win this game and will win their second division title under Nick Sirianni and will sweep the Commanders this year with the win on Sunday.
Prediction: Eagles 29, Commanders 19
