On Thursday night, the Eagles will play their most important game of the season so far against the Washington Commanders. The two teams are neck and neck in the battle for the NFC East. The Eagles will try to hold off an up-and-coming Commanders team led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. To win, the Eagles must be disciplined and stick to the game plan. However, there are ways you can slow down this dynamic Commanders team.
How the Eagles Can Beat the Commanders
Keep Daniels in the Pocket
Jayden Daniels has proven to be a good pocket passer in the NFL. However, he is electric as a runner. Limiting Daniels’s explosive plays on the ground is the best way to stop him. While Daniels was still effective, the Steelers’ defense did a good job containing Daniels by limiting his running. Led by Daniels, the Commanders’ offense has averaged 29 points per game, so slowing them down will be difficult. Their offensive line has done a good job protecting their rookie quarterback, and the run game has been dynamic, especially when Brian Robinson is available. Slowing down this offense will be a challenge, even for this emerging Eagles defense.
The Eagles have the tools to slow down the Commanders offense. They have athletic linebackers capable of spying on Daniels and limiting his explosive runs. Nakobe Dean in particular has the speed to effectively spy Daniels. The Eagles’ secondary has been fantastic lately, and they match up well with Commanders receivers, who struggled against the Steelers. Terry Mclaurin is the only pass catcher who should scare the Eagles. Mclaurin has more than 300 more yards than any other Commanders pass catcher. However, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s scheme is very tricky, and the Eagles will have to be disciplined. Kingsbury thrives on deception and tricking the defense. However, the Eagles have the talent to slow down this Commanders offense.
Attack the Commanders Secondary
The biggest weakness of the Commanders team is their secondary. There is a reason they traded for Marshon Lattimore at the trade deadline. However, Lattimore was out against the Steelers with a hamstring injury and has yet to practice with the Commanders. With the quick turnaround, Lattimore is a doubt for the game on Thursday. AJ Brown and Devonta Smith should have the upper hand in their matchups. In particular, Benjamin St-Juste has struggled, ranking 105th out of 109 qualified corners in PFF grade. He has been matched up with the team’s number-one receivers for most of the season. The other outside cornerback, Mike Sainristil is more comfortable as a slot corner.
This is the biggest mismatch anywhere on the field and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has to attack it. Brown and Smith need to be targeted often, particularly deep down the field. However, these deep shots need to be set up by Saquon Barkley and the run game. Barkley has had a lot of success against the Commanders in his career. The Eagles should have the talent advantage against this Commanders defense.
Outlook
The Eagles have the talent advantage on paper. The Commanders are a team who are ahead of schedule, while the Eagles roster is built to win now. However, this is a game the Eagles could easily lose. The Commanders are a hot team, playing with a lot of confidence. They will see this game as a way to show themselves as legit contenders. Coach Nick Sirianni is going to have to have the Eagles ready to play on a short week. He also can’t afford to make some of the in-game management mistakes he has made this season. If the Eagles win this game, they will be in the driver’s seat in the NFC East.
Main Photo: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
