The Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders will meet again in week 16. This time, both teams will be on regular rest.
These two teams battled in Week 11, with the Eagles pulling out the victory 26-18. It took both teams a whole half in that matchup to get going. It could look similar, with the Eagles’ defense excelling and the Commanders having Marshon Lattimore active, unlike in week 11.
The game currently has the fifth-best odds of being the lowest-scoring game of the week at +1000. That likely won’t be the case, but it puts in perspective how Vegas thinks this game will go.
One would assume Washington would try to get star receiver Terry McLaurin going. The Eagles held the star receiver to ten yards on one catch. That had a lot to do with where he lined up staying on Quinyon Mitchell’s side of the field. McLaurin has still lined up on the left side of the field but at a lower rate than a few weeks ago. No matter the case, this will be different than week 11.
A Tougher Test
The Philadelphia Eagles were 4.5-point favorites in the first matchup. Now, going on the road, they are 3.5-point favorites. This game should be closer to a pick-em.
Jayden Daniels was bothered by his ribs in the first showdown. That will not be the case this time around. Since playing the Eagles, Daniels has had weeks as the fantasy QB1, QB2, and QB7 in his past three games. That could either speak to the Eagles’ defense or Daniels getting healthier.
Daniels is healthy again and has been shredding secondaries, but this Eagles defense has been exceptional. There have been standouts on every level of the defense. Many have been mentioned in this series, and it still hasn’t done the unit justice with how good they’ve been.
The defense is first in total yards allowed and first in passing yards allowed. This team is bringing the vibe that the 2017 team brought. However, while that team felt almost flawless, there is a big question mark in the form of a test this team hasn’t faced yet.
Don’t let Daniels Jump Out Ahead
The run game and potent defensive play fuel this iteration of the Eagles. However, they haven’t entirely faced a challenge where the offense had to dig out of a hole.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ game was dismissed mainly due to the player the Eagles were missing, while the Eagles were within one score for the duration of their game against the Atlanta Falcons. And that’s it; those two games are the only losses the Eagles have suffered this season. The Philadelphia Eagles’ last loss was September 29th to the Buccaneers. The New York Mets eliminated the Philadelphia Phillies from the postseason on October 9. Just to put that crazy statistic into perspective.
This scenario is something to consider. When the whole offense plays, the Eagles haven’t been down by more than nine points during the season. Washington is the last team on the schedule that can pose that challenge before the playoffs.
The Eagles haven’t had to play behind often, let alone by two scores. It is a question mark, especially given they will likely see the Detroit Lions and then one of the Green Bay Packers or Minnesota Vikings. Those offenses can cause problems if they start quickly. That question shouldn’t be an overly concerning fact, especially with how the Eagles have been playing, but it is a valid question as we advance.
Game Prediction
This game is the Eagles’ last big test heading into the playoffs. A win here could also help capture the one seed. However, that is basically out of grasp due to both losses coming to NFC opponents. The Vikings and Lions will likely determine that in their week 18 showdown.
Anyway, as I’ve said before, this Washington team is on the upswing. Jayden Daniels is now healthy, and they added a premier outside corner in Marshon Lattimore. If my prediction holds, these teams likely meet a third time in the playoffs. If this team has another fantastic offseason, adding a second wide receiver and getting more help up front on both sides of the ball, they could push the Eagles for years to come.
The talent gap still exists between the two teams, and while it took a while to show in that Thursday game, it eventually showed up. The game only looked as close as it did due to a late garbage-time touchdown. The Eagles will not have to play from that deficit until the playoffs, where they will undoubtedly get put in some tough spots. Will that help them or hurt them? Only time will tell, but there’s no reason not to believe in this squad now.
In all likelihood, most paths end with the two seed. The two seed would mean Washington for a third time, then likely whoever is the five seed out of Detroit and Minnesota. End it with either Green Bay or one of the previously mentioned NFC North teams. It is not an easy road, but it is the playoffs. Nothing is easy, but fans of the 2017 team know that all too well. The playoffs are right around the corner, but there’s still some regular-season football to take care of. While the regular season won’t see any drastic changes in the Eagles’ situation, keeping an eye on those other contenders in the NFC is essential.
Philadelphia Eagles 27, Washington Commanders 24
