NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Philadelphia Eagles (6-1) will face the Washington Commanders (3-4) this Sunday in a rematch with NFC East division rivals. In their first matchup, the Eagles squeezed out a 34-31 overtime victory. Although they didn’t play their best game, a win is a win, right? Since then, the teams have gone in different directions. Last week, the Eagles soundly beat the Miami Dolphins while the Commanders lost to the New York Giants.
The Eagles must attack this game as a must-win as the race for the top spot in the NFC is still a tight one. Will they be looking ahead to the Bye Week and their big Super Bowl rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs or will they solely be focused on the Commanders?
Here are 3 keys to victory for the Philadelphia Eagles against the Washington Commanders.
Get To Sam Howell
Why can’t the Commanders protect their QB? Sam Howell has been sacked a league-leading 40 times and we’re only in Week 8. At this rate, there’s a good chance Howell won’t make it through the entire season. The Eagles still have a potent pass rush and will need to get to Howell early and often.
In their first matchup, the Eagles’ defense sacked Howell 5 times. If they can continue to hound Howell, a regular season sweep of the Commanders is likely. While not as dominant as far as stats go as they were last year, the Eagles are still a force in the trenches.
Get D’Andre Swift Going
The Philadelphia Eagles have hung their hats the last two seasons on the legs of Jalen Hurts and Miles Sanders. Names have changed but the plan remains the same. Hurts is still a threat to run, however, the Eagles need to go back to leaning on D’Andre Swift. Entering this week’s game, the Eagles are 4th in the NFL in Rushing Yards per game with 142.7.
The Redskins are ranked 23rd in the NFL in defending the run. They’re surrendering 125.7 yards per game on the ground. In their first meeting, the Eagles rushed the ball 27 times for 104 yards and 1 TD. It’s time to get back to Swift being the featured runner. And what I mean by that is 20-25 carries. He needs to be the workhorse he was early on.
The Philadelphia Eagles Must Protect The Ball
No idea what’s going on with the Eagles this season as far as protecting the football. Jalen Hurts has thrown 7 interceptions so far. This is not him. It’s not like he’s being forced to throw 40-50 times a game, he’s just making poor decisions at times. If the Eagles are planning to make another strong run, Hurts and the rest of the offense will need to hold on and protect the ball.
The Redskins have 10 takeaways so far this season. In their first meeting, the Eagles did not turn the ball over. There was a fumble but it was recovered. However, since that game, Hurts has been on an interception tear. Now is not the time to relive the Jets game. Even sitting at 6-1, the Eagles cannot afford to overlook the Commanders and continue their sloppy play.
