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6 Eagles Who Could Have Big Games vs The Commanders

Placeholder Shilloutte User Image By and Dylan MacKinnon
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 14: DeVonta Smith #6 of the Philadelphia Eagles scores a touchdown against the Washington Commanders during the third quarter in the game at Lincoln Financial Field on November 14, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Eagles have yet to have that fully dominant game. Last week’s game vs. the Bucs came close. They controlled it pretty much from start to finish. But there were still some rough edges. There was an interception caused by miscommination. They also struggled in the Red Zone, Despite making it into the Red Zone 5 times, they only scored a TD on one of those trips. But they moved the ball better than they had in any other game, especially through the air, and the defense shut down the Bucs, holding them to under 200 total yards. The Eagles improved to 3-0, and now they set their sights on the Commanders to make it 4-0.

There is a lot of hope that this will be the game where the Eagles just look like the elite team we all think they will be. The Commanders, despite being 2-0, are not a very good team. We saw that in week 3 when the Bills demolished them. The Commanders’ offense could do nothing, and the Bills’ offense ran all over them.

There is a good reason the Eagles are 8.5-point favorites. And while the Commanders do have some good players, they do not have to firepower to keep up with the Eagles if they are clicking on all cylinders. And the Commanders’ offense is not exactly intimidating. Sam Howell has not looked good, and it is hard to picture him getting better this week. Especially with how well the Eagle’s defense looked vs. the Bucs in week 3. The one thing the Commanders do well right now is run the ball, and the Eagles have been the best run-stopping team in the league.

But which Eagles players are best suited to take advantage in this mismatch? Here are 6 Eagles players who could have big days against the Commanders on Sunday:

  • Devonta Smith

    After going off in week 2, Smith was a bit quiet against the Bucs. Part of that is because the Eagles force-fed AJ Brown. But Smith played very well vs the Commanders last year. He scored a TD in both games, with 208 combined yards. And he has faced rookie Corner before in College. And he finished with 11 catches, 203 yards, and 4 TDs. To be fair to Forbes, he was a rookie, going up against the Heisman Trophy Winner. But he was getting torched by Smith all day long. They get a rematch this Sunday, and Forbes is the NFL equivalent of a freshman, so we will see if it is a repeat.

  • D'Andre Swift

    If the Bucs could not stop Swift and the Eagles O-line, I don’t see how the Commanders can. Washington has a great front 4 in terms of pass-rushing, but you can run on them. The Bucs however are known for stopping the run. And yet the Eagles’ O-line was still opening up holes you could drive a truck through. And Swift is hitting those holes better than Miles Sanders ever did. It could be another game where the Eagles put up lop-sided numbers on the ground.

    NFL on Twitter: "Back-to-back 100-yard rushing games for @DAndreSwift 😤📺: #PHIvsTB on ABC📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/NkpBC1YFYJ pic.twitter.com/hYdgPJejjN / Twitter"

    Back-to-back 100-yard rushing games for @DAndreSwift 😤📺: #PHIvsTB on ABC📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/NkpBC1YFYJ pic.twitter.com/hYdgPJejjN

  • Everyone on the Defensive Line

    The Commanders’ O-Line is healthy, unlike all of the other O-Lines the Eagles have faced this year. But even with that said, this may be the worst offensive line they faced. They have allowed 19 sacks so far. 9 of those came last week, but that still leaves 10 sacks they allowed between weeks 1 and 2. The Eagles Pass Rush has not gotten a lot of sacks, yet, but they have generated a lot of pressure. Particularly from Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Josh Sweat. And they will have a chance to keep that going this week against a line that has struggled in the first 3 weeks.

  • Reed Blankenship

    Blankenship made a hell of an interception in week 3. And he got it just by reading the Bucs offense, and knowing there was only one place the ball could go. Sam Howell has thrown 5 interceptions. If Reed is going to make great reads like he did in week 3, he may be hauling in another pick this week. That goes for the whole secondary as well. Slay just missed getting one against Baker but could not hold onto the ball. With how Howell is throwing the ball, there could be a few souvenirs going around for the Eagles’ secondary.

  • Haason Reddick

    I know he falls under “Everyone on the Defensive Line”, but I do think he deserves to be singled out. The hand cast is coming off, finally. Reddick himself has talked about being upset about his lack of production so far. He is going up against a terrible O-Line. This may be the breakout week for Reddick. Plus he will be going up against Andrew Wylie, who somehow managed to shut him out in the Super Bowl. But usually, Wylie is not that great in pass protection. He already has given up multiple sacks this season. Will this be a revenge game for Reddick?

    Eagles Nation on Twitter: "Haason Reddick says he's not making any excuses for lack of stats so far, but is "extremely happy" to be out of his thumb cast. "I've, not just me but the edges in general, been getting chipped at an alarming rate.. Opening up opportunities for the DTs, but things will start... pic.twitter.com/hDy8BV55FB / Twitter"

    Haason Reddick says he's not making any excuses for lack of stats so far, but is "extremely happy" to be out of his thumb cast. "I've, not just me but the edges in general, been getting chipped at an alarming rate.. Opening up opportunities for the DTs, but things will start...

  • Jalen Hurts

    Hurts will just be here by default until he finally has that big game. He has gotten a little better every game. He struggled to throw vs. the Patriots. Improved against the Vikings, with some nice throws but still low production. And then in week 3, he was actually moving the ball through the air. If that steady improvement continues, we may see him have a 300-yard game through the air, finally. We already talked about the matchup advantage Devonta Smith has, and maybe Hurts exploits that. And maybe we get to see him running for big gains  for the first time all season too.

    ESPN on Twitter: "Jalen Hurts DIMES Zaccheaus for SIX!📺 ABC, ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/b0iug9yjkn / Twitter"

    Jalen Hurts DIMES Zaccheaus for SIX!📺 ABC, ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/b0iug9yjkn

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