The Washington Commanders are in a much different place than they were only four weeks ago. Washington entered its Week 4 game at Philadelphia 2-1, coming off a blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills. The biggest question was how young quarterback Sam Howell would respond to his career-worst performance.
Howell responded exactly how the Commanders envisioned, leading Washington’s most consistent offensive effort of the season, taking the Eagles to overtime, before losing 34-31 on a field goal.
Now, Washington is 3-4, while the Eagles are 6-1, and the two old rivals are again heading in opposite directions.
They meet again on Sunday, this time at FedEx Field. Here are six stats and facts to know before their Week 8 clash.
A.J. Brown's historic pace
The last time these two played, A.J. Brown had nine receptions for 175 yards and two touchdowns. Brown hasn’t been under 100 yards since. Through seven games, Brown has 52 receptions for 808 yards and three touchdowns. Brown has gone over 125 yards in five consecutive games, tying a record shared by Pat Studstill (1966) and Calvin Johnson (2012).
The last time Brown played Washington, he was primarily matched up with rookie first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes. Forbes has played only five snaps in the past two weeks, so you can expect to see Kendall Fuller or Benjamin St-Juste draw the assignment of defending Brown. Good luck.
Terry McLaurin's success against the Eagles
Terry McLaurin is also one of the NFL’s best wide receivers despite playing with over 10 quarterbacks in five NFL seasons. McLaurin also loves playing the Eagles, as he has 53 receptions for 784 yards and three receiving touchdowns vs. Philadelphia. In the first game, McLaurin caught eight passes for 86 yards and recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. In overtime, McLaurin made a catch on the sideline that was ruled incomplete. It was a controversial call. Washington would have to punt, and the Eagles would kick the game-winning field goal.
Sam Howell has been sacked 40 times
Sam Howell is on pace to surpass David Carr’s 21-year record of being the most-sacked quarterback in a single season in NFL history. He has been sacked 40 times in seven games and at least four times in every game. Washington and Howell did a good job against Philadelphia’s outstanding defensive line in Week 4. Can Howell have a repeat performance?
Philadelphia's OL is the NFL's best
The Eagles offensive line is insane 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Dr3aUBuan4
— PFF (@PFF) October 25, 2023
This statistic shows how dominant Philly’s offensive line is. Pro Football Focus has four of the Eagles’ five starters ranked among the top four at their respective positions. Last week, the Commanders faced a Giants offensive line full of backups. The challenge will be much different in Week 8.
The Commanders and Eagles have combined for 47 sacks through Week 7
The Ravens lead the NFL with 29 sacks. The Eagles are tied for third with 24 sacks. The Commanders are right behind Philadelphia with 23 sacks. LB Haason Reddick and DE Josh Sweat have combined for 11 sacks to lead the Eagles, while DEs Montez Sweat and Chase Young have combined for 10.5 sacks.
Former All-Pro safety Kevin Byard makes his Philadelphia debut vs. Washington
If the Eagles have a weak spot, it’s the safety position. So what did GM Howie Roseman do? He went out and traded for a two-time All-Pro with 27 career interceptions: Kevin Byard. And it’s not like Roseman gave up anything significant in return, trading two day-three picks and a veteran safety on a one-year deal for Byard. Roseman wins again.
