The Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) and the Washington Commanders (1-1) are set to face off in the first NFC East contest for both teams.
With the New York Giants 2-0 and Dallas 1-1 also, the Eagles will need a victory to remain atop the division standings, with the Jaguars looming in Week 4.
It’ll be the first matchup for quarterback Carson Wentz against his former team, and it’ll be a prime opportunity for Jalen Hurt to get an even tighter grip on the franchise signal-caller label.
Here are seven players who need to stand out in Week 3.
Darius Slay-James Bradberry
Slay, and Bradberry will need to be on their A-Game in back-to-back weeks going against Washington’s excellent arsenal of pass catchers – wide receivers Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, and Jahan Dotson.
Commanders’ quarterback Carson Wentz has thrown seven touchdown passes, and all three of his main targets are talented enough to explode.
Since 2016, Slay (89) and Bradberry (84) have the most passes defended of any cornerbacks in the NFL. Slay’s five passes defended this season lead the NFL, and he’s responsible for the most passes defended since 2013.
Fletcher Cox
Cox has six quarterback pressures, three quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks, and one forced fumble in the two Eagles wins this season, and he’ll have a favorable matchup in the middle.
Dallas Goedert
Goedert is fourth in the league among all players with 103 yards after the catch, and he ranks first among NFL tight ends in yards per catch (17.8 yards) and is third among tight ends with 142 receiving yards.
He led Philadelphia in yards last week and will need a repeat performance.
Jordan Mailata
Montez Sweat can be a tough matchup for anybody and with Lane Johnson playing at a dominant clip, Mailata will likely see the bulk of Washington’s top pass rusher.
T.J. Edwards
A dual threat out of the backfield, Gibson enters the contest with 167 combined yards – 82 yards rushing on 28 carries and 85 yards receiving on nine receptions. He also has one rushing TD on the year.
T.J. Edwards will need to be on his game.
Haason Reddick
Reddick will need to be effective against Charles Leno Jr. (LT) and Sam Cosmi (RT), giving the Eagles an impactful pressure package without having to blitz as much.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson-Marcus Epps
Carson Wentz loves to use the tight end, and in Logan Thomas, the Commanders quarterback has a 6-foot-6 and 250-pound pass catcher that could impact the game.
Sunday offers a prime opportunity for Epps and Gardner-Johnson to shine.
