The Washington Commanders (2-1) look to get back on track Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) in the NFC East opener for both teams.
Washington suffered its first loss of the season in last week’s 37-3 beatdown at the hands of the Buffalo Bills. The Commanders turned the ball over times.
Buy Commanders TicketsMeanwhile, the Eagles are coming off their most complete win of the season, a 25-11 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football.
This is the first meeting between these two old rivals since Washington’s upset win over the Eagles in Week 10 last year.
What’s changed with the Eagles? Are they better than last year? To find the answers to these questions, we spoke with Eagles Wire managing editor Glenn Erby.
How does the Eagles offense compare to last year? Has D’Andre Swift made them better?
Eagles Wire: The approach is always the same when you have the NFL’s most dominant offensive line and dynamic talent at the wide receiver and tight end positions. First-year offensive coordinator Brian Johnson has attempted to utilize the running backs in the passing game more while allowing Jalen Hurts to take more ownership of the offense. D’Andre Swift has added another elite athlete to the offense, and he’s probably the best running back Nick Sirianni has had in his three years of being head coach.
How has Jalen Hurts looked through three weeks?
EW: Hurts didn’t take any snaps during the preseason, so he’s essentially just hitting his regular season groove after three efficient outings to start the season. Hurts hasn’t had as many explosive plays this season, but he’s seeing the field well while distributing the football at an elite rate.
The Eagles look dominant in stopping the run. What about defending the pass?
EW: As long as you have Darius Slay and James Bradberry, your pass defense will be among the NFL’s best. Philadelphia is more concerned with limiting the big play, and through three weeks, they’ve allowed passing yards but have held teams out of the end zone.
As a whole, do you feel the Eagles are stronger this year, or is too early to tell?
EW: Philadelphia is much stronger with the additions of Jalen Carter, Sydney Brown and Nolan Smith on defense, while D’Andre Swift has made the Eagles offense even more dynamic.
Prediction
EW: The last time Washington came to Lincoln Financial Field, they snapped Philadelphia’s eight-game winning streak with a 31-21 road win. The Eagles are petty, and they’ll dominate Sam Howell while exploding offensively. Philadelphia wins 35-21.
