An NFC East matchup that is going to have Cowboys and Giants fans watching the Oklahoma City Thunder game on Sunday is slated to be a phenomenal matchup. The young and exciting (beside Bobby Wagner) Commanders are set to take on the most talented roster in football the Philadelphia Eagles. Will Jayden Daniels make history or will the Eagles get a chance at redemption?
Commanders @ Eagles:
Tru-Yak Prediction: Eagles 27 Commanders 23
The Eagles are 6-4 against the Commanders since 2015 and they split the series with them this season. Both games this year were one score games and It seems were in for another close exciting matchup with the Commanders.
In their first matchup it was a tight game until Saquon broke off two long 4th quarter runs to put the game away. The second game had a 10 point 4th quarter comeback with a game winning touchdown pass from Jayden Daniels to Jamison Crowder. This game had Kenny Pickett at QB after Jalen Hurts went down.
The obvious main factor in this game is going to be MVP candidate running back Saquon Barkley. In two games vs the Commanders Barkley had 269 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns, on 5.4 yards per carry along wth 2 catches for 52 yards.
Containing him is a necessity that I believe might be unachievable. Saquon and the Eagles
O-line were a part of a 2,000 yard season and with the production Saquon has already had this playoffs-shows that there is no reason this shouldn’t continue-
Saquon will most likely have 100+ yards, but he is going to need some help in order to be able to win this game. Jalen Hurts is the X factor in this game and his play will determine the outcome of this game. Obviously any team’s quarterback playing well is essential to the game, but Hurts can not continue putting up less than 150 passing yards and expecting to win games.
The playoffs are often determined by what quarterback can get it done down the stretch and if the Eagles are in another tight game then they will be playing at his best. So far in two playoff games this year Hurts is 28-41 with 259 passing yards, with 2 passing touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and 13 carries for 106 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.
Hurts is known to struggle in the playoffs, but regardless of his play I believe they can still win the game unless he is turning the ball over. If Hurts has an efficient game where he doesn’t turn it over and gets a few third downs then Saquon can rush them to victory. However when he plays badly it’s really bad, and if he has one of those games it will be over for the Eagles.
On the other hand if Hurts comes to play then they will be unstoppable offensively. Defensively the Eagles need to find a way to slow down Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders. The Commanders averaged 27 points per game against the Eagles this season, but the Eagles defense has been stepping up in the playoffs only allowing 16 points per game over their two playoff games.
In his two games vs the Eagles he was 46-71 with 449 passing yards, 6 passing touchdowns with only 2 interceptions, and 16 rushes for 99 yards. The Eagles have to contain Daniels on the ground and with his arm if they want to win this game. The Eagles have done a pretty good job on containing Terry McLaurin and they have to continue to take him out of the game.
The Commanders have had running back Austin Ekler and wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus as their leading receivers in their two games vs the Eagles, and McLaurin has 6 catches for 60 yards and a touchdown in his two games vs the Commanders.
To contain Daniels they will have to bluff a lot of coverages and do as much trickery on the defensive end as they can-Daniels likes to get in a rhythm and excel in the quick game until he starts to take some shots once the defense comes up. If they can confuse him a little, disguise some coverages and make him do as much thinking as possible they may be able to slow him down.
If the Eagles can contain Daniels and put some points on the board then they will walk away victorious, there is a blueprint for the Commanders to win as well. Offensively they have to make sure Jaden Daniels is comfortable and confident. Daniels is the main source of their offense in all aspects and they need him at his sharpest if they want to win this game.
Letting him get some easy completions and allow him to make plays outside the pocket then the Commanders can expose the Eagles streaky defense. The Eagles have allowed an average of 93.5 rush yards per game in their two playoff games, and 268 pass yards per game. Giving up numbers like that to the Commanders could be a recipe for an upset.
Defensively beside figuring out how to contain Saquon, the Commanders have struggled with AJ Brown. AJ Brown had 13 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown in his two games vs the Commanders this year.
Those two games did not feature Commanders cornerback Marshawn Lattimore, who has played well for the Commanders this playoffs, and he could help slow Brown in their upcoming matchup.
I think the Commanders have a real chance to win, but their youth and defensive inconsistencies will hurt them and utterly result in them losing. I have enjoyed watching Daniels this season, and the fan in me is rooting for him to win this game and move on, but the analyst in me says Eagles.
ONWARD!
TRU-YAK
