The Washington Commanders have a new name and a new quarterback in 2022. A rival of the Eagles for close to 100 years, the animosity between the two franchises reaches a new peak when the 1-1 Commanders host the Eagles.
What makes Sunday’s contest so unique? It’s the first game that Carson Wentz, once the apparent franchise quarterback in Philadelphia, will play against his former team.
Wentz and a star-studded Commanders offense host the quarterback who replaced the former MVP frontrunner for the Eagles. Much will be made on what happened that caused the downfall of Carson Wentz in Philly, and the front office’s impact on the move, but the Eagles and Wentz have turned the page to their current team.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Eagles’ week three opponent.
Washington Commanders (1-1)
Last Game: 36-27 loss to the Detroit Lions
Offensive Ranking: 6th
Defensive Ranking: 25th
Head to Head Matchup: Commanders lead series 88-81-5 (Commanders lead 1-0 in playoffs)
Washington Commanders Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Ron Rivera
Offensive Coordinator: Scott Turner
Defensive Coordinator: Jack Del Rio
Special Teams Coordinator: Nate Kaczor
Offense
Carson Wentz’s introduction to Washington has gotten off to a very impressive start. The Commanders have a top 10 offense in football with Wentz being in the top two in the league in yards and touchdowns. Washington has a bevy of talented weapons, highlighted by Logan Thomas, Terry McLaurin, and Jahan Dotson. The Commanders offense isn’t invincible, though.
Wentz has a particular proclivity for turning the ball over. With questions along the offensive line, and in the running game, there are chances for the Eagles’ defense to make the Commanders quarterback pay for his antics. A balance of pressure and non-pressure will be key though. Wentz’s numbers are never as bad as people realize.
Defense
With Chase Young still recovering from a torn ACL, the Commander’s defense has been an absolute disaster through two games. William Jackson III, Kamren Curl, and Kendall Fuller make up for a solid secondary on paper, but they’ve been torched through two games against Trevor Lawrence and Jared Goff. Jonathan Allen and Montez Sweat lead a solid defensive line, but without Young, the Commanders are severely lacking in edge rush pressure. The Eagles should have a major edge on the offensive end with the Commanders severely missing quality talent.
Injuries
DNP: Daniel Wise, Casey Toohill
Limited: Saahdiq Charles, James Smith-Williams
IR: Chase Roullier
X-Factor: Carson Wentz
Duh. Wentz will be expected to be motivated on Sunday. Whoever is really to blame for the 2020 Eagles, Wentz has now been thrown away by two different organizations. Two outcomes can happen on Sunday: Wentz comes out slinging the ball early and often and shows Eagle fans what they gave up on, or the Eagles use zone or blitz to confuse Wentz and get him to play hero ball which leads to multiple turnovers. Whichever Wentz shows up will ultimately decide the contest.
Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire)
