The Philadelphia Eagles are 8-0 and are back on their home field for a Monday night showdown against a heated rival. The Washington Commanders are a lot better than their previous 24-8 shellacking said against the Eagles back in week three.
Things have changed for both sides too. Carson Wentz won’t be playing in his return to Philadelphia. The Eagles’ offense has continued to evolve and the Eagles’ defense has actually shown some cracks in an otherwise excellent season.
Can Washington break even on the season series? Is a 9-0 start attainable for the Eagles?
We have everything you need to know about Monday’s matchup here.
Washington Commanders (4-5)
Last Game: 20-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings
Offensive Ranking: 21st
Defensive Ranking: 14th
Head-to-Head Matchup: Commanders lead series 88-82-5 (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
The Commander’s offense looks a lot different with Taylor Heinicke at the helm. Over the last few weeks, Washington has found different ways to move the ball down the field with Heinicke’s mobility and the emergence of running back Brian Robinson. Robinson has become the lead back for Washington and could be in line for a massive showing on Monday night against an Eagles team that is abysmal at tackling. Outside of that, while the offensive line has improved, it’s still nowhere close to being good enough to withstand a torrid pass rush.
Defense
Questions will continue to swarm on whether Chase Young will play or not on Monday. Regardless of the former second-overall pick playing, the Commanders’ defense is actually playing a lot better than people think. Holding a dominant offense in Minnesota to just 20 points is extremely impressive and the pass rush for Washington has been more than dominant. The trade of William Jackson III also helped out the secondary as well. This is a better group than Philadelphia had seen back in week three.
Injuries
DNP: Cole Holcomb (Foot), J.D. McKissic (Neck)
Limited: Jahan Dotson (Hamstring), Tyler Larsen (Back), David Mayo
X-Factor: Brian Robinson
The Commanders have shown an ability to stay close in games they aren’t favored to win. While Brian Robinson has dealt with many difficult things off the field in his first NFL season, it’s clear he will be the main focal point for the Commanders. Philadelphia’s run defense has been very poor to start the season, and without Jordan Davis, that should be expected to continue. Unless Philly improves their tackling, Robinson should be on pace for a career night in Philadelphia.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
