After a great win against the Vikings, the Philadelphia Eagles now focus their attention on the Washington Commanders. This is the first game the Eagles will play within their division. It is also a critical game to win, because if the Eagles lose this game, they will already be playing from behind in the NFC East divisional race. This article will preview the Philadelphia Eagles week three game against the Washington Commanders.
About the Opponent
The Commanders are coached by Ron Rivera, who has accumulated a record of 15-20 since Washington hired him in 2020. Washington has started off the season with a record of 1-1. They scored in the final minutes to beat Jacksonville in week one. As for Week 2, they lost against the Detroit Lions. Washington actually came back from 22-point deficit to make the game close at the end. However, the Lions were always one step ahead and never gave up the lead.
Washington Players to Watch
Antonio Gibson used to be a receiver in college but turned running back in the NFL. Gibson is coming off a 1,000-yard rushing year in 2020. In his first two games this season, Gibson has 86 rushing yards and one touchdown. However, Washington loves to give the ball to him through the air as he also has 85 receiving yards. He will be a key player to stop in this game.
The Eagles will also have to contend with their former quarterback Carson Wentz. He has gotten off to solid start this season. He has accumulated 650 passing yards and seven touchdowns. However, he has three interceptions, which has been his downfall in the past. As for receivers, Terry Mclaurin is their standout. He is coming off a 1,000-yard receiving year in 2021. For this season, he is their leading receiver in yardage with 131 yards and one touchdown.
How can the Eagles Win this game?
The Eagles win this game by forcing Wentz into making bad decisions. This can be done by confusing him defensively and harassing him in the pocket. As said above he has been prone to interceptions for most of his career. The Eagles have veterans in the secondary in Darius Slay and James Bradberry who can force these turnovers.
Furthermore, the Eagles can win this game by playing their style of football. This means using that run-first offense to wear down that Commanders’ defense. This will allow Jalen Hurts to find his weapons downfield and pick apart the Washington defense through the air.
Player to watch for the Eagles
There are a couple of players to watch for the Eagles. The first player is linebacker T.J. Edwards. He had a great performance against the Vikings with 10 tackles. It will be interesting to see how he impacts this game against the Commanders. Another player to watch is Jalen Hurts. The media is talking about him being a possible MVP candidate. Who can blame them? He has really shown in the past two weeks that he can be a great quarterback in the NFL. Lastly, A.J Brown is the final player to watch out for. He did not play as good of a game against the Vikings. However, over 180 yards receiving is hard to do every week in the NFL. He is the difference maker in this game.
Overall, this should be a close game and it will come down to who can make the bigger plays offense. This concludes his Philadelphia Eagles week three game preview against the Washington Commanders.
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