Commanders Gearing Up to Take Down 'Hottest Team' in the NFL in Week 16

ASHBURN, Va. -- Division matchups are always important but this weekend's contest between the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles might be the one NFC East clash this year that has the most on the line in it.

For the Commanders, a win and some help get them a ticket to the playoffs, a place nobody expected they'd get to in their first year of retooling under general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn.

On the Eagles' side of things, they need one more win to clinch the NFC East Division title and are looking to get it in Washington this weekend against a team they've already beaten 26-18 back in Week 11.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. — Dec 8, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs with the ball against the Carolina Panthers during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

"Hottest team in the league," is how Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. described the Philadelphia this week. "That's what they are, they're a good football team. It starts with the runner, [Philadelphia Eagles RB] Saquon [Barkley], he can do everything. He can catch it out the backfield, he can run, he can jump cut. He can run with power, he can run with speed. He's a very talented man.

"The quarterback, [Philadelphia Eagles QB] Jalen [Hurts], he's a winner. He's been a winner from day one. And so, and everybody makes a big deal about the lack of throws. When he does throw it, he throws for a lot of yards like he did last week. They're deciding to run the ball because they have the best runner in the league."

Barkley is a candidate for MVP this season, an award that almost always goes to quarterbacks. While he's no stranger to NFC East rivalries this is his first year with the Eagles and his impact cannot be understated.

In Week 11, Barkley was held to 3.5 yards per carry in the first half and Washington was able to take a four-point lead into the fourth quarter. Two explosive touchdown runs later and Barkley finished with a per carry average of over five yards, and the Eagles got what has proven to be a critical win against the Commanders.

He isn't doing it on his own, however, as coach Whitt pointed out.

"(They have) the best offensive line," Whitt said. "The tackles [Philadelphia Eagles T] Jordan [Mailata] and [Philadelphia Eagles T] Lane [Johnson], they're phenomenal. I mean, there's a play, actually, I think [Pittsburgh Steelers DE] T.J. [Watt] might have sacked them, but Jordan spun around, got on his guy, stayed on his feet, it was just a really impressive play to see a big man that’s six-eight move that way.

"And then you had the receivers on the outside, [Philadelphia Eagles WR] A.J. [Brown] and [Philadelphia Eagles WR] Devonta [Smith]. So, we have our work cut out for us."

Someone the Commanders didn't have at their disposal last time out was cornerback Marshon Lattimore. After being traded to Washington from the New Orleans Saints during the season, Lattimore came along with a hamstring injury that kept him out until just last weekend against his former team.

His impact was immediately felt in that first game as he wasn't targeted once by Saints quarterbacks despite playing nearly 30 coverage snaps against them.

For Lattimore, this will be his second game this season against the Eagles after facing Hurts and his team in Week 3 while with New Orleans. In that game he was targeted three times, so there's some expectation that maybe Lattimore will see some action this weekend.

His presence, and proven ability to minimize the impact of top weapons on the opponent, are expected to help aid a defense that will need to be aggressive and disciplined in that aggression in order to help secure a lead and close out the game - something the unit has struggled in doing recently.

Whitt knows plenty about the Eagles, and he knows what his unit did well against them the last time out. Now its time to put that knowledge to work as Washington prepares to even the score against the best team in the NFC East, and presumably the hottest team in the entire NFL.

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