Commanders Facing Several Challenges vs. Eagles
The Washington Commanders face their biggest test yet this weekend, facing the 2-0 Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles are coming off a huge Monday Night Football win over the Minnesota Vikings and are looking to build some distance from the other teams in the NFC East this weekend.
Quarterback Carson Wentz, who played for the Eagles from 2016-20, is very familiar with the defense and knows what to expect this weekend.
“They play fast, you know, their front," Wentz said. "They've always had a really good front. The same thing goes this year. You know, their DBs do a good job obviously creating turnovers like we've seen the first couple weeks and, they're good defense. They play fast. They play hard. I wouldn't say they're anything exotic, so we kind of know what we're gonna get, but that just means we gotta execute and I would execute them. We'll be up for the challenge.”
After Wentz left Philadelphia, quarterback Jalen Hurts took over. Hurts' style is vastly different from Wentz, which could create a lot of problems for the defense if the unit isn't ready.
“The first challenge he presents is that every time he has the ball in his hands, it's a run-pass option," head coach Ron Rivera said. "And so that's the thing you've gotta be able to do with him. It's all about discipline. That's one of the big emphases to say this week. Just discipline, discipline in your assignment, discipline in how we want you to do your assignment.”
On top of Hurts, the Eagles traded for star wide receiver A.J. Brown from the Tennessee Titans this offseason to elevate their offense to the next level, which could change the way the Commanders plan their strategy against them this weekend.
“It's the same offense," Rivera said. "I mean, they do what they do. They do it very well. The only difference is, as you said, they add A.J. Brown and he's a very good football player. He really is. There’s a huge discrepancy in targets. I believe he's been targeted 21 times while the closest next receiver is 11. He is a bell cow out there. He's averaging 10 and a half targets a game. So, somebody that we most certainly are, are aware of.”
If the Commanders can find a way to contain Brown and Hurts, while also using Wentz's experience to score on the defense, Washington will have a chance to grab a big win Sunday. But of course, it's always easier said than done.
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