3 Eagles the Commanders Must Account for in Week 1

One thing the Philadelphia Eagles are not short on is talent. In fact, their roster is loaded with reasons why the Washington Commanders cannot treat this game as just another opener on the road. This is one of the six opportunities Washington will get to separate themselves from the other three teams in the NFC East. Not to mention a chance for Washington to test their own offensive line against what is one of the best defensive fronts in football. They'll also test their own new defensive system against a new Philly offensive coordinator. In both processes, three players could create three different types of problems. Jalen Carter is a game-changer in the middle of the defense, while Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley represent an offense that has a new scheme but can punish you with its talent level.

1. Jalen Carter

Jalen Carter represents Washington's biggest nightmare with pads on. 6-foot-3 and 314 pounds of "that guy could clobber our QB" is a lot of man for the Commanders' interior offensive line to contend with. Carter disrupts even the strongest of protection plans and represents one of the things Philly does best on defense: win up the middle with formidable defensive linemen. His presence next to Jordan Davis is a thorn in every team's interior pass protection because double-teaming him just lets others wreak havoc. The real question is whether Nick Allegretti can handle this assignment, especially coming off a calf issue that caused enough problems for him to be out of training camp.

To game plan against the Eagles' strengths, Washington will look to establish its rushing attack early and use the quick passing game to avoid the third-and-long plays Philly's defense lives for. This is where Daniels' pre-snap growth will really shine by identifying unfavorable fronts; in the end, staying ahead of the Chains will keep Carter from teeing off all day.

No. 29 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026…@Eagles DT Jalen Carter! @NFLFilms pic.twitter.com/cFsPhA3dEB
— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2026

2. Saquon Barkley

Saquon Barkley represents one of the biggest tests in discipline that Daronte Jones' new defensive system will see all season. Washington has been preaching speed, aggression, pursuit, and has been laser-focused on attacking the football since camp started, which is great. But those traits can work against a defense if players get overaggressive, lose leverage, or overrun gaps. Barkley's biggest threat is his big-play explosiveness, where one missed fit or poor angle could result in a 60-yard run. In that situation, Barkley only needs one carry, and that's why Washington wants to create havoc without becoming chaotic.

To contain Barkley and limit the big-play ability he brings, the team will have to maintain gap integrity and force Barkley to earn yards instead of giving him escape lanes. If he makes it to the second level, and he likely will, the secondary has to find ways to keep him from breaking it further. This is the spot where Hurts and Barkley really work together to cripple teams as they choose the poison of the read-option. Philadelphia can really dictate games in the fourth quarter when Barkley is on, and to make it even worse, Washington could look brilliant for most of the afternoon and just lose the matchup because Barkley produces two or three explosive plays.

SAQUON BARKLEY IS NOT OF THIS WORLD.

📺: #JAXvsPHI on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/UtCENDw6no
— NFL (@NFL) November 3, 2024

3. Jalen Hurts

Jalen Hurts is the piece that ties all of the problems Philadelphia's offense can create together. Washington can do a good job against Barkley and still watch Hurts extend drives with his legs, while a good pass rush can turn into nothing if the EDGE players lose contain and give him an escape lane. That is where the uncertainty with Odafe Oweh and K'Lavon Chaisson becomes more important, especially with Dorance Armstrong unavailable. Hurts doesn't have to scramble for 100 yards to wreck the plan either; a few third-down conversions or one red-zone run can change the entire feel of the game.

Washington will have to find a balance between pressure and discipline. Jones will want to move Hurts off his spot and make him process different looks, but sending extra pressure can backfire quickly if he escapes the first wave. The best-case scenario is keeping Hurts in structure, making him win from the pocket, and forcing Philadelphia to earn everything instead of letting broken plays become explosive gains. The Commanders have spent all summer talking about disguise and pressure; Hurts is the first quarterback who can make them pay if either one gets sloppy.

Washington doesn't need to completely shut down all three of these players to win, but it cannot let one of them take over the game. If allowed, Carter can wreck the protection plan, Barkley can punish one bad fit, and Hurts can turn a good defensive call into a broken play. If Washington can keep those three from dictating the terms, they'll have a much better chance to make Philadelphia adjust instead.

Sign up for our free newsletter and follow the Burgundy & Gold on Facebook and the Commanders on SI on X for the latest news. You can also subscribe to our Facebook Messenger News Channel, which is the fastest and easiest way to actually see our articles while on any Meta product.

Add us as a preferred source on Google