SI analyst picks this Commanders game as best of entire season

When the Washington Commanders stepped off the field for the final time in 2024 following an NFC Championship Game loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, it was a defeat none of them could stomach well.

To a man, every Commanders player and coach also looked forward to the chance to make it right, and to extract a little bit of revenge on the eventual Super Bowl Champions, even though they knew they'd have to wait to get it.

Washington set out this offseason to correct some of the deficiencies that led to the embarrassing defeat, and while all involved in this year's campaign look forward to getting back into Philly to take on the Eagles once again, they'll all have to wait until Week 18 to do so. Furthermore, they may have to wait until the final game of Week 18, if Sports Illustrated's Mitch Goldich is right.

The Ultimate Season Finale?

"Out of all 16 games, this is the one I think is most likely to be a straight-up de facto division championship game," Goldich says of the Week 18 matchup wherein the Commanders will travel back to Philadelphia. Because of that, he ranks the game as the No. 1 option to be flexed into Sunday Night Football, as the final regular-season game of the year. "The defending champion Eagles are favorites, but the NFC East famously hasn’t had a repeat champion since 2004. The Commanders exploded onto the scene in Jayden Daniels’s rookie season and this would be a rematch of last year’s NFC title game, a blowout that might be best remembered for Frankie Luvu jumping over the pile to stop the tush push."

Luvu himself has mentioned his infamous leaping from that night since the game came to a close, something he can laugh about today, but was immensely frustrating then.

Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu (4) is upended on top of a pile of Philadelphia Eagles. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Built to Stop the 'Tush Push'

To help defend the rugby play turned football, Washington enlisted the help of defensive tackle Eddie Goldman, who, it was hoped, would become an immovable force in the middle of the line when 3rd and 4th-and-1 situations arose in their matchups against the Eagles.

Goldman's arrival is part of a near-total frontline overhaul for the Commanders' defense. One that resulted in the team releasing veteran defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and adding linemen Javon Kinlaw and Deatrich Wise Jr., in addition to Goldman.

A Shot at History

Stopping that one play isn't the only thing on the line here. If Goldich gets his way, then Washington will be fighting for the entire NFC East Division, in a sense, looking to prevent Philadelphia from becoming the first back-to-back group champion in decades. It's a small secondary prize, but a prize nonetheless.

If the NFL stars align like they did last season in the NFC North, then Washington at Eagles has the chance to surpass the drama we all witnessed when the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings locked horns on Sunday night in Week 18 of last season. With their own division and a playoff bye week on the line the matchup represented everything we love about regular-season football, and the only thing missing was a dash of burgundy and gold.

This year, we might just get it all, and it's something fun to dream about, even in early September.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 season.

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