A Closer Look at the Washington Commanders with Five Questions
In this story:
Eagles Today publisher Ed Kracz went to SI Commander Country writer David Harrison to get a closer look at the Eagles’ opponent on Sunday.
Here are five questions for Harrison:
It’s been a small sample size, but do you think Carson Wentz can be the long-term answer at quarterback or do you think Sam Howell will eventually take over?
The Carson Wentz we’ve seen through early offseason activities, training camp, and two weeks into the season could surely be a long-term leader for Washington’s offense.
I don’t know that anyone is getting the fabled 2017 version everyone talks about, but the one we’re seeing here is making smart throws and putting points up at a rate that puts the Commanders top 10 in that category.
As he grows more comfortable, that should only improve, and that’s something this team can certainly win with.
How significant is the Chase Roullier injury?
Unfortunately, it appears to be very significant and the fears are he’ll be lost for the season. What makes it personally heartbreaking is the effort spent for him to get back on the field. From a football standpoint, Roullier is a solid center and a stabilizing presence for that offensive line.
What is one strength and one weakness, and it can be on either side of the ball or special teams?
The strength of the Commanders' offense is,and will be, their ability to turn quick passes into yards after the catch, and first downs.
That, on top of Wentz’s ability to get the ball downfield when opportunities present themselves, show why Washington went out looking for an upgrade at the position so heavily this offseason.
As for weakness, right now the edge on that is going to go to the defensive unit as a whole and their ability - or lack thereof - to communicate and be in the right place at the right time.
On several plays against the Detroit Lions last weekend, players were out of position or didn’t do a great job of communicating pre-snap for what might happen during the coming play, and it cost them dearly.
Who is one under-the-radar player on each side of the ball that Eagles fans should be aware of?
On defense, despite his rough outing against the Lions, safety Darrick Forrest is a young talent with a lot of versatility in his game and playmaking potential.
With Kamren Curl projected to return, we expect to see Forrest in the Buffalo nickel position in Week 3, and he’ll be key to helping the Commanders contain quarterback Jalen Hurts.
On offense, since rookie receiver Jahan Dotson has put the league on notice in the first two weeks, I think I can get away with calling him under the radar for one more week. Especially since this is the first NFC East contest of his career.
If it’s no longer acceptable to call Dotson under the radar, then let’s turn to rookie tight end Cole Turner who could be making his NFL debut and flashed a ton of potential during training camp before missing the start of the season to injury.
What's your prediction? Who wins, and why?
Both of these teams boast top 10 scoring offenses, but one has a bottom-of-the-league scoring defense.
That’s the difference in this game for me right now, and until the defense shows they can contain average quarterbacks like Jared Goff, it’s hard to imagine a whole lot of success against the more dynamic Hurts.
With that, I’m taking Philadelphia in this one, 31-24.
READ MORE AT EAGLES TODAY
EAGLES NOTEBOOK: The Flash and the Leg Sweep Save the ..
Eagles' Defensive Aggression Can be Tied to Execution
Eagles Secondary Stepping Up; Difficult Decisions Await Front ...
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
