Eagles Today

NFL Again Betting On Eagles-Commanders In NFC East

The Eagles will close out the regular season by playing the Commanders in Weeks 16 and 18.
John McMullen|
Jan 26, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs with the ball against the Washington Commanders during the second half in the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field.
Jan 26, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs with the ball against the Washington Commanders during the second half in the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

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Philadelphia Eagles

PHILADELPHIA - In recent seasons, the NFC East has been a tale of the haves and have-nots, with the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles headlining the former category, generally with the Dallas Cowboys.

Last season, there was a seismic shift in the division thanks to the arrival of Jayden Daniels with the Washington Commanders.

The NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year after being selected at No. 2 overall in the 2024 draft, the Commanders' star quarterback turned what had been a moribund franchise into an instant 12-win contender that ultimately tapped out to Philadelphia in the NFC Championship Game but not before upsetting Tampa Bay and Detroit on the road in the postseason.

Meanwhile, the Eagles went on to dominate Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX after playing spoiler to Washington’s magical season with a 55-23 rout in the conference championship.

In early schedule leaks obtained by Philadelphia Eagles On SI, the league has highlighted a belief that Philadelphia and Washington will again be at the top of the division by matching up the renewed rivals twice in three weeks to close out the regular season.

The home-and-home matchups start on Saturday, Dec. 20 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, before the two teams stage the rematch at Lincoln Financial in Week 18 for the regular-season finale.

The NFL doesn’t have a crystal ball or the annual table read that comedian Keegan-Michael Key made famous a few years ago. That said, the scheduling does mean that the league is betting on the Eagles and Commanders to inhabit the NFC East’s island of relevancy again, with the idea that the two late-season matchups will be for all the marbles in the division.

In between the series, the Eagles can put lake effect snow on their bingo card with a visit to Western New York and perceived AFC contender Buffalo.

The closing stretch as a whole is another indication of just how tough it will be to repeat for the Eagles.

MORE NFL: Two Eagles' Rookie Camp Tryout Players Catch On Elsewhere

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John McMullen
JOHN MCMULLEN

John McMullen is a veteran reporter who has covered the NFL for over two decades. The current NFL insider for JAKIB Media, John is the former NFL Editor for The Sports Network where his syndicated column was featured in over 200 outlets including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and Miami Herald. He was also the national NFL columnist for Today's Pigskin as well as FanRag Sports. McMullen has covered the Eagles on a daily basis since 2016, first for ESPN South Jersey and now for Eagles Today on SI.com's FanNation. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube.com. John is also the host of his own show "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey and part of 6ABC.com's live postgame show after every Eagles game. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen

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