The Commanders have their first victory in more than a month.
Coming out of its bye week, Washington took care of business at home, beating the division rival Philadelphia Eagles 27-10 at Northwest Stadium. It marked the second win of the year for the Commanders (2-4-1) – their first came on Sept. 27, when they stunned the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks at home.
The Eagles’ season, meanwhile, continues to implode. Philadelphia (2-6) has lost six straight games, trailing only the 0-7 Los Angeles Chargers for the NFL’s longest skid.
Here are my takeaways:
In the first quarter, on their second possession, the Commanders faced a third-and-short deep in their territory. Jayden Daniels dropped back and had what should’ve been an easy conversion for receiver Treylon Burks, who stood wide open in the middle of the field. Burks dropped the pass. Washington was forced to punt.
On the Commanders’ next drive, Daniels delivered a perfect pass, hitting tight end Chig Okonkwo in stride over the middle. But the tight end never had a firm grip on the ball, and it was punched out and recovered by Eagles safety Andrew Mukuba.
Yes, there were some great plays made by his receivers. A one-handed grab by Okonkwo. Receptions of 53 and 30 yards by Treylon Burks and third-round rookie Antonio Williams, respectively. But there isn’t consistency from the Commanders’ receivers. There were routine plays that should have been made that weren’t by his pass catchers. The Commanders must get Daniels help at receiver to maximize all that he is, to keep his ascension on track for the long haul.
Jayden Daniels can’t do it all himself for the Commanders offense. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
Entering this week, Washington didn’t have a receiver averaging 43.0 receiving yards per game. WR1 Terry McLaurin is out for the season, but at 31, he doesn’t figure into the Commanders’ long-term plans. Neither does 33-year-old Stefon Diggs, who led the team in receiving yards per game entering Week 8 (42.8). Williams is promising, but not enough. The good thing for the Commanders and other WR-needy teams is that the 2027 draft class is projected to be deep at wide receiver.
Then there’s the fact that the running game outside of Daniels doesn’t scare anyone. Even leading running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (239 rushing yards), who’s on injured reserve, is averaging fewer than 48.0 rushing yards per game. Washington has only had a 100-yard rusher once this season and that was Daniels in Week 5. In every other game, their leading rusher had fewer than 70 rushing yards.
Having a dependable option in the backfield would take a ton of pressure off the dual-threat Daniels.
2.
The Eagles Should Be Sellers At The Trade Deadline
With general manager Howie Roseman, the Eagles have never been shy about making big swings for players they believe can help their team. But this year, with an injury-riddled team and a season going nowhere, Philadelphia should be seriously listening to trade offers for its own players — even shopping some of them.
The Eagles don’t need to deal star running back Saquon Barkley, and they’ve apparently already made that clear across the league. But players like cornerback Riq Woolen, tight end Dallas Goedert and wide receiver Hollywood Brown should be made available.
Head coach Nick Sirianni is in unfamiliar territory with the Eagles’ playoff chances fading. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Philly doesn’t need to rebuild, to be clear. Quarterback Jalen Hurts will presumably be back and healthy in 2027. The Eagles are still good at the offensive skill positions when healthy. There’s a ton of talent on defense.
But the team has a great chance at retooling, armed with six picks in the first two rounds of the draft over the next two years. Dealing some starting-caliber players could net some more picks in the middle rounds.
3.
The Commanders Are Still Alive In The NFC East
A 2-4-1 record through eight weeks is … not encouraging. It means you’re not a good football team. But the Commanders are in a bad division, so there’s hope. With Sunday’s victory, Washington trails the NFC East-leading Giants by just two games.
Five of the Commanders’ next seven opponents are .500 or worse. As long as Daniels stays healthy, Washington has a chance.
Dan Quinn’s seat is less hot after the Commanders beat the Eagles. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
3 ½. What’s Next?
The Eagles return to Philadelphia next Sunday to host the Giants (4-2-1) before their Week 10 bye, while the Commanders will stay home to host the Los Angeles Rams (4-4) in Week 9.
