After a brief recess in a short week, the game previews are back! The Eagles continue to roll in their bid for 17-0, and their next challenger is a familiar one in the Washington Commanders. I’ll admit, this game was a lot more exciting when we had the chance to play Wentz in primetime, but that’s the story of Carson in a nutshell. While many continue to write off the Heinicke-led commie squad, like Hurts said, any team can pose a threat on a given week. Time to break down the strengths and weaknesses of each squad, and find out how the birds can move to sweep this division series.
Commanders’ Strengths
1. Young explosive receivers
Obviously, these strengths are going to be very similar to the last time we saw this Commanders team, and that starts with these young weapons. Production aside, Terry Mclaurin, Curtis Samuel, and Jahan Dotson are all potent threats on the outside and must be accounted for by defensive coordinators seeking to shut down one of the only bright spots on the Washington offense.
2. Defensive line
The defensive line is truly the identity of this Commanders team. Even with the continued absence of Chase Young, the three other former first round selections in this unity combine to form a scary unit that can have game-wreaking impact. It’s nearly impossible to take care of Daron Payne or Jonatahan Allen without leaving a tackle isolated against Montez Sweat, which can snowball into a pressure-fest that should make opposing offenses very, very nervous. There’s even depth on this line, with James-Smith Williams and Efe Obada in the rotation to keep the three aforementioned stars fresh and hungry.
3. Safety Unit
Perhaps one of the more surprising strengths for Washington, the safety trio of Kamren Curl, Bobby Mccain, and Darrick Forrest have all played at a very high level at points this season. Curl specifically has been a very strong presence in the secondary, continuing his impressive career as a former 7th round pick. Mccain has been a bit more inconsistent, but has seen improvement in recent weeks – but the real surprise has been Darrick Forrest, who in his playing time has graded out extremely well in both coverage and run defense, and made some big plays on the ball. These defensive playmakers need to be a focus in the passing game, especially if the defensive line can bring pressure, as you don’t want to make their jobs any easier than they need to be.
Eagles’ Strengths
1. Offense
Yes. Again. You cannot hope to stop this Eagles offense, only hope to contain it. The elite weapons combined with Jalen Hurts’ ELITE play and an unmovable (ignore last week) offensive line makes this unit a lead wrecking ball. There’s so many ways the Birds can beat you, and with how much fun these guys seem to be having, it’s hard to point to a more exciting young unit in the entire NFL.
2. Pass Defense
For the first time in a while, we will have to qualify defense as a strength, but we’ll get into that later. This secondary has been nothing short of the best in the league, with the corner duo of Slay and Bradberry continuing their bid as the best lockdown guys in the NFL. The emergence of CJ Gardner Johnson and Marcus Epps on the back end have only served to bolster this already impressive unit, and the elite coverage play from the starting linebackers have done the same. What is there to exploit through the air on this team? I don’t see a clear answer.
Commanders’ Weaknesses
1. Offensive Line Play
Previously listed as a strength, it seems this Commanders O line has deteriorated to the point of being a major hole on this roster. It’s strange, too, as many of the players there are the same; it just seems like some guys projected to be good simply have not played up to their standard. Pressure has been a major part of this offense’s struggles, as it’s hard to get the ball in the hands of Washington’s explosive weapons when Wentz or Heinicke have no time to throw. There’s potential to play well on a given week with these guys, but until proven otherwise the line will be a weakness.
2. Quarterback
Much like the steelers two weeks ago, the thing holding this offense back is the combination of line woes AND the lackluster play at Quarterback. Heinicke has shown flashes, but it’s really hard to count on him for four full quarters of clean football. It’s also important to note that his lackluster arm strengths puts somewhat of a limit on the volatility of the weapons on this Commanders squad, allowing defenses to hone in on the run game and the intermediate passing ranges. Heinicke does pose a threat when scrambling, however, which is something for Gannon to keep an eye on – but his ability there is not enough to make up for his inconsistency as a passer.
3. Corner inconsistencies
The Commanders, on paper, should have a good defense, with a top-12 run stopping unit and high-octane pass rush- but there’s a reason Washington fans have been calling for the head of Jack Del Rio. While it’s partially the coordinators fault, much of the blame should fall on this secondary. The presumed number one corner for the Commies heading into 2022 was Kendall Fuller, who so far this year has been a massive disappointment. The same can be said for the recently traded William Jackson, who was an absolute liability on the outside. Some young names are beginning to step up for this unit, such as Benjamin St. Juste (who at this point may be CB1), but it’s nearly impossible to stop NFL offenses in 2022 without at least one proven veteran corner.
Eagles Weaknesses
1. Run defense
The Eagles are probably the most complete team in the NFL, but one area we’ve seen falter a bit in the last few weeks has been run defense. Namely against the Texans, tackling seemed impossible for this defensive unit, allowing Dameon Pierce to carve them up like paper mache. I’d rather have a great pass defense than run defense, but with Jordan Davis now sidelined for a few weeks, not keeping an eye on the run could lead to some upset losses.
Keys to victory
1. Make Heinicke sling it
I truly believe that the only way this Eagles team loses is if we allow turnovers on offense that result in long, sustained drives on defense. To counter this, we have to bottle up the run and force Heinicke to make plays with his arm, something he hasn’t shown the ability to consistently do.
2. Attack these corners
Allowing our best weapons to attack their point of weakness is pretty self-explanatory. Nobody on that roster can even dream of containing AJ Brown, or Devonta Smith for that matter. Just let Hurts and this O do its thing, and reap the rewards.
Score Prediction
It’s hard to predict an undefeated team to lose, which is why I won’t do it. The Birds have a significantly better roster, better quarterback, and better coaching than the Commanders. Play mistake-free football, and we win.
Score: 38-17 Eagles
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Noah Berger is a featured writer at The Birds Blitz. For more from Noah, check out his archive and read through our Eagles articles for the latest news about the Birds.
