What a week to be an Eagles fan. The Birds made me eat my words last week, and frankly, I couldn’t be happier. If the showing this team just made against the Vikings is a sign of things to come, us fans are in for a great season – but then again, let’s just take things one week at a time. This Sunday, the Eagles trot down to the dump in Washington to take on Carson Wentz and the Commanders in a somewhat revenge but also not really game. Either way, we’re going to break down these two rosters and find out just how the Birds can continue their exciting success.
Commanders’ Strengths
1. Explosive receiving core
I truly believe that the Commander’s trio of wideouts are some of the most underrated in the league. While Terry Mclaurin has had a quiet start to the season, he’s without a doubt a top tier receiver in the NFL, and someone defenses have to pay great attention to. Complimenting him is rookie Jahan Dotson and veteran Curtis Samuel, the former of which has been a touchdown machine for this offense. Samuel has arguably been the best all-around target for Wentz so far, and the chemistry between the two is evident. If there’s something to be wary about on this Commies team, it’s these three playmakers.
2. Defensive Line
While there has been quite a bit of discourse around the Commanders defensive struggles (that we will get to later) it’s impossible to ignore the raw talent on this front four. Even with former second-overall pick Chase Young sidelined, this defensive line has three first round picks who all excel at rushing the passer. It’s impossible to focus completely on a guy like Jonathan Allen when another guy like Daron Payne is right next to him, and in that lies the possibility for this front four to dictate pace of play and take over games.
3. Offensive Line
The Commanders offensive line had some adversity recently with the loss of star center Chase Roullier, but this unit still has a considerable amount of beef in both pass protection and run blocking. While like the Eagles, they struggled with the insane pressure of the Lions defense, the tackle duo of rising second-year player Sam Cosmi and a veteran rock in Charles Leno Jr. is a highly capable one. The interior was hurt by the aforementioned loss of Roullier, but Trai Turner and Andrew Norwell should be able to support a very capable backup in Wes Schweitzer. This group is good, especially when it comes to giving Wentz time to throw, and if defenses want to guarantee consistent pressure, they’re going to have to bring more than four against them.
Eagles’ Strengths
1. Offensive line
After struggling to handle the Lions’ pressure in week 1, the Eagle’s offensive line returned to the absolutely mauling unit they were projected to be against a formidable Vikings defensive line. The big guys up front had anything and everything they wanted on Monday, creating gaping holes in the run game and pockets in pass protection that would have any quarterback salivating. The trenches have always been that backbone of this team, and even more so this season, the offense runs through the line.
2. Defensive Talent (and now coaching?)
As I so eloquently stated last week, the Eagles defense has good players. In week 1, those good players were used somewhat poorly, allowing the Lions to move the ball with relative ease in some very frustrating ways. Week 2 was an absolute 180 from that, as the Eagles stifled a potent Vikings offense in a game where defensive play calling was nearly flawless. We know just how good players like Josh Sweat, TJ Edwards, and Darius Slay are (just to name a few). However, it seemed like Jonathan Gannon now understands that too, as he put them in places to succeed against equally talented players. There’s still concern over whether this can be the norm for the Eagles defense, but last week was certainly a good sign.
3. Jalen Hurts and Co.
As big a fan as I am of the guy, I had refrained from putting Jalen Hurts as either a weakness or a strength in the first two previews, as we really didn’t know what his play was going to look like. That being said, it’s time the man gets his due. Jalen has shown a mind-boggling level of improvement so far this season, and against the Vikings, he was nearly perfect. If Jalen can continue to play anywhere near that level, he’ll enter the conversation as a top ten quarterback in this league. As good as Jalen has been, it does help that he has studs like AJ Brown, Devonta Smith, Quez Watkins, Dallas Goedert, and Miles Sanders to help him out. This offense is great, full stop.
Commanders’ Weaknesses
1. Hurt Stars
As mentioned in previous sections, both Chase Young and Chase Roullier are out for this game. While their respective position groups are both mentioned as strengths, these guys will be sorely missed as the pieces that take their units to the next level. Especially in Rouillier’s case, the middle of the line could be an area that takes time to re-solidify, as losing an elite center presence is one of the hardest things for an O-line unit.
2. Exploitable pass defense
If there’s one narrative to come out of the Commanders this season, it’s how far Jack Del Rio and this defense have fallen. Against both the Jaguars and Lions, this back seven has been nothing short of dreadful. Jamin Davis has been the punching bag of a linebacker unit that couldn’t cover a receiver with a tarp the size of the moon, and the corners haven’t been much better. This is a chain made up of weak links, and outside of Kendall Fuller, the Eagles receiver corps should again be feasting on them.
3. Exploitable run defense
While the offensive scheming and play calling for the Commies has looked quite good through two weeks, it’s been dreadful on the other side of the ball. If you thought Jonathan Gannon in week one was bad, Jack Del Rio is sent directly from the fiery pits of defensive coordinator hell. The Eagles should be able to have their way through the air as well as on the ground where the Commanders rank near the bottom of the league through two weeks. Expect a big game for the Eagles RBs.
Eagles Weaknesses
1. Jonathan Gannon?
I would love to take off Gannon as a weakness for the birds, but I’m not going to crown him as a proven coordinator after one game. If this defense comes out and performs like they did against the Vikings, my optimism for the season-long success of the defense will skyrocket, but there are realities in which Gannon reverts to his old ways and allows Wentz to pick apart shell coverages all game.
2. Penalties
This is somewhat of a nitpick, because it’s genuinely hard to find weaknesses for a team with this kind of roster who put up the performance they did Monday. However, if there was one thing to clean up in that game, it would be the unnecessary (and sometimes invisible) penalties that stalled some Eagles drives or eliminated big plays. Football is a game of inches, and sacrificing yards for no reason is never a good thing.
Keys to victory
1. Balanced attack
Against the Lions, running the ball was the key to success – against the Vikings, it was passing. This weekend, against the commies, Sirianni and this offense should prioritize a more balanced attack to exploit the weak secondary and keep the pass rush at bay. I think that incorporating a wide variety of targets like last week will lead to great success again, and if Hurts can perform as he did against an arguably better vikings defense, this should be a fun one.
2. Put pressure on Wentz
I’ve yet to truly talk about Carson Wentz, and that’s because I don’t think he’s a strength or a weakness for the Commanders. He has had very high volume when it comes to passing stats, and certainly hasn’t been the reason for the team’s struggles, but there are instances in which Wentz’ mental lapses can lead to pivotal changes in momentum during a game. Exploiting his tendency to hold the ball too long could make this a fun day for this defense, and maybe help add to Darius Slay’s pick count.
Score Prediction
I’m trying really hard not to overreact in any direction when it comes to this team, but being somewhat of a homer is my fault as a writer and duty as a fan. I really think (and hope) that this “revenge game” for Commander Carson turns out to be much like the one Reagor had last week. I foresee offensive domination, and while the defense might regress a little from last week (this Washington offense is very good), I think Rivera’s squad fails to keep pace.
Score: 27-21 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.
