The Washington Commanders suffered a tough loss at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. The Commanders fought until the end but turned the ball over on downs with just over a minute left to play, and the Steelers took the win.
While losing isn’t fun, we must understand that the Commanders sat some injured players who typically play. They did that because it’s a short week, and this week, they face a division rival in the Philadelphia Eagles. Due to its playoff implications, this game matters more than the Steelers’ game. Head coach Dan Quinn insisted this wasn’t the case, but Washington clearly didn’t want to risk further injury to some of its already ailing starters.
The loss to the Steelers put the Eagles ahead of the Commanders in the NFC East.
A win on Thursday will not only put the Commanders back at the top of the NFC East but also control their playoff destiny for the rest of the season. At this point, the New York Giants or Dallas Cowboys don’t pose a threat. A win over the Eagles will set up the Commanders for success going forward.
So, even though taking a loss is hard, there are still reasons to be optimistic about their matchup against the Eagles, and we have three of those reasons listed below.
Jalen Hurts has fewer passing yards than Dak Prescott
Yes, you read that right. Jalen Hurts has 1,976 passing yards this season while Dak Prescott has 1,978. It’s not a big difference, but consider that Dak has played one fewer game than Hurts. Now, Prescott averages 6.9 yards per throw while Hurts averages 8.4, but Hurts’ lack of passing yards is a huge indicator that they like to run the ball. And with a guy like Saquon Barkley as your ball carrier, why wouldn’t you run the ball more than you throw it?
The point is that their offense is one-dimensional. Hurts’ receiving corps is banged up, and his line has allowed 26 sacks this season. This bodes well for a Commanders’ secondary without cornerback Marshon Lattimore on the field this week.
No back-to-back losses this season
So far in 2024, the Commanders have not posted back-to-back losses. This 7-3 Commanders team is much different from last year’s four-win team. Jayden Daniels isn’t just making his name heard for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, but he’s making a case for MVP of the entire league. He doesn’t want to lose back-to-back games, especially a guy coming out of LSU, where he’s used to winning games. He certainly doesn’t want to lose.
The Commanders’ defense doesn’t want to lose either. They have to be proud of the work they’ve put in this season and how well it’s paying off despite not having all of its pieces in place. This team has already proven that offense, defense, and special teams all have a singular mindset, a singular goal to win games. And it’s working.
Commanders hold all-time series record
The Commanders and Eagles have met 180 times since 1934; this will be their 181st meeting. Over that time period, the Commanders own the overall record 89-85-6. The two teams are typically pretty evenly matched, although looking through the history, you can see spells of one team dominating the other.
For example, the Eagles have won seven of their 10 meetings over the last five years. But that’s just another indication that it’s the Commanders’ turn. With their starters back on the field on Thursday, it will still be a tight game, but the Commanders have the edge, if for no other reason than that.
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