The Washington Commanders face the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16, the first of two divisional games they’ll play to end the season. In between, they’ll play the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons and Dallas Cowboys will be the least of the Commanders’ worries (hopefully), but the Eagles game will have the most impact on their playoff hopes.
The Commanders control their own destiny right now; they sit solidly in seventh place in the playoff standings, right behind the Green Bay Packers. But the Seattle Seahawks are right on the Commanders’ heels and could play spoiler if the boys in burgundy and gold lose any of their final three games.
One thing that would be really helpful for the Commanders when they face the Eagles this week would be if they could steal one of their players. The last time these two teams met, we considered adding wide receiver AJ Brown to Jayden Daniels’ arsenal alongside Terry McLaurin. This time, though, we’re going in a different direction. The Commanders’ ground game needs some help, and Saquon Barkley is the perfect running back to get it back on track.
Let’s face it: as much as we love Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler, and they are both fantastic running backs, they are not on the same level as Barkley. Barkley currently leads all running backs with 1,688 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 5.9 yards per carry. He’s insanely good this year, and that hardly does justice to what he looks like on the field.
The Commanders’ ground game could use a boost, and it’s too bad they can’t actually steal Barkley from the Eagles for the week. What a treat that would be!