by The Eagles-Commanders players’ games to watch in Week 16 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Eagles (12-2) will face the Washington Commanders (9-5) on Sunday at Northwest Stadium and can secure the NFC East with a win.
Here are some key matchups to watch:
Saquon Barkley vs. Commanders conduct defense
The Eagles were able to lean on their passing game against the Steelers last week despite a lot of criticism. That was important against a team that was sold out to stop the run. And it was a good sign that the Eagles were able to counteract that by putting the ball in the air. But the Eagles still have Saquon Barkley, who is still on pace for a 2,000-yard season after a 65-yard game against Pittsburgh. Over the final three games, Barkley would need to average around 140 rushing yards per game to break Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record. That is not impossible.
The last time the Eagles faced the Commanders in Week 11, Barkley had a big game. He had 26 carries for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns and also caught 2 passes for 52 yards in the 26-18 win at Linc. This season, the Commanders have the 25th ranked rushing defense in the NFL and are 28th in yards per attempt. According to NextGen Stats, the Commanders are one of only four teams in the NFL this season giving up more than 2.0 yards from contact per attempt.
The only thing the Commanders could have in their favor in this game is the possible return of Jonathan Allen. The Commanders activated the practice window this week for two-time Pro Bowl DT Jonathan Allen, who hasn’t played since Oct. 13.
AJ Brown vs. Marcus Lattimore
The Commanders traded cornerback Marcus Lattimore at the deadline, but he wasn’t healthy and finally made his debut for Washington last week against his former team in a 20-19 win over the Saints. Lattimore is a four-time Pro Bowler and should give the Commanders a boost. Earlier this season, the Eagles saw Lattimore while he was still with the Saints. In that game, Lattimore was targeted twice while covering DeVonta Smith and gave up one catch for 14 yards, according to ProFootballFocus. But in that game, AJ Brown was sidelined with a hamstring injury. In Week 17 of 2022, Brown faced Lattimore. He was targeted four times against Lattimore in that game and only had two catches for 15 yards and Lattimore had a 12-yard pick-6.
With Lattimore now in the starting lineup, the Commanders have Mike Sainristil as another starting cornerback and Noah Igbinoghene at nickel. Sainristil had a nice interception against the Saints and is a good (but undersized) cornerback. If the Eagles want to stay away from Lattimore, they have their chances. This could end up being a big game for Brown or Smith. Additionally, Commander Jeremy Chinn, who is in the concussion protocol, could be without safety.
Lightning pickup against Frankie Luvu
The Commander’s leading edge rusher is Dante Fowler, who leads the team with 8 1/2 sacks. Fowler lines up on both sides of the line, but the Eagles will feel pretty comfortable with Jordan Mailata or Lane Johnson shutting him down. It’s an incredible luxury in the NFL to have two tackles as good as Mailata and Johnson.
The next man on the Commanders’ sack list this season is inside linebacker Frankie Luvu, who has 8.0 sacks and a team-high 14 quarterback hits. In the first meeting between these two teams, Luvu had two sacks and three QB hits. Those were the only two sacks Jalen Hurts had in the game. The first time, Luvu fell off the edge and suffered hurts while trying to climb. The second time around, Luvu came in as a blitzer and sacked Hurts for a loss of 13 yards after a lengthy trick play.
Eagles lead defense against Brian Robinson Jr.
In Week 11, the Eagles had some trouble keeping Austin Ekeler at receiver out of the backfield. He had 8 catches on 9 targets for 89 yards. But Ekeler is out with a concussion and will not play in this game.
So the Eagles’ main concern should be stopping the run with Brian Robinson Jr., who has 705 yards on the ground and a 4.4 average this season. Robinson had 16 for 63 and a touchdown in the first meeting. The Eagles missed 10 tackles in this game.
Quinyon Mitchell vs. Terry McLaurin
The last time these two teams played, Quinyon Mitchell had a game that introduced the rookie to a national audience. Mitchell faced McLaurin on 20 of 25 routes in Week 11 and McLaurin wasn’t targeted once. In the entire game, Mitchell was targeted only once in coverage on 32 snaps, according to NextGen Stats. As he has done with many good receivers this season, Mitchell locked him up.
According to NextGen Stats, Mitchell has been targeted just 63 times this season and has given up just 36 catches for 397 yards with just one touchdown.
Entering Week 16, McLaurin ranks 7th in the NFL with 969 receiving yards. He’s still a tough test, especially in a game where the Commanders likely won’t face Zach Ertz, who suffered a concussion last week.
Vic Fangio vs. Jayden Daniels
In Week 11, Jayden Daniels didn’t appear to be fully healthy when he faced the Eagles. In that game at Linc, Daniels completed 22 of 32 passes for 191 yards with one touchdown and one interception and ran for just 18 yards. But Daniels is a very good rookie quarterback and has won the last two games with 5 TDs and only 1 INT. He will likely be the offensive rookie of the year.
However, Vic Fangio’s defense is No. 1 in points and yards allowed this season. They’ve been great all season.
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