Divisional Foes — Commanders @ Eagles Week 4 Preview
TAMPA, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 25: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles rushes for a touchdown during the third quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on September 25, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
The Eagles will take on their first divisional opponent of the season as the Washington Commanders will come to Philadelphia for a rare 1:00 p.m. matchup for the 2023 Eagles.
The Commanders had a good 2-0 start to their season but struggled last week against the Bills. The Eagles moved to 3-0 on Monday night in Tampa Bay and will look to lengthen their lead in the division.
The Eagles Big Advantage
The biggest advantage the Eagles hold in this game is their defensive line, versus the Commanders offensive line. Commanders QB Sam Howell has been sacked 19 times in the team’s first 3 games.
With Haason Reddick getting the cast off of his medically repaired thumb, and the dominant play of the interior of the defensive line, the Eagles defensive line as a whole should dominate this matchup. Reddick has struggled to get going so far this season, but with his cast coming off he should feel more free to use his hands in his pass rush moves. The Eagles need Reddick to return to the player he was last season if they want this defense to be special.
Get Right Game
When reviewing the first 3 games for the Eagles one of the biggest things that stands out is that the passing game has not been great. One of the things that made the Eagles’ offense so great last season was that they could beat you in multiple ways, whether that was the running game, the passing game, or Hurts running. Right now they are winning one way, the running game. While it is great that they are 3-0, this style of offense has not proven in the past to be good enough to beat the elite teams.
It is still early in the season, and this game could be a get-right game for the offense. Last week against the Bills the Commanders’ defense gave up 37 points. The Eagles have had a lot of success moving the ball against Washington in the past, and I need to see the passing offense get back on track.
The “Tush Push”
The Eagles have started a massive debate across NFL circles with their dominant QB sneak also known as the tush push. Many people have been saying that the play should be outlawed because it is “not a football play” and it is “unstoppable”. Some have gone as far as to say that defenses should take shots at Jalen Hurts so he will think twice about running the play again.
Commanders Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio said “I’d like to see it eliminated. Not just because they run it better than anybody, which they do, I don’t think it’s a football play. It’s a nice rugby play. It’s not what we’re looking for in football. But until it’s outlawed, we’ll prepare for it and do our best to stop it.” The reality is that other teams have tried to run the play, but they do not have the personnel that the Eagles do. For now, it is legal, and expect the Eagles to run it against Del Rio’s defense.
