Eagles-Commanders matchups to watch in Week 16
Eagles-Commanders matchups to watch in Week 16 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Eagles (9-5) are traveling to Washington to face the Commanders (4-10) in an NFC East battle.
With a win, the Eagles will clinch the division in back-to-back seasons.
Here are some key matchups to watch:
Saquon Barkley vs. a bad run defense
On Sunday, the Eagles had to grind out their 183 rushing yards against the Raiders. That Las Vegas defense came into the weekend with the highest loaded-box percentage in the NFL and then stacked the box even more against the Eagles. The Raiders loaded up the box on 57.4% of their snaps against the Eagles but the Eagles were able to stick with it. Saquon Barkley had 22 carries for 78 yards (3.5) with a long of 17 and a touchdown, while Tank Bigsby had 17 carries for 57 yards (3.4).
The Commanders have the NFL's No. 28-ranked run defense, allowing 136.3 yards per game. They are also 27th in yards-per-attempt, giving up 4.7 per pop. While the Raiders load the box more than any other team in the NFL, the Commanders are 19th in loaded-box percentage at just 21.1%. They have also given up 1.88 yards before contact per attempt, which ranks 29th in the league. This should be a Barkley game.
Jalen Hurts vs. Dan Quinn's defense
After a five-turnover game against the Chargers in Week 14, Jalen Hurts responded in a big way against the Raiders. He didn't have to throw the ball a ton but was really efficient. Hurts completed 12 of 15 passes for 175 yards and 3 touchdowns and also ran for 39 yards on 7 attempts in the 31-0 win. It was a nice bounce-back performance.
This Commanders' defense hasn't been very good this season. They are 26th in points allowed and 31st in yards allowed. They are the 29th-ranked pass defense and the 28th-ranked run defense so it's not like one element is better than the other. They also rank 28th in red zone defense.
Fred Johnson vs. Von Miller
While Von Miller isn't at his peak anymore, the 36-year-old is actually leading the Commanders in sacks with seven and has three in his last four games. Miller also lines up predominantly on the left side of the defensive line, setting up a matchup against the Eagles' right tackle. Miller is a no-doubt future Hall of Famer and leads all active players with 136.5 career sacks, which ranks 12th all time.
This will be Lane Johnson's fifth straight game missed with a Lisfranc sprain in his foot. While the Eagles are still planning on getting him back, it is taking a bit longer than some expected. The good news is that Fred Johnson has played pretty well in his absence. Even though Johnson has been dealing with an ankle injury, he's going to be good to go in this game against an all-time great.
Vic Fangio against Marcus Mariota
The Commanders made the wise decision to shut down franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels for the season after an injury-plagued year. Daniels has been dealing with an elbow injury recently and managed to play in just seven games a year after taking the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game.
This is the second straight game where the Eagles will face one of their former backup quarterbacks and the third time this season. They have already beaten Carson Wentz and Kenny Pickett. Mariota this season has started 7 games and has a 2-5 record, including a win over the Giants last week. In that game, Mariota completed 10 of 19 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 43 yards on 10 attempts. But Mariota has been prone to making some big mistakes at bad times.
Keep an eye on Mariota's ability to run in this game because the Eagles have had some difficulty with scrambling quarterbacks at times this season. The Eagles this season have given up the second-most rushing yards (329) to opposing quarterbacks, behind just the Giants at 357. A couple weeks ago, Justin Herbert scrambled his way for 66 yards in an overtime win. The Eagles also gave up 66 to Patrick Mahomes in Week 2 and gave up 58 to Jaxson Dart in Week 6.
We have to pass rush as a unit, not as individuals and open up seams in between our rushers that he can step up and get through," DC Vic Fangio said. A lot of times he'll scramble up inside just as much as maybe getting outside, and you've got to rush as one."
Eagles linebackers vs. Jacory Crosky-Merrit
The Commanders' leading rusher this year is Jacory Crosky-Merritt, who has 646 yards at 5 touchdowns on 143 attempts this season. Crosky-Merritt has a rushing success rate of 43.4% this season, which ranks 15th in the NFL. He's also just outside the top 10 in yards after contact per attempt, averaging 3.6.
The Eagles had a bad run defense game against the Bears on Black Friday but have rebounded. They gave up 169 rushing yards to the Chargers but 66 of them belonged to Herbert. And last week, they held the Raiders to just 46 yards. That's the fewest they have given up all season.
Jaelan Phillips vs. Josh Conerly
While he has clearly helped the Eagles' defense, Jaelan Phillips has just one sack in six games with the Eagles. Sacks, of course, aren't everything. Phillips has 7 QB hits, 3 TFLs and 4 pass breakups in his six games since the trade too. But Saturday's game could be a chance for him to get a sack or two as he works against the rookie right tackle Josh Conerly.
Conerly, who was the No. 29 overall pick out of Oregon, has started all 14 games for the Commanders this season and has given up the most sacks and pressures of any offensive lineman on their roster. Conerly has been charged with 7 sacks and 37 pressures this season, per PFF. Just seven tackles have given up more pressures league-wide this season.
On the other side, the Commanders have ruled out Laremy Tunsil, which means Brandon Coleman will start in his place. So the Eagles might have opportunities on both sides of the line. It's worth noting that Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith have been playing well recently too.
Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean vs. Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel
The Commanders this week put receiver Noah Brown on Injured Reserve this week so they're already short-handed. But they still have Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel. Here are their numbers this season:
McLaurin: 7 games - 26 catches, 409 yards, 3 TDs
Samuel: 13 games - 65 catches, 604 yards, 5 TDs
Through 15 weeks, Samuel is the Commanders' leading receiver, exactly 100 yards ahead of Zach Ertz, who is out for the rest of the season. Samuel still lines up in the slot way more than outside, so that sets up a battle with Cooper DeJean inside.
On the outside, McLaurin will have to deal with Quinyon Mitchell, who is quietly having one of the best seasons of any cornerback in the NFL this year. While he doesn't have an interception, Mitchell has allowed the lowest catch rate (41.6%) among all qualified corners this season.