Special Teams Ace: P Braden Mann (7 – 361 – 51.5 – 0 – 4 – 64)
****
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: COMMANDERSdid the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Use the Kerrigan Plan: The Eagles barely tried to work the Flats, or throw Outs to the TE. Instead, everything seemed to be “hold ball for 20 seconds and throw deep”. We escaped with the win, but we also had seven punts. Being that inconsistent, is not how to build a championship Offense. (NOT DONE)
2) Force Passes Deep:We did a really good job of keeping them in 3rd and long, and forcing QB Jayden Daniels (18/34 – 52.9% – 164 – 2 – 0) to hold the ball too long, and then just throw passes away. We hardly gave him anywhere easy to go with the ball, and as a result he spent much of the game under 50% passing.(DONE)
3) Blow Up the Middle:We spent much of the game flushing Daniels from the pocket and into bootlegs. Our DE’s however were never able to capitalize on that, mostly due to overrunning their rush and losing outside contain, over and over and over. We got outflanked a lot in this game. That has to get fixed.
While the Commanders did run for 132 yards, it was never in a consistent or reliable sense. Aside from a handful of QB scrambles, their ground game produced just 101 yards on 27 carries (3.7 ypc), with the longest run being 11 yards. Had our Offense not allowed the game to stay so close, the Commanders would have long abandoned the run game. (DONE)
4) Exploit Loaded Boxes: Can’t say that we did this. Then again, I can’t say that they ever loaded the box. With the Eagles lining up WR’s in bunches near the ends of the Offensive Line, it naturally draws defenders closer, in order to cover the receivers.
The result is the defense isn’t spread out, and it makes it that much harder to find room to run. Did you notice how hard it was to generate rushing yards today? (NOT DONE)
++++
This week’s Four Things score was2 of 4. Next week we travel to Tennessee to take on a Titan’s team that just got corn-holed, at home, by the Jets. The Jets! We have no business struggling against the Titans in any fashion.
****
Game Hero: Jalen Hurts – He protected the ball, and made plays with his legs (7 – 46 – 6.5 – 0 – 0) when he was needed to. I said in THE 12: #10 that we would need this from him, and right out of the gate, I was shown to be right.
A.J. who? WR Dontayvion Wicks catches his first touchdown as an Eagle.
Game goat: TheOffensive Line – Penalties and an inability to keep defenders from hitting Barkley in the backfield, handicapped our attack all afternoon. I don’t know yet if this something to blame on the players; or new Offensive Line Coach Chris Kuper; or just the growing pains of switching systems, without the starters playing a single snap in the preseason. (So then, wouldn’t I have to blame Head Coach Nick Sirianni?) Whatever. It’s Week One. Let’s be patient.
At least for now.
On The Whole: We didn’t win this game, so much as we survived it. We spent entirely too much time in Shotgun, when we were told that we’d operate primarily under Center now. Seeing a drawn-up WR Screen, thrown behind the line of scrimmage, was enough to elicit from me, a diatribe of colorful metaphors, questioning the genealogy of our Offensive Coordinator Sean Mannion.
At one point on Facebook, I asked if Sean Mannion was Kevin Patullo’s new legal name. I can’t speak for you, but to me, at times it was hard to see a difference between what we did today, and the shit we rolled out last year.
But! At the end of the day we sit at 1 – 0. Tied for first place in the NFC East; with the 1-0 giants who beat a Cowboys team, that many said would win this division. So yeah… We got work to do.
PHILADELPHIA begins our season with the sacrificing of a division rival. Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni, and Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio return with the goal of another Super Bowl parade, here in Philly. Joining them is rookie Offensive Coordinator Sean Mannion, as he rolls out a vastly different scheme than the Birds have run in the past.
Rookie WR Makai Lemon, joins Super Bowl LIX MVP QB Jalen Hurts, 2024 Offensive Player of the Year RB Saquon Barkley, and future Hall Of Famer RT Lane Johnson, as they revive what became an anemic offense last year.
Despite the offensive woes, the Eagles repeated as NFC East winners, due to the strength of a top Defense. Spearheading that unit are DTJordan Davis and DT Jalen Carter, LB Zack Baun, and CB Quinyon Mitchell.
Playing the part of the sacrifice are the Washington Commanders. Already nursing some bumps and bruises along both their offensive and defensive lines, a match-up against the Eagles is the last thing the doctor would order. This game could get out of hand very quickly.
With a win, we move to 1 – 0 and tied with the winner of the Cowboys/giants game for first place in the NFC East.
A loss would drop us to 0 – 1 and scratching our heads. The truth is, this is a divisional game, so it will likely be hard fought. That said, we just have to go out and take care of business.
****
The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. Often I list fundamentals, as some of the four things.
BUT NO MORE! Unless something specific is needed, fundamentals like Running the ball; playing lots of Man Press; and Tackling instead of going for the strip, will be automatically included. (Like the five consonants and a vowel that Wheel Of Fortune automatically spots you.) So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: The Commanders
TE Dallas Goedert hits paydirt
1) Use the Kerrigan Plan: Yet again this season, the Commanders primary pass rush comes from two OLB’s, who don’t cover. Why do they keep making this so easy, year in and year out!? Passes to the Flats, and Outs into the areas vacated by the rushers, has generally served us well against this rival. No reason to change up until they do.
I’ll be watching when we play 11-personnel, to see if they remove one of those OLB’s or a defensive lineman. I’ll be keeping an eye on that, because it would signal an evolutionary step. They have a new defensive coordinator, and I’m not very familiar with his work. So it’ll be interesting to see how fast he learns.
2) Force Passes Deep: Use a Two Deep Zone with LB’s playing Man Coverage underneath. This may result in a few big plays and penalties, but the idea is to take away quick, easy completions, and make it hard for their offense to be consistent.
3) Blow Up the Middle: We need to blow up the middle of their offensive line. The starters aren’t very talented, and they have injury issues there already. If we cave in their offensive line, it stymies their run game and gets their QB running and throwing from a moving platform. I discussed that plan, in detail, in THE 12.
DT Jordan Davis stops a run before it starts.
Despite their QB having good mobility, we want to get him running. He comes with a lengthy injury history already. In fact, we didn’t play against him last year, because he was injured for both games. We want to get their fragile QB out where he knows danger surrounds him.
4) Exploit Loaded Boxes: The Eagles want their identity to be running the ball, and we have Saquon Barkley, one of the most dangerous, and explosive RB’s in the league. So expect to see some eight man boxes, especially early in the game.
What we need is for Jalen Hurts to identify where that eighth man is being walked up from, and audible to a play that specifically targets the area where the eighth man should have stayed or covered. This sends an immediate message to the opposing defensive coach, and should get them back into seven man fronts again.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
We’re going to be without offseason acquisition DE Jonathan Greenard for at least this week. That makes this a perfect opportunity to get DT Ty Robinson, a few reps at DE, as I mentioned in THE 12.
As far as the Offense goes, expect some growing pains, because everyone is new to running this system. Particularly under game conditions, because Sirianni doesn’t play his starters in the preseason. So expect some missed timing, missed routes, maybe an uncharacteristic turnover.
Again, this is a division rival, so this game could go all the way to the wire. More likely, the Eagles jump all over the Commanders, and it’s ugly from the get-go.
****
WARNING: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know FOOTBALL and that’s it. If you use Four Things as a gambling tool, then you are a fool trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.
AFTER appearing in the NFC Championship game, everyone was sure this would be a Super Bowl team in 2025. Except me. I said they’d regress and go 9 – 8. They did regress. Injuries, a tougher schedule, and a reliance on aging players who couldn’t get over that hump, combined to kill the Commanders season in its crib. Problem is, this season, they face many of the same issues. Just a year older.
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OFFENSE:
The Washington offense
QB:Jayden Daniels 7 starts (114/188 – 60.6% – 1262 – 8 – 3) (58 – 278 – 4.7 – 2 – 3) He was limited to less than half a season due to a knee sprain, a hamstring sprain, and a dislocated (non-throwing) elbow. Which he later re-aggravated, leading to the coaches shutting him down for the last three games. He played through a broken rib in 2024, starting all 17 games.
The kind of damage he’s taking, isn’t simple wear and tear. While he shows a great deal of maturity, poise and ability, the number one ability in sports, is availability. While his toughness isn’t in question, his durability clearly is. Going forward it has to be.
Marcus Mariota 8 starts (139/227 – 61.2% – 1695 – 10 – 7) (50 – 297 – 5.9 – 1 – 6) In the right situation, he’d be a dangerous back-up. Washington is not that situation. However, at 32 what he still brings to a team is sound judgment, and a set of wheels that are still getting him 30 and 40 yard runs. So he provides enough dynamism to give an offensive coordinator the ability to throw in a wrinkle or two. (+)
RB: Rookie “Bill” Jacory Croskey-Merritt (175 – 805 – 4.6 – 8 – 4 \ 13 – 9 – 68 – 7.5 – 0) rocketed up the depth chart after being drafted in the 7th round. Failing to post 70 rushing yards in 13 of the 17 games he played, helped chain his team to their 5 – 12 record. It would not be weird to see a third round draft pick spent here.
Jeremy Nichols (44 – 221 – 5.0 – 1 – 1 \ 31 – 25 – 196 – 7.8 – 0) played in all 17 games last year, and may see a larger role in 2026. Or he may not, with the addition of Rachaad White from Tampa Bay. Jerome Ford is a refugee from the failed state that is the Browns. (-)
TE: Ben Sinnott (12 – 11 – 114 – 10. 3 – 1) could be the new starter in 2026. He hasn’t done much in two seasons, but he’s a second round pick, so he’ll get a chance to prove that he belongs. John Bates (16 – 11 – 103 – 9.4 – 1) is a back-up and a blocker, as is Colson Yankoff (3 – 2 – 18 – 9.0 – 0). And yes, that’s his real last name. (-)
WR: Allowed their top receiver from 2025 to walk. Terry McLaurin (60 – 38 – 582 – 15.3 – 3) due to an injured and re-injured quad, missed 7 non-consecutive games last year. (More than the total that he’d missed in his career.) While he played the final 6 weeks of the season, he did not finish strong.
Jaylin Lane (32 – 16 – 225 – 14.0 – 0) and Luke McCaffrey (15 – 11 – 203 – 18.4 – 3) contributed as youngsters last season, and will be expected to step up in 2026. The Commanders seem to think they’ve found something in Treylon Burk (22 – 10 – 130 – 13.0 – 1), so they re-signed him in free agency. A star on the decline and three unproven youngsters. (-)
OT: Josh Conerly is the young cornerstone of the Commanders line. He started every game as a rookie last year, but the Commanders offense struggled, all season long. Laremy Tunsil started 14 games in his first year with the team. Whether he will be the 2026 starter, or whether the Commanders will roll the dice on the youth movement; to give Brandon Coleman a shot at the job, remains to be seen. Sam Cosmi is rumored to be a cut candidate. (+)
OG: Chris Paul started 15 games last season, which was the biggest opportunity he’d gotten in his four year career. Nick Allegretti and Andrew Wylie may have to compete for the other starting spot. Both have been starters, but neither has exactly shined. This may allow undrafted, second year men, Tyler Cooper and Timothy McKay to also enter that mix. (-)
C: Julian Good-Jones is the only player listed at the position. He’s been in the NFL since 2020, is 29 years old, and has played exactly two snaps in his entire career. Last year. The Commanders literally don’t have another player on the roster who is more qualified to start. (-)
In A Nutshell: Fragile QB, weak receivers, and a bad interior line. If this team regresses, don’t act surprised. (-)
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DEFENSE:
DE: Dorrance Armstrong (24 – 5.5 – 0 – 0 ) seems like he’ll be the only serious holdover from last season. He played seven games last year, before a knee injury ended his season. K’Lavon Chaisson is a free agent from the Patriots, coming off a career-high 7.5 sacks. In each of the last three seasons Chaisson has increased his sack number, and the Commanders are banking on that for 2026.
Veteran presence Charles Omenihu comes over from Kansas City. Both Drake Jackson (3 – 0 – 0 – 0) and Javontae Jean-Baptiste (6 – 1.0 – 0 – 0) were both on the team last year, but they don’t look like they factor much into future plans. Pretty sure a draft pick gets spent here in the first two rounds this year. (-)
DT: Javon Kinlaw (43 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) started every game last season, but probably wasn’t as productive as the team would have liked. Daron Payne (46 – 3.0 – 0 – 0) added 5 batted passes while starting all but two games. Jer’Zhan Newton (38 – 5.0 – 0 – 0) had a mixed bag as a rookie. While his pass rush help was welcome, he was sort of liability vs the run.
The Commanders are hoping that former Texan, free agent Tim Settle will bring some the swagger that Houston’s defense showed last season, when Settle started twelve games. Rickey Barber (5 – 1.0 – 0 – 0) and Shy Tuttle (4 tackles) are deep reserves. (-)
OLB: Frankie Luvu (86 – 3.0 – 0 – 0) has seen his solo tackles slide for the third year in a row. This is despite starting every game, and logging a career-high 1107 snaps on defense. Decline has set in. Irrefutably. Jordan Magee (54 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) made eight starts, but didn’t do much with them. Nick Bellore (12 tackles) is a Special Teamer who sometimes plays FB.
Looking to beef up their defensive playmaking, the Commanders added a few free agents. Leo Chenal (K.C.) who has a history of playing every position upfront. Odafe Oweh (Chargers) was added to punch up the pass rush, since he’s been productive at that, throughout his career. DJ Johnson (Carolina) is listed at this position, but they may try him at End. (-)
MLB: Okay, here’s what’s going on. Bobby Wagner (162 – 4.2 – 2 – 0) isn’t on the roster. He’s a free agent right now, and the “door is open” for his return. But he’s not here now. So lets look at who is.
Ale Kaho (5 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) has just 5 tackles in his career. Kain Medrano (5 – 0.0 – 0 – 1) has just 5 tackles in his career. The Commanders need to stop lying to themselves about having options, and call in a dump truck of money for Wagner. (-)
S: Quan Martin (99 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) sees his tackles go up each year, as his interceptions go down. Will Harris (38 – 1.0 – 0 – 0) didn’t have a great year in his first year as a Commander. Jeremy Reaves (91 – 1.0 – 1 – 0) got to start eight games and had his best year.
Nick Cross was brought over in free agency from the Colts, to try to resuscitate this Secondary. Meanwhile Tyler Owens (13 tackles), and Percy Butler (14 tackles) will remain back-ups. (-)
CB: Mike Sainristil (85 – 0.0 – 4 – 0) has started reliably. How he’s played has been another story. The club is convinced the issue is the lack of help around him, so they spent some money this offseason. Rookie Trey Amos (32 tackles) saw eight starts, so the question is ‘can he elevate his game this year?’
Ahkello Witherspoon comes over from the Rams on a minor prove it contract; but it’s free agent Amik Robertson who may be the straw that stirs this drink from the slot. Tre Hawkins and Darius Rush are also on the roster. Two of their three top players here, just had to be added. They have more talent, but they still have to see if it works out. (-)
In A Nutshell: There are literally no strong parts to this unit. Expect a rough year. (-)
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SPECIAL TEAMS:
P: Tress Way (56 – 47.3 – 4 – 29) putting over half of his punts inside the 20 was a hidden gem in the Commanders lost 2025 season. (+)
K: Jake Moody (10/11 – 90.9% – 10/11 – 90.9%) spent 2025 on three rosters, finally ending up here. For what it’s worth, he’s the only player on the roster at the position today. (+)
In A Nutshell: It’s not exciting to look at, but the stability here will keep this team in games closer than they should be. (+)
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BOTTOM LINE:
They lost production from last season. Didn’t make any free agent splashes, and are without a second and fourth round pick in this draft. Where is the boost supposed to come from? Prediction: 5 – 12
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for theseFour Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: COMMANDERS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Start Tanner McKee:That is precisely what happened, and there is good news and bad news, as a result.
First, the bad news. Had McKee won the game and looked like the phenom that he did last year, we could have used him as trade bait for QB hungry teams. Instead he lost, while displaying little mobility, or improvisational talent, while looking more like a typical back-up.
The good news. If he’s still here when his contract expires, there’s now a decent chance that we can re-sign him ourselves. Make no mistake, this game cost McKee an easy opportunity and likely millions of dollars. Without another chance to prove himself in 2026, he won’t have a body of work that teams can project into being a starter.
I said that we should let QB Sam Howelltake the fourth quarter, so we could get a look at our future back-up. However, as I mentioned when discussing McKee, due to the missed opportunity, I’m pretty sure that we did get a look at our back-up. (DONE)
2) Chase the Yards: I wanted the Eagles to play WR DeVonta Smith, so that he could get the 44 yards that he needed, to reach 1,000 receiving yards on the season. He played and he got 52.
I also wanted to see RB Tank Bigsby get a start and maybe get 100 rushing yards. Well, he rushed for 75 with a touchdown, and added a 31 yard catch and run. So he had 106 total yards on the day. I mentioned that a sighting of RB A.J. Dillon (1 – 1 – 3 – 3.0 – 0) would be welcomed, and he caught the only ball thrown to him. (DONE)
3) Get A Long Look: There were certain players that I had my eye on in this game.
On Defense, DT Ty Robinson (3 tackles) got washed around a lot early, but then seemed to find his legs later on. CB Jakorian Bennett (1 tackle) gave up two pass interference penalties. Both were in the endzone, setting the Commanders up at the 1 yard line, and eventually becoming touchdowns. MLB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (12 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) was all over the place. A run stuff, a tackle for loss, a QB knockdown. He’s excellent depth to have
On Offense, WR Darius Cooper (5 – 3 – 33 – 11.0 – 0) got the five targets I’d hoped he get, and he proved reliable as a blocker. He also got flagged on a bullshit taunting call early in the game. TE Cam Latu(no stats) still has yet to see an NFL target in his career. He did help clear space for Bigsby’s touchdown run, though. (DONE)
4) Don’t Shy Away From Kicking:We didn’t, and everything that left K Jake Elliott’s toe, ended up between the uprights. (DONE)
++++
This week’s Four Things score was 4 of 4, mostly because I already was sure that back-ups would play, so I wrote this accordingly. That wraps the season at 11 – 5, as division winners, and the #3 seed in the playoffs. Now we go to start preparing to host the 49ers next week.
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Game Hero: OLB Jalyx Hunt – Intercepted a ball and recovered a bad snap, to earn two turnovers in this game. He ends the season with 6.5 sacks (team leader) and 3 interceptions (team leader). The thing is, though he’s listed at OLB, he’s actually more of a DE, which makes those interceptions all the more impressive.
Game goat: Our CB’s – The Eagles were flagged for 4 pass interference penalties. Three of which set-up first and goals at the one yard line. And don’t get me started on Kelee Ringo(5 – 0 – 0 – 0) running away from the Commanders QB, and he ran into the end zone
On The Whole: Our back-ups went toe-to-toe with starters, and we were in the game until the final incompletion. The only group that I saw out there that worries me, is our CB’s. Or more to the point, our reserve CB’s. Whether they were setting up first and goal situations for the Commanders, or running away from a touchdown scoring ball-carrier, they looked like they didn’t belong on an NFL roster.
Regarding QB Tanner McKee, some of the balls he threw were high, and some were behind the receivers. In all truth, he just seemed like he was doing to much as the game wore on. Given all the career opportunities that were riding on his performance in this game, it’s easy to understand why he might have been pressing.
I don’t want to hand-wring about the play-calling this week, for a myriad of different reasons. Suffice it to say, a passing attack that features more than one concept at a time, might apply more stress to the coverages we’ll see, starting next week.
WINNING the NFC East last week, clinched at least one home playoff game for us. Now that we’re assured of at least the #3 seed, we are resting some starters and manufacturing a Bye Week for ourselves. This is beyond smart.
We beat the Commanders two weeks ago, and because after a touchdown, we went for a two point conversion instead of the extra point, they implied that we were running up the score. (Over a point!) Their coach said something like ‘if that’s how they want it, we’ll see them in two weeks.’
I don’t know if that was his way of hinting at putting bounties on our guys, or what. In any case, it’s better that we don’t risk key players, against a team playing for nothing, which also doesn’t have to worry about suspensions that could derail their current season.
With a win, we would finish at 12 – 5 (the record that I predicted in August). Note: Depending on the outcome of the Bears/Lions game we could end up as the #2 seed in the Conference.
With a loss, we stand on 11 – 6, settle for the #3 seed and host at least one playoff game.
****
The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. Often I list fundamentals, as some of the four things. BUT NO MORE! Unless something specific is needed, fundamentals like Running the ball; playing lots of Man Press; and Tackling instead of going for the strip, will be automatically included. (Like the five consonants and a vowel that Wheel Of Fortune automatically spots you.) So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the Commanders.
QB Tanner McKee contributes to our 41 – 7 win over Dallas.
[pic]
1) Start Tanner McKee: The rookie contract for QB Tanner McKee is up after the 2026 season. He’s talented, he wants to play, and he knows there’s no way we’ll elevate him above Hurts. In a nutshell, he won’t be resigning with us after 2026. So, if we’re smart, we’ll trade him ASAP (before the Draft). Before an injury (or a headline) can lower his trade value.
During the last game of last year, McKee guided back-ups to victory over the giants starters. If he can match that feat again on Sunday… For teams like the Steelers, Jets, Falcons, and Cardinals, a proven player like McKee, paired with our 2026 first rounder (we don’t need another first round contract, right now), could be worth a lot of future draft capital
Give McKee three quarters, then play QB Sam Howellfor the final one. If we trade McKee prior to the Draft, having a veteran, back-up QB already in harness, would be the smartest move. In regards to searching for a back-up, Howell (who is on an expiring contract), is as good a jumping off point as any. If he plays well Sunday, ink him for two to four years, and be able to trade McKee with full confidence in our QB room.
2) Chase the Yards:He doesn’t have to play the whole game, but let’s get WR DeVonta Smith the 44 yards that he needs to get to 1,000 yards on the season. Just a bunch of routes that let him get out of bounds, or get down quickly. No need for him to be a hero. Just get the yards, and go change into street clothes at the half.
RB Tank Bigsby rushed for 104 yards vs the giants in this game
It would also be great to see RB Tank Bigsby get a start and another 100 yard rushing day. I would also welcome an appearance from RB A.J. Dillon. I feel like we already have a sense of what RB Will Shipleycan be with the ball in his hands, and I’m extremely not impressed.
3) Get A Long Look:There are a handful of defensive back-ups, that I really would like a good look at. Players like rookie DT Ty Robinson, LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr., and CB Jakorian Bennett finally getting to start a real game, here. Offensively, it’d be great to see WR Darius Cooperget five targets, as well as a couple of balls to TE Cam Latu, who has yet to see a single target in his career.
We need a sense of how these young players measure up against full-time starters. If we have players instead of just bodies in those spots, we’re less dependent of drafting depth, overspending for free agents, or reaching on old players with baggage or lengthy injury histories.
4) Don’t Shy Away From Kicking:We need to know before the playoffs, just how hard we can lean on K Jake Elliott. He’s again had a shaky season, but if we can show some confidence in him, maybe it will help him past his yips. If it doesn’t, then the coaching staff knows they have to compensate with the play-calling, for not being able to trust his foot.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
Our advancement to the two seed partially depends on the outcome of another game, which we cannot influence in any way. So, while winning this game would be nice, it can’t be our only focus. We should use this game as a tool for inflating the trade value of some of our players, and to discern the difference between quality depth and bodies.
****
WARNING: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know FOOTBALL and that’s it. If you use Four Things as a gambling tool, then you are a fool trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.
Drive Killer: CB Cooper DeJean(TD: 0/Int: 1/ FR: 0/ 4th down stops: 0/ FF: 0)
Sack Leader: DE Brandon Graham(Sacks:1.0/ FF: 0/ Tackles: 1)
Special Teams Ace: N/A
****
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Thingsarticles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: COMMANDERS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Exploit Age On the Perimeter: I mentioned working in a couple of Pitch/Toss runs and we did. Most notably on the 22 yard touchdown run by RB Tank Bigsby (4 – 37 – 9.2 – 1 – 0), in the fourth quarter, that salted the game away. I also mentioned working in a Jet Sweep. It wasn’t exactly a Sweep, but we did use WR DeVonta Smith (8 – 6 – 42 – 7.0 – 1) on a Shovel pass and run to the edge, that lost a yard.
As far as using the C/RG hole to run behind, I counted 7 hand-offs. One that went for double digits. In this case I wasn’t counting yards, but it was still a box hat we checked off. (DONE)
2) Exploit the Loaded Boxes:With the Eagles using fewer receiver bunch formations, the Commanders couldn’t quite pack the box, like teams have been doing for almost a year now. Our Offensive Line wasn’t looking at a man (or a man and a half) in every gap, so, Saquon started plays with time to at least reach the line.
TE Dallas Goedert hits paydirt
Commanders OLB Von Miller (1 tackle) was virtually invisible as a pass rusher in this game, and outlet passes to TE Dallas Goedert (3 – 3 – 32 – 10.6 – 1) and WR Jahan Dotson (3 – 3 – 13 – 4.3 – 0) were there for the taking, as every pass thrown to them, was completed.We took advantage of the few opportunities to exploit loaded boxes, that we were presented with.(DONE)
3) Stay Fresh Up Front: Washington came out playing No Huddle, but we still managed to get guys on and off the field okay. Until they got inside our 20 and then kept running it inside of our five yard line. They scored a touchdown on that drive.
Otherwise, we managed substitutions pretty well. Partly because, when the Commanders back-up QB (who had started this game) was knocked out of the game; they continued to try running the No Huddle with their third stringer. Which at times blew up in their faces, and then gave us opportunities to make substitutions. (DONE)
4) Force Longer Passes:We gave up a 40 yard pass that led to a later touchdown, and a pass interference in the end zone that led to another touchdown. Those were the kind of big plays that I said we risked giving up, with this strategy. However, we consistently took away options that would have let them be consistent.
CB Cooper DeJean intercepts a pass.
We took scrambling off the board, as the Commanders QB’s combined for 0 rushing yards on 2 carries. As far as passing they were 12/23 – 52.1% – 130 – 0 – 1. At no point were they allowed to be consistent, and so they eventually fell out of the game. (DONE)
++++
This week’s Four Things score was 4 of 4. This is the third week in a row like this, and one of the weeks was a loss. It feels weird, but this is what’s happening. Next week we head up north, in a measuring stick game vs the Bills. That game isn’t about winning or losing. It’s about looking at where our Offense truly is, when the other team is good at scoring.
****
Game Hero: Defensive Co-ordinator Vic Fangio – It wasn’t “just the Raiders”. This was a division rival, that knows us well. Big deal. Fangio’s defense held them to 130 yards passing, and 91 rushing. For perspective, Washington averages 191 passing yards and 137 rushing yards, per game. Both are modest numbers, and we managed to keep them from even that.
Game goat: Special Teams – This game featured a Kick Returner fumbling the opening kickoff; a Punt Returner who is no threat to bring one back; and a Kicker with the yips. Aside from the onside recovery, this unit was an outright embarrassment.
On The Whole:
I liked the physicality that I saw in this game. From Saquon’s man-sized touchdown run, to the brawl after our fourth quarter two-point conversion. It was nice to see the Eagles fired up and dominating up front.
DT Jordan Davis tackle for loss.
Speaking of which, DT Jordan Davis (6 tackles, 2 for losses) seemed to single-handedly shutdown the Commanders run game. Davis of course had plenty of help, but every time you looked up, there he was. Blocking out the sun. Looking like a king-sized mattress with the number 90 printed on it. Totally engulfing ball carriers. Kick-ass!
TOTAL domination! It was a blowout/shutout, where we allowed just 75 yards all game long, while scoring 31 points. We adjusted to the weather, and instead of throwing it a ton, we ran for 183 yards, controlling the clock for 39 minutes. We responded well to what was happening around us, and stayed in control of what we could control. For example, not playing down to the opponent.
This week’s opponent, the 4 – 10 Commanders, didn’t build enough foundation in the off-season. Now injury, age, and a lack of depth, have them already eliminated from playoff contention. Usually teams like that want to play spoiler. However, with nine other teams with records of 4 – 10 or worse, the Commanders coaching staff may tank to keep or improve their top ten spot in the upcoming Draft.
A win moves us to 10 – 5, clinching both the 2025 NFC East title and a playoff berth.
A loss holds us to 9 – 6. While we would still be in the lead to win the division, we would make things much more complicated for ourselves.
****
The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. Often I list fundamentals, as some of the four things. BUT NO MORE! Unless something specific is needed, fundamentals like Running the ball; playing lots of Man Press; and Tackling instead of going for the strip, will be automatically included. (Like the five consonants and a vowel that Wheel Of Fortune automatically spots you.) So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the COMMANDERS.
RB Saquon Barkley rips off a 60 yard TD run.
1) Exploit Age On the Perimeter:Between the Commanders starting DE’s and OLB’s, the respective ages are 33, 30, 29 and 36. Let’s get a couple of toss/pitch runs to RB Saquon Barkley, and maybe a Jet Sweep to WR Jahan Dotson. Let’s challenge any steps those defenders may have lost to age, as well as stress their joints with change of direction.
That’s not to say that we shouldn’t test the middle. We need to. Especially between C Cam Jurgens and RG Tyler Steen. We haven’t had much success running there this season. If opponents see us avoid trying to, it makes us easier to scheme against. There are no yardage goals here, but let’s get for at least four runs in that hole, to assess later.
2) Exploit the Loaded Box: The leading pass rusher for the Commanders is OLB Von Miller with 7 sacks. They like to play him over the RT. He has no real coverage responsibilities and doesn’t make plays in that phase of the game. Quick completions outside to TE Dallas Goedertshould be easy.
In the event that the Commanders rock and roll their Safeties, that should put their one player in Single-high coverage and leave their RCB in one-on-one. If we see that early, we need to test that early. Otherwise, lean on the run, throw to Goedert when he’s open, and let the clock keep ticking.
3) Stay Fresh Up Front: You may not know it, but the #4 rushing attack in the league belongs to the Commanders. They don’t have one scary player, instead it’s a group effort. Mobile QB, fresh RB’s cycling in and out. (None of whom are great receivers.)
We need to counter that with staying fresh up front. Keep a close eye and when they sub, we sub. Their RB’s aren’t more talented than our defenders. So it makes no sense to allow them clutch plays, just because we got tired. Rotate our stock out there.
4) Force Longer Passes:If we play Cover Two and take away most of the quick underneath stuff, early in the game, it will also aid us in limiting yards off of QB scrambles. This places a lot of emphasis on making tackles at the catch point.
OLB Zack Baun punches the ball out for a turnover.
It also invites the possibility of the Commanders hitting on big plays, in front of their home crowd. So it comes with a little risk. That said, QB Marcus Mariota isn’t exactly known for accuracy, and even if their LT plays, his oblique injury will keep him from being anywhere close to 100%.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
Players play for pride, and many Commanders players are at this point, auditioning for jobs next year. So winning matters to them. Commanders coaches on the other hand, may be itching to move as far up as possible in next years Draft, to start being able to build around QB Jayden Daniels.
While I don’t expect the Commanders to just roll over for us, we may not get their best effort, top to bottom. I don’t care. I just want to clinch this playoff berth. We’d do them a favor by winning, and they’d do us a favor by losing. So, let’s go pick up this “W”, and start officially working on our bid to get RT Lane Johnson and DE Brandon Graham, their third Super Bowl wins.
****
WARNING: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know FOOTBALL and that’s it. If you use Four Things as a gambling tool, then you are a fool trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.
Note: Like lasts year’s article, this one is a weeks late. Unlike last year’s article, I still got it in before the season started. I was waiting to see how the holdouts of Commanders WR Terry McLaurin, and Cowboys LB Micah Parsons worked out, so I had an idea of how to stack those two teams. Well, I guess the Cowboys set us all straight on that one!
Strongest Offense: PHILADELPHIA – Aside from a lack of depth at TE, the Eagles are set across the board. They have possibly the best O-Line in football; one of the deepest WR rooms in the league; a generational talent at RB; and a QB who just keeps winning. Shove in an unstoppable short yardage play, and they are practically without weakness.
Weakest Offense: NEW YORK – Their starting QB is four losses away from being benched in favor of a rookie who had a nice preseason. Their RB room (long on effort, short on talent) has “high apple pie in the sky hopes”. The WR’s played in this system last year and were anything but dangerous. With a vet they might improve, but if a rookie gets out there… TE is a car crash, but worst of all is a the o-line, which is shaky everywhere but Center.
Strongest Defense: PHILADELPHIA – While some players were lost to free agency, the number two defense in the NFL was A) already starting from a position of strength (unlike their division rivals), and B) did a good job of restocking the cupboard. (Except at CB.)The Eagles are absolutely loaded up front, and the Safety problem is more about choosing a style, and not about a lack of talent. The Eagles wanted to have two stars at CB, but the second position is manned by good not great players.
Weakest Defense: DALLAS – Last year they had the 31st ranked defense in the NFL. Then they traded away Parsons, on the doorstep of the season, at at time when they can’t do anything to mitigate the loss. Now they have a bunch of well paid defensive backs, who will be playing behind less pressure up front. Unless the Cowboys have a huge surprise up their sleeve, this will again be one of the worst units in the sport.
Strongest Special Teams: DALLAS – Their Kicker has the strongest leg in the division, and he doesn’t have a history of being spotty. The Eagles have the best Punter, but taken as a pair, the legs in Dallas have the edge.
Weakest Special Teams: WASHINGTON – What put the Commanders here, is bringing an indoor Kicker to the outdoors, in the Mid-Atlantic region, during Fall/Winter weather. Did I mention that he struggles from 50+?
Projected Winner: PHILADELPHIA – By a country mile. The NFC East should have it’s first repeat winner since 2004, when the Eagles secured a fourth straight division crown.
Darkhorse Winner: WASHINGTON – Even with as bad as their defense is, they at least don’t appear to be trying to tank the 2025 season. If the Eagles stumble, the Commanders could have a puncher’s chance at keeping the “No Repeat” streak, alive.
Sisyphus- (Oops!) Washington, now that Dan Snyder is gone.
LOST NFC Championship Game, 12 – 5, 2nd place in NFC East, pspg 28.5 (5th) papg 23.0 (18th)
Washington was by far the surprise team of the 2024 season. Capitalizing on a last place schedule, and a rookie QB playing better than anyone could have anticipated; the Commanders made a deep run in the playoffs. They even out-dueled the #1 seeded Detroit, 45 – 31. A week later, the eventual Super Bowl Champions the Philadelphia Eagles, would annihilate Washington 55 – 23, and give them much to consider in the off-season.
Heading into the pre-season, this is how things look today:
QB: Jayden Daniels (331 – 480 – 69.0 – 3568 – 25 – 9) started all 17 games, while battling through broken ribs, suffered in Week 7. He ran for 891 yards and 6 scores, with a win/loss record of 12-5. But pump the brakes. That record could have just as easily been 8-9. His four game winning drives (Bears, giants, Eagles, and Cowboys) look good on paper, but the circumstances in each of those games will tell a very different story.
But that still leaves eight clear wins over the Bengals, Saints, Panthers, Titans, giants, Cardinals, Falcons, and Browns, right? Well, none of those teams made the playoffs. In fact, Daniels generally ceased to be a difference maker, whenever the opponent had a playoff caliber QB on the field. All early indications are positive, but demonstrated consistency is needed here.
Marcus Mariota returns as the back-up. The role looks to fit him well. He’s not asked to do too much when he’s asked to play, and he still has good mobility even at 31. Sam Hartman was an undrafted rookie, added to the roster last year; and for some reason, the well-traveled Josh Johnson was added to the roster, this year. (+)
RB: Brian Robinson (187 – 799 – 4.3 – 8) scares absolutely nobody. In three seasons he has never run for 800 yards in any one of them. He is not a game-breaker. He’s a big, “pound the ball between the Tackles” type. For explosive plays, the team is counting on Austin Ekeler (77 – 367 – 4.8 – 4 / 35 – 366 – 10.5 – 0). Surely, they’ll be looking to get him more than just 112 touches this season.
Providing depth is Jeremy McNichols (55 – 261 – 4.7 – 4) who is coming off a career year in 2024, having finally had his first career start after seven years, and four prior rosters. The Commanders also have third year man Chris Rodriguez (35 – 173 – 4.9 – 2). Putting together 354 – 1,600 – 4.5 – 18 between four guys, with their front line in a state of flux, may be the most slept-on story in the division. (+)
WR: Terry McLaurin (82 – 1096 – 13.4 – 13) saw a career-highs in both touchdown catches, and catch percentage (70.1). More importantly, he seems to have developed a real rapport with the guy throwing him the ball. So his current contract hold-out/hold-in/trade request isn’t too surprising. He’s currently still under contract, so I’m including him here.
WT Terry McLaurin being shown the money.
Meanwhile, when San Fran showed Deebo Samuel (51 – 670 – 13.1 – 3) the door, Washington couldn’t simp and give him a truckload of money fast enough. Even though his game is more suited to the slot, they want him to be a #2. Partly because overpaying a slot would be silly. Right Dallas?
Speaking of not showing up in the playoffs, Noah Brown (35 – 453 – 12.9 – 1) is back from the kidney injury that ended his 2024 campaign, in Week 13. Michael Gallup (no stats) is back from retirement. Further depth includes Luke McCaffery (18 – 168 – 9.3 – 0) and a handful of camp bodies and rookies, like 4th rounder Jaylin Lane.
There isn’t a legit #2 here, and the group is built as if the focus, is to capitalize on yards after the catch. That portends a lot of receivers taking big hits from Linebackers and Safeties. Which brings into question how healthy they’ll be, by the time we start with the Fall family gatherings. Once again, it’s basically McLaurin and then a big drop-off. (-)
TE:Zach Ertz(66 – 654 – 9.9 – 7) found the fountain of youth in 2024, while playing security blanket with his rookie passer. That said, with him being 34, the time to pivot to second year Ben Sinnott (5 – 28 – 5.6 – 1) should be this season. Nobody spends a 2nd round pick on a TE, without plans for him, and while John Bates is a tough sumbitch, he’s not a receiving threat. At the bottom of the barrel are Cole Turner and Tyree Jackson. (-)
OT: In order to keep the Broken Rib fairy away from their QB, Washington traded with Houston for LT Laremy Tunsil. He’s been a perennial Pro Bowler (for whatever that’s worth anymore), while dominating in the AFC South against the Colts, Jags, and Titans. All while playing in a dome. In a warm climate. The NFC East will offer him none of that.
Taking snaps (so far) at RT, is 1st rounder Josh Conerly. This makes for a brand new pair of starters on the ends. In 2024 it was RT Andrew Wylie, and (rookie) LT Brandon Coleman. Wylie took a pay cut in March, just to keep a job. Coleman is looking for an open seat anywhere on the line. Behind them, are a couple of career back-ups, and undrafted rookie Timothy McKay.
Nice bed. Be a shame if someone…
While the new starters may be talented, how they adapt to a new team, and system, are all question marks. Last year’s starters shit the bed hard enough to cause the team to wipe the slate and start all over. If the reserves have to step in, there can’t be a ton of confidence there. So until they prove otherwise… (-)
OG: Offensive line coach Bobby Johnson, may have as many as four new starters up front, going into this season. Last year it was LG Nick Allegretti and RG Sam Cosmi. This year Brandon Coleman is getting a look at LG, and Andrew Wylie seems to have been demoted to utility player.
Allegretti and Cosmi are still in the mix to start, but it’s a mix. Especially with Cosmi still rehabbing a blown ACL. Johnson completely re-tooling the line that he assembled last year, tells you how deeply disappointed he was. The real question here is, is this position any more talented than it was a year ago? The flat answer is, no. (-)
C: Tyler Biadasz is the anchor of this line, and he’s clearly the player that it’s being built around. He isn’t flashy, but he’s a consistent and stabilizing presence. He’s also the only player listed at this position. Michael Dieter is listed at G, but he’s got eight career starts in the pivot. So depth here is a mild concern. (+)
In A Nutshell: If the line doesn’t gel quickly, this offense is cooked.
DEFENSE
DE: Finally a starter (fifteen starts) Dorance Armstrong (39 – 5.0 – 0 – 0) was supposed to take a major leap forward. What happened is, he was less productive than when he was a back-up. Clellin Ferrell(26 – 3.5 – 0 – 0) also failed to be a game-changer despite his ten starts. Seeing low production from their starters (8.5 sacks), Washington decided to make a major move...
They gave a roster spot to what’s left of Von Miller. He’s collected 6 sacks in the last two years, as a situational player. Further depth looks like second year Jacob Martin (15 – 3.0 – 0 – 0); Javonte Jean-Baptiste (13 – 1.0 – 0 – 0); Andre Jones (1 tackle); and Viliami Fehoko, who was drafted in the 4th round in 2023, but has bounced around practice squads since then. (-)
DT: Jonathan Allen (Minnesota) was allowed to walk, breaking up the dynamic duo that was he and Daron Payne (42 – 4.0 – 0 – 0). Stepping up to be Payne’s new running mate, is Jer’Zhan Newton (44 – 2.0 – 0 – 1) who had eleven starts in 2024, due to Allen being injured. Newton was drafted last year to give Washington more interior pass rush and be a disruptor, but so far he’s “less of an asset” against the run.
Adding Javon Kinlaw (40 – 4.5 – 0 – 1) from the Jets, could be a good move, depending on which version of him shows up most of the time. NT Eddie Goldman came over from the Falcons, (probably as bulk vs the Brotherly Shove). He can anchor against the run, but no one is worried about his pass rush. Maybe that’s whyDeatrich Wise (20 – 5.0 – 0 – 0) was added from the Patriots? Lots of experience, but there’s a lot of high mileage, new parts to blend. (-)
I/MLB: In 2024, Bobby Wagner (132 – 2.0 – 0 – 2) recorded his lowest tackle total since 2015. That’s despite starting all seventeen games. Whether it was because it was his first year in the system, or because he was 34, is the question. Given the lack of clear depth behind him, that’s not a good question to have.
Right now, second year man Jordan Magee (9 tackles), would be the first man off the bench in case of injury to Wagner. However, he only saw 15 snaps in 2024. Further depth looks like possibly 6th rounder Kain Medrano, or undrafted rookies Kam Arnold and Ale Kaho. Nick Bellore is a Special Teamer who also plays FB. (-)
LB Frankie Luvu jumps offsides, trying to stop the Eagles Brotherly Shove play.
OLB: Frankie Luvu (99 – 8.0 – 1 – 2) had career-highs in sacks (8), and passes defensed (7). Despite Dante Fowler and his 10.5 sacks going back to Dallas, there doesn’t seem to be a hard set plan for re-stocking the other starting spot.
Instead, Washington is hoping that Dominique Hampton, a 5th roundtweener from last year’s Draft, can replace Jeremy Chinn (Las Vegas), who played a hybrid role, as a box FS/LB. You didn’t read that wrong. This is what’s happening. This is who they have, and they’re serious about rolling this out. (-)
S: Quan Martin (87 – 0.0 – 1 – 0 ) also added 3 forced fumbles last year, during his sixteen starts. They added free agent Will Harris from the Saints. With 3 career interceptions in six years, Harris isn’t exactly a ball-hawk or a game changer. He does however, bring a much needed veteran presence to a very inexperienced group.
Percy Butler (47 tackles) had five starts last year, but he had thirteen the year before. Instead of relying on him, Washingtonadded a veteran. Below Butler are undrafted Tyler Owens (who doesn’t believe in Space or other planets); undrafted college special teamer Ben Nikkel; and undrafted rookie Robert McDaniel. (-)
CB: Mike Sainristil (93 – 0.0 – 2 – 1) saw sixteen starts as a rookie last year. It started out rough, but he played through, and by season’s end, the improvement was apparent. Marshon Lattimore (4 tackles) came over in a midseason trade. He only played two games due to a hamstring injury, which he blamed for his poor performance. BUT! If we’re going to keep it 100, he’s been a shell of himself since 2022.
Noah Igbinoghene (55 tackles) having defected from Dallas last year, now has two years of this system under his belt. Jonathan Jones (Patriots) is very experienced, especially in the slot. Add a handful of young guys, which include two undrafted rookies, and you have the makings of… A mess. This is a mess. It’s one decent player, a guy who’s washed, an old slot guy, a bench warmer, and camp bodies. This is a mess. (-)
In A Nutshell : Aside from possibly Kinlaw, no clear move was made to improve this unit.
SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Free agent signee Matt Gay has no competition on the roster. The gig is obviously his, despite him being 11/22 from 50+ yards, over the last two seasons. Did I mention he played the last two seasons in Indianapolis? Yes, a place with a dome. In fact, 8 of those 11 misses were in a dome. However, he was 28/28 from 49 yards or less. So he’s solid, but not clutch. (+)
P: Tress Way only had to punt 50 times last season, which helped keep his leg fresh enough to raise his average punt to 46.9 from 46.0 the previous year. He won’t set the world on fire, but he’s solid. (+)
In a Nutshell: Washington is solidly going the Gay Way in 2025.
BOTTOM LINE: At the end of January, no one was expecting this team to shell out 60M$ to two WR’s, but by Week One, that is precisely what has to happen. (Right?) As a result, there wasn’t big money to spend on improving a defense which allowed 55 points in the last game they played in. Add to that, a harder schedule, and a season’s worth of tape on their QB. This team won’t sneak up on anyone this year.
Everywhere I turn, the national media has this team back in the NFC Championship game or beyond, but I just don’t see it. They just don’t have the firepower to make up for a poor defense. Let’s call it 9 – 8 and a Wild-card exit.
MOST sportswriters looked at the Eagles 2025 schedule, and ran to write their predictions. Mostly, using the exact same formula (wild guesses) as fans, to determine those outcomes. I on the other hand, am far more interested in telling you what the schedule means, than offering any sort of predictions.
Those comes in July.
From what I’ve been reading, almost everyone hates the schedule, and feels that the NFL has it in for us. To be honest, at first, I thought more or less the same thing. Then I did my deep look thing, and saw that this schedule isn’t nearly as bad as we think. Let’s weigh the cons, pros, and then we’ll see what’s under the soot.
CONS: Not only don’t we have any extended home stands, we don’t even have any back to back home games. We get short turnarounds on weeks 6, 11, and 13. Each of those leading us into a nationally televised game. Neither divisional game versus Washington has a set day and time. (But that might not be so bad. Keep reading.)
PROS: The week 9 Bye is in a good place. Midseason or later is where you want that. We get long rest periods going into weeks 2, 7, 10, and 14. Each of those games versus a 2024 playoff team. We go to Lambeau in early November, instead of later in the year. Then, after week 14, we have no games outside of our time zone.
DEEP DIVE: Week 6 is a short week, but we face a giants team also on a short week. (Sauce for the goose.) Week 12 has Dallas on a short turnaround. It however, is Washington that may just be our ticket to winning the East again. The best part is that Washington gets screwed by, and because of Christmas.
Washington’s last four games are against division rivals. Their first game against us, has to either be Thursday 12/18, (on a short week for both of us); or on Sunday 12/21. Since Washington has a game on Christmas Day versus Dallas, they can’t be put on Monday 12/22. That would only give them 3 days to recuperate. The NFL won’t do that.
So when we face Washington, we’re either on a short week, playing against a division rival on a short week. After they’d played a division game. Which are emotional, physical games. That would give us 9 days rest, before going to Buffalo on 12/28. Or we could play Washington on Sunday 12/21, and get normal rest before Buffalo. Either works for the Eagles.
Washington has to play a short week somewhere between 12/14 and 12/25. Can’t be avoided. They have to cram three games into eleven days, with us being one of those teams.
So the team that people think can unseat us, closes out the year with that eleven day run, followed by us, in the season finale. It’s almost not fair. Almost.
