The NFL world has to deal with the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles in primetime on Sunday, whether they like it or not.
On paper, it’s not the type of matchup that will keep fans staying up late on a work night.
The two squads are a combined 1-7-1 since Week 2. Philadelphia rides a five-game losing streak into this week. Washington is hoping a well-timed bye week can inject life into an underwhelming start.
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“Going to be an absolute battle. Two angry teams willing to fight to the last snap,” Commanders coach Dan Quinn said. “Looking for winning football for all four quarters.”
The national TV audience can at least look forward to seeing a dual-threat star in Jayden Daniels. The third-year signal-caller is expected to start his third consecutive game after recovering from a left elbow dislocation last month. He’s looked solid, if not the exact same player he was in his electric rookie season in 2024.
Daniels has kept the Commanders in games, though.
Since returning from his injury, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner has thrown 499 yards and two touchdowns, completing 71% of his passes and adding 113 yards and two scores as a runner.
It hasn’t been enough to steal a victory. Daniels has been waiting more than 388 days since his last win as a starter.
He’s come close.
The Week 5 game against the New York Giants ended in a tie after a clock management snafu at the end of overtime. Daniels fell just short of a potential game-winning drive during a Monday night tilt against the then-undefeated 49ers in Week 6.
It’s led to a constant refrain from the third-year quarterback: “I’ve got to be better.”
A bye week should help. The impact of added rest can’t be overstated for players who often describe in-game collisions as car crashes. Even those who avoid the injury report face an accumulation of bumps and bruises throughout the season.
“I think pain is perspective,” safety Jeremy Reaves said. “At the end of the day, we’re all going through something. We all don’t feel great. It’s a mentality.”
The break matters for coaches, too. Quinn completed a top-down analysis of his squad’s copious weaknesses.
The pass defense has struggled to fill holes in coverage. The pass rush has lacked the ability to take over games. The rushing attack — outside of Daniels — has been largely inert, thanks in large part to struggles in run blocking.
“It was a thorough process to make sure, what needs to be turned down, what can we add, where does other emphasis go?” Quinn said of his bye-week assessment. “By being earlier this year, it allows us to get into that more quickly and I’m looking forward to seeing some of those tweaks that we’ve done in all three phases. That’s why I’m excited. We know the plan, now we’ve got to do it.”
On offense, Daniels circled a need for urgency.
“It’s the biggest thing that we talked about,” he said. “I’ve got to be better when I get to play calls, going up there and being able to paint the picture for everybody.”
For Washington, a reeling Philadelphia squad could present an ideal opportunity to build momentum in a winnable NFC East.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is out for the season due to blood clots in his lungs. Backup Tanner McKee has struggled in his first two starts of the year. The running back room has featured a revolving door due to injuries to star Saquon Barkley and change-of-pace backs Tank Bigsby, Will Shipley and Dameon Pierce.
“Sunday Night Football” might lack the shine of more premier matchups.
But the stakes are there. Quinn and Eagles coach Nick Sirriani might have the hottest seats in the NFL. For Washington in particular, a loss on Sunday — at home, in primetime, against a battered Eagles team — could prove fatal.
Games against the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 8 and the New York Giants on Nov. 12 could be similarly consequential.
“To our benefit, we still have an opportunity to shift our season and win the division,” Daniels said.
Quinn isn’t allowing himself — or his players — to think too far ahead.
“All that really matters is this fight, this game,” he said. “I do acknowledge big picture at times, not in the length of months, but short bursts. I did that with our team, but the only way the chase begins is by our best this week.”
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