The Washington Commanders (1-1) play their first division game of the season on Sunday when they host the red-hot Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) in Week 3. Washington is coming off of a disappointing loss at the Detroit Lions, while the Eagles are on short rest having played on Monday Night Football, defeating the Minnesota Vikings 24-7, recording three interceptions on former Washington QB Kirk Cousins.
Where to watch?
The game will air nationally on Fox at 1 p.m., but if it isn’t available on your local channel, you’ll need access to NFL Sunday Ticket.
What to know about Washington
The defense did not step up last week. It allowed 425 yards to the Lions – a team that has struggled to find any sort of consistency on offense in years. While the third-down defense was solid (Detroit was 4 for 14), they allowed too many big plays and conceded 7.0 yards per play.
One factor to keep in mind here is the motivation of quarterback Carson Wentz, who was drafted No. 2 overall by the Eagles in 2016. He went on to star for the team, won a Super Bowl despite not playing due to injury, and he was then sent to the Indianapolis Colts before last season in a trade, only to then be traded against before this season. There has to be some revenge motivation there for the talented quarterback.
What to know about the Eagles
Boy did they look good on MNF. The defense was swarming, the running game was on point, and they looked like the clear favorites to win the NFC East. Jalen Hurts threw for 333 yards in the game, Miles Sanders had 80 rushing yards on 17 carries, and they did a fantastic job of mixing it up. The chemistry for Hurts with DeVonta Smith has been there, but he’s quickly getting comfortable with A.J. Brown as well. Mix that in with the improvement of Dallas Goedert at tight end, and you have a team that suddenly looks really scary. But this will be a good test for them here against a defense that has its moments. A win here will put them in a great spot to take command of the division, even with the NY Giants starting 2-0.
Prediction
Philadelphia 27, Washington 20
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