The Commanders have their first win in over a month.
Coming off its good week, Washington took care of business at home, defeating the division rival Philadelphia Eagles 27-10 at Northwest Stadium. It marked the second win of the year for the Commanders (2-4-1) – the first came on Sept. 27, when they stunned the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks at home.
The Eagles’ season, meanwhile, continues to explode. Philadelphia (2-6) has lost six straight, trailing just the 0-7 Los Angeles Chargers for the NFL’s longest skid.
Here are my suggestions:
In the first quarter, on their second possession, the Commanders faced a third and short deep in their own territory. Jayden Daniels broke away and had what should have been an easy conversion to receiver Treylon Burks, who was wide open in the middle of the field. Burks dropped the pass. Washington was forced to punt.
On the Commanders’ next drive, Daniels delivered a perfect pass, narrowly hitting Chig Okonkwo up the middle. But the tight end never got a firm grip on the ball, and it was fumbled and recovered by Eagles safety Andrew Mukuba.
Yes, there were some great plays made by his receivers. A one-handed catch by Okonkwo. Catches of 53 and 30 yards by Treylon Burks and third-round rookie Antonio Williams, respectively. But there is no consistency from the receivers of the commanders. There were routine plays that should have been made, but not by his passers. The Chiefs need to get Daniels help at receiver to maximize everything he is, to keep his ascension on track long term.
Jayden Daniels can’t do it all by himself for the Commanders offense. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
Entering this week, Washington did not have a receiver averaging 43.0 yards per game. WR1 Terry McLaurin is out for the season, but at age 31, he doesn’t figure into the Chiefs’ long-term plans. Neither did 33-year-old Stefon Diggs, who led the team in receiving yards per game entering Week 8 (42.8). Williams is promising, but not enough. The good thing for the Commanders and other WR-needy teams is that the 2027 draft class is projected to be deep at wide receiver.
Then there’s the fact that Daniels’ outside running game doesn’t scare anyone. Even leading rusher Jacory Croskey-Meritt (239 rushing yards), who is on injured reserve, is averaging less than 48.0 rushing yards per game. Washington has had just one 100-yard rusher this season, and that was Daniels in Week 5. In every other game, their leading rusher had less than 70 yards.
Having a reliable option in the backfield would take a ton of pressure off the dual-threat Daniels.
2.
The Eagles should be sellers at the trade deadline
With general manager Howie Roseman, the Eagles have never been afraid to make big trades for players they believe can help their team. But this year, with an injured team and a season going nowhere, Philadelphia should seriously listen to trade offers for its players — and even acquire some of them.
The Eagles don’t need to deal with star Saquon Barkley, and they’ve apparently already made that clear to the entire league. But players like cornerback Riq Woolen, tight end Dallas Goedert and wide receiver Hollywood Brown should be made available.
Coach Nick Sirianni is in unfamiliar territory with the Eagles’ playoff chances fading. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Philly doesn’t need to rebuild, to be clear. Quarterback Jalen Hurts will likely be back and healthy in 2027. The Eagles are still good at the offensive skill positions when healthy. There is a lot of talent on defense.
But the team has a great chance to retool, armed with six picks in the first two rounds of the draft over the next two years. Getting some rookie caliber players could have a few more picks in the middle rounds.
3.
The Chiefs are still alive in the NFC East
A 2-4-1 record through eight weeks is not … not encouraging. It means you are not a good football team. But the Commanders are in a bad division, so there is hope. With Sunday’s win, Washington trails the NFC East-leading Giants by just two games.
Five of the Commanders’ next seven opponents are .500 or worse. As long as Daniels stays healthy, Washington has a chance.
Dan Quinn’s seat is less hot after the Commanders beat the Eagles. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
3 ½. What’s next?
The Eagles return to Philadelphia next Sunday to host the Giants (4-2-1) before their Week 10 homestand, while the Commanders will stay at home to host the Los Angeles Rams (4-4) in Week 9.
