The Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) enter this matchup against the Washington Commanders (1-1) after a Monday night victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the home opener. With the New York Giants still undefeated and Dallas only one game back, the Eagles will need to win this division game to remain atop the standings.
Series Record: The Eagles are 15-10 at FedEx Field.
Washington Scouting Report on Offense
QB: The quarterback for Washington is a familiar face to Eagles fans. Carson Wentz comes into this matchup having a good first season in Washington for the Commanders. In the Commanders' first two games, Wentz has 650 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions.
RB: With rookie Brian Robinson out of the lineup for the near future, the rush work has been managed by third-year pro Antonio Gibson. A dual threat out of the backfield, Gibson comes in with 167 combined yards – 82 yards coming on 28 carries and 85 yards coming on nine receptions. He also has one rushing TD on the year.
WR: Terry McLaurin has been good as always this season for Washington. Although McLaurin only has six receptions and one touchdown, he has averaged 22.2 yards per reception on those catches, giving him 133 yards on the season. Curtis Samuel, who was injured for all last season, has also provided much-needed production for the Commanders.
Being used in a role much like Deebo Samuel in San Francisco, Samuel has caught 15 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing the ball five times for an average of 7.5 yards per carry.
The other receiver to note is rookie Jahan Dotson. In his first two games as a pro, Dotson has shown the big play ability he displayed at Penn State before he was drafted in the first round by Washington this year.
In two games, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound receiver has three touchdowns on only seven receptions. His ability to get open and make spectacular plays is reminiscent of DeSean Jackson coming out of Cal.
TE: Carson Wentz loves to use the tight end to get the ball out. In Logan Thomas, he has a big-bodied target to find. At 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, Thomas has the size and talent to be a danger to opposing defenses when on the field.
Watch the Commanders' Defensive Line
With Chase Young (knee) out, the Washington Commanders are down one of their best players on the defensive line. Despite this, with Montez Sweat coming off the edge and Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne clogging the interior, there are plenty of challenges for the Eagles' offensive line.
Key Stats
0 – Lane Johnson has not surrendered a sack since Week 11 of 2020, according to Pro Football Focus. He hasn't even allowed a QB hit since Week 7 of last season.
47.6% – The Eagles have forced 10 three-and-outs and rank second in the NFL in opponent three-and-out percentage.
56.7% – The Eagles are converting third downs at the second-highest rate in the NFL. Note that the Commanders are third.
189.5 – The Eagles are second in the league in rushing through Week 2.
31 – Only three teams are averaging more points per game than the Eagles.
Key Opponent Injuries
DE Casey Toohill, DT Daniel Wise, and DE Chase Young are out for the Commanders.
Marquee Matchup
Eagles CB Darius Slay vs. Commanders WR Terry McLaurin
Slay has the highest coverage grade by any NFL cornerback since 2021, per Pro Football Focus. He leads the league with 89 passes defensed since 2016. His partner-in-crime James Bradberry is second with 84.
The reigning NFC Defensive Player of the Week is just the third Eagle since 1999 to have five pass deflections and two interceptions in a game, joining Lito Sheppard (2006) and Troy Vincent (1999).
