Eagles-Commanders player matchups to watch in Week 16

The Eagles (12-2) will travel to face the Washington Commanders (9-5) at Northwest Stadium on Sunday and can clinch the NFC East with a win.

Here are some key matchups to watch:

Saquon Barkley vs. Commanders run defense

The Eagles were able to lean on their passing game amid a bunch of criticism last week against the Steelers. That was important against a team that was selling out to stop the run. And it was a good sign that the Eagles were able to combat that by putting the ball in the air. But the Eagles still have Saquon Barkley, who is still on pace for a 2,000-yard season even after a 65-yard game against Pittsburgh. In the final three games, Barkley would need to average around 140 rushing yards per game to break Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record. That’s not out of the question.

The last time the Eagles faced the Commanders in Week 11, Barkley had a big game. He had 26 carries for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns and also caught 2 passes for 52 yards in the 26-18 win at the Linc. This season, the Commanders have the 25th-ranked rushing defense in the NFL and are 28th in yards-per-attempt. The Commanders are one of just four teams in the NFL this season to give up over 2.0 yards before contact per attempt, per NextGen Stats.

The one thing the Commanders might have going in their favor in this game is the possible return of Jonathan Allen. The Commanders this week activated the practice window for two-time Pro Bowl DT Jonathan Allen, who has not played since Oct. 13.

A.J. Brown vs. Marcus Lattimore

The Commanders traded for cornerback Marcus Lattimore at the deadline but he wasn’t healthy and finally made his debut for Washington last week against his former team in a 20-19 win over the Saints. Lattimore is a four-time Pro Bowler and should give the Commanders a boost. Earlier this season, the Eagles saw Lattimore when he was still with the Saints. In that game, Lattimore was targeted twice while covering DeVonta Smith and gave up 1 catch for 14 yards, per ProFootballFocus. But in that game, A.J. Brown was out with a hamstring injury. In Week 17 of 2022, Brown faced off against Lattimore. He was targeted 4 times against Lattimore in that game and had just 2 catches for 15 yards and Lattimore had a 12-yard pick-6.

With Lattimore now in the starting lineup, the Commanders have Mike Sainristil as their other starting cornerback and Noah Igbinoghene as their nickel. Sainristil had a nice interception against the Saints and is a good (but undersized) cornerback. If the Eagles want to stay away from Lattimore, they’ll have their opportunities. This could end up being a big game for either Brown or Smith in the slot. Also, the Commanders might be without safety Jeremy Chinn, who is in the concussion protocol.

Blitz pickup vs. Frankie Luvu 

The Commanders best edge rusher is Dante Fowler, who leads the team with 8 1/2 sacks. Fowler lines up on both sides of the line but the Eagles are going to feel pretty comfortable with Jordan Mailata or Lane Johnson shutting him down. It’s an incredible luxury in the NFL to have two tackles as good as Mailata and Johnson.

The next guy on the sack list for the Commanders this season is inside linebacker Frankie Luvu, who has 8.0 sacks and a team-high 14 quarterback hits. In the first meeting between these two teams, Luvu had 2 sacks and 3 QB hits. Those were the only two sacks Jalen Hurts took in that game. On the first, Luvu rushed off the edge and got Hurts when he tried to scramble. On the second, Luvu came as a blitzer and sacked Hurts after a long-developing trick play for a loss of 13 yards.

Eagles run defense vs. Brian Robinson Jr. 

In Week 11, the Eagles had some trouble containing Austin Ekeler as a receiver out of the backfield. He had 8 catches on 9 targets for 89 yards in that one. But Ekeler has been out with a concussion and won’t play in this one.

So the Eagles’ primary concern should be stopping the run with Brian Robinson Jr., who has 705 yards on the ground this season and a 4.4 average. Robinson had 16 for 63 and a touchdown in the first meeting. The Eagles missed 10 tackles in that game.

Quinyon Mitchell vs. Terry McLaurin

The last time these two teams played, Quinyon Mitchell had the type of game that introduced the rookie to a national audience. Mitchell in Week 11 lined up on McLaurin on 20 of 25 routes and McLaurin wasn’t targeted once. In the entire game, Mitchell was targeted just once on 32 snaps in coverage, per NextGen Stats. As he has done to a lot of good receivers this season, Mitchell locked him up.

On the season, Mitchell has been targeted just 63 times and has given up just 36 catches for 397 yards with just 1 touchdown, per NextGen Stats.

As we enter Week 16, McLaurin is 7th in the NFL in receiving yards with 969. He’s still a tough test, especially in a game where the Commanders likely won’t have Zach Ertz, who suffered a concussion last week.

Vic Fangio vs. Jayden Daniels 

In Week 11, Jayden Daniels didn’t seem completely healthy when he faced the Eagles. In that game at the Linc, Daniels completed 22 of 32 passes for 191 yards with a touchdown and an interception and rushed for just 18 yards. But Daniels is a very good rookie quarterback and has won the last two games with 5 TDs and just 1 INT. He is likely going to be the Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Vic Fangio’s defense, though, is No. 1 in points and yards allowed this season. They have been great all season.

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