One of the biggest matchups of this NFL season that nobody saw coming will happen in prime time on Thursday night when the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Washington Commanders. This NFC East clash has massive implications in both the race for the division title and the race for seeding in the NFC playoff picture.
The Commanders have been the surprise story of the NFL this season, in large part due to the rapid rise of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. In his first season, Daniels has become a dark horse MVP candidate and has carried a Commanders team that many thought was going to be one of the worst teams in the NFL.
Before the two rivals face off for the first time this season, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio spoke about what makes Daniels so difficult to defend when speaking with the media on Wednesday.
“He’s done a great job for them,” Fangio said. “Kudos to him for what he’s been able to achieve. Kudos to the coaches there that are coaching him because that’s not an easy offense to run. They do a lot of different things. He’s only thrown two interceptions, which is unreal, really. He’s done a great job.”
That is high praise from a defensive coordinator who has long made a living in the NFL by feasting on bad and inexperienced quarterback play. Fangio has this Eagles defense playing very good football of late, but that unit will face one of its toughest tests on Thursday night.
Eagles defense quietly become one of the NFL's best
One of the stories of the NFL offseason was the Eagles replacing both of their coordinators with experienced, high-profile names to try to improve those units.
The offense, now led by Kellen Moore, has been frustrating and inconsistent at times, except when the Eagles' stars are making one-handed catches or hurdling defenders backwards. That group is still getting by on some of the incredible individual feats that its stars are accomplishing, but there are still some holes to poke in it.
The defense, however, is a totally different story. Vic Fangio has this group playing some great football lately, and they have quickly become one of the best defenses in the league. The Eagles haven't allowed more than 20 points to an opposing offense since their loss to the Buccaneers at the end of September (the Jaguars scored 23 points, but returned a fumble for a touchdown).
The front is playing well, as it usually has when this unit has excelled under Nick Sirianni, but the young players in he back seven have taken their game to a new level. Linebacker Nakobe Dean has started to find his groove in the middle of the defense, and made a huge interception to seal that Jaguars game.
In the back end, rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean have quickly made a big impact since becoming everyday players. Mitchell is one of the best rookies in the league and would likely be a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate if his counting stats were better, and DeJean is a Swiss Army Knife in the secondary. Pieces like those have made this defense very difficult to move the ball on.
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