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The Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles will take center stage in Week 10 as they prepare to face off on Monday Night Football. These teams may be heading in opposite directions, but anything is possible in divisional matchups, especially under the lights of primetime.
Washington is coming off a disappointing 20-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 9. The Commanders had won three straight games, and looked poised to win four in a row after taking a 17-7 lead early in the fourth quarter. An untimely collapse doomed the Commanders, though, as the Vikings kicked the winning field goal with just seconds to go.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia had some time to rest after defeating the Houston Texans 29-17 on November 3rd. That game was close in the first half, but the Eagles pulled away with a strong performance after intermission. It wasn't the prettiest win, but the Eagles maintained their undefeated record regardless.
With that out of the way, let's make some bold predictions for Washington in this matchup.
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3. Washington allows two sacks or less
To say that Washington's previous matchup with Philadelphia was a disaster would be a huge understatement. The Eagles absolutely demolished the Commanders on their home field during a 24-8 win in Week 3. Philly took a 24-0 lead into halftime, so this game was far more lopsided than the score indicates.
Arguably the biggest part of the Eagles' blowout was their dominant pass rush. The Eagles sacked Carson Wentz a whopping nine times in that game for a total of 58 lost yards. Five different Eagles registered a sack, and Brandon Graham had 2.5 on his own.
That game was an extreme example, but Washington has not been a great pass-protecting team. The Commanders have allowed 29 sacks this season, which fittingly ranks 29th in the league. Meanwhile, the Eagles have been a good pass-rushing team, with 26 sacks this season.
On paper, this matchup heavily favors Philly and could turn into another long night for Washington. However, divisional matchups are weird and anything can happen. If the Commanders can keep Taylor Heinicke upright, they may just have a chance in this game.
2. Brian Robinson runs for 100 yards and a touchdown
Robinson, a third-round rookie from Alabama, has been arguably the most inspiring story in the NFL this season. The running back was shot before the season, but returned after missing just four weeks. No matter what happens from here, Robinson can always take pride in overcoming such a massive hurdle.
Unfortunately, Robinson hasn't put up great numbers since his return. He has just 217 rushing yards and one touchdown while averaging just 3.3 yards per carry. He also hasn't been much of a factor in the passing game, with just four catches for seven yards.
Robinson breaking out with a big game would be the feel-good story of the year, and what better time to do it than against the NFC's best team on national TV? The Eagles have had some troubles against the run this season, allowing 121.4 yards per game. Maybe this could be the game Robinson truly shines.
1. Washington keeps it close, loses by three
No one is giving Washington a chance in this game. The Commanders are 10.5-point underdogs as of Friday morning, and ESPN's FPI gives them just a 16.8% chance to win. Clearly, the Commanders have the odds stacked against them.
Predicting the Commanders to win outright seems a bit too bold, even for this list. However, picking Washington to cover is definitely feasible. In fact, they could bring it even closer than that.
The Eagles aren't invincible and, the Commanders might be able to make them bleed. If they can keep it a close-one score game, most Washington fans should be happy with that.
