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Eagles-Commanders player matchups to watch in Week 16 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
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…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-commanders-player-matchups-watch-120000859.html
Author : NBC Sports Philadelphia
Publish date : 2024-12-19 12:00:00
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