Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Commanders: What to Watch For

Coming off their bye, the Washington Commanders will face their fourth divisional matchup in the first seven games when the Eagles come Sunday Night. Washington is looking for their first win against a division rival in 2026, and Philadelphia is coming in on a five-game losing streak. Here are some storylines for Sunday Night: 

Eagles Offense Without Jalen Hurts

Following the Eagles’ loss to the Jaguars in London, the team placed quarterback Jalen Hurts on IR with blood clots in his leg. It was later announced he would miss the rest of the season due to the clots moving throughout his body. With him out, Tanner McKee has started the last two games for the Eagles and has been ok, passing for 426 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. The Eagles went 0-2 in the games he started and have lost their last five after starting 0-2. While Hurts has proven to be an effective passer along with a dangerous runner, McKee is more of a traditional pocket passer, which brings significant changes to the Eagles’ offense. The Commanders must force McKee to make plays on his own and hope that he will make a big-time mistake for Washington to take advantage of.

Injuries, Injuries, Injuries

The Eagles and Commanders have seen their rosters affected by the injury bug in 2026. In addition to Hurts being out with blood clots, Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith have been dealing with hamstring injuries. Barkley returned for last week’s game against Dallas but is still limited, with no guarantee for Sunday. Three other running backs are currently on IR with various injuries, and if Barkley can’t go, Jaydon Blue is the only healthy back on the team. Wide Receiver Dontayvion Wicks missed the Dallas game with an ankle injury. On defense, edge Nolan Smith is dealing with a concussion, and linebacker Jihaad Campbell missed practice the last two days.

The Commanders have had their injury issues as well. Jayden Daniels missed two games with a dislocated elbow, while his backup, Marcus Marotia, went down with a sprained MCL. The injuries started before the season began when left tackle Laremy Tunsil tore his triceps. Wide Receiver Terry McLaurin was lost for the season last week with a torn patellar tendon, and running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt was placed on IR. Defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton is working his way back from a pec injury, linebacker Leo Chenal is done for the season with a neck injury, and defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw is unlikely to play against Philadelphia with a knee injury. That was before news surfaced that defensive tackle Daron Payne was expected to miss the rest of the season, dealing a huge blow to the defensive line. For these two teams, the main goal coming out of this game will be to not have anyone else get hurt.

Must-Win For Washington

Claiming that Washington’s season is hanging by a thread would be an understatement going into this game. The team sits at 1-4-1 and had some of the most embarrassing moments in the last two games before the bye. Against the Giants, Washington had the ball deep inside New York territory but ran out of time before they could attempt a game-winning field goal, resulting in a tie. Things didn’t get much better the following game against San Francisco, where cameras caught head coach Dan Quinn seemingly not realizing the downs when Jayden Daniels threw a ball out of bounds on a 4th-and-2 inside 49er territory. They have also not won in the division yet, going 0-2-1 in their first three games against NFC East rivals. If Washington wants any chance of going on a run to save their season, it needs to start against one of their most hated rivals.