Commanders At Eagles; A QB Showdown for Thursday Night Football

The Commanders have been the punching bag of the NFC for too long. They have not won more than 10 regular season games since 1992. Finally, it seems their missing piece of the puzzle has come in the form of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

The Commanders are currently 7-3. Still left on their schedule are the Cowboys, the Saints, and the Titans. With a schedule like that, it’s highly plausible they will break through and get to 11 regular season wins. However, none of those matchups hold as much weight as Thursday’s game against the 7-2 Eagles. If they can pull of the upset in Philadelphia, the Commanders will solidify that they are a force to be reckoned with.

Exceeding Expectations

Much of the Commanders’ early season success can be attributed to Daniels, the 2024 No.2 overall draft pick. The Heisman Trophy winner from LSU is ranked 12th in passing, with 2,147 yards, and has been hailed as a breath of fresh air by Commanders fans. Daniels’ quarterback rating of 71.2 puts him at 4th in NFL. To date, he has rushed for four touchdowns and thrown for nine. He has two interceptions.

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On the other hand, the Commanders’ offense has faced the fifth-easiest schedule of opposing defenses this season, meaning an aggressive Eagles’ defensive line will present a challenge. The Commanders also suffered a disappointing 28-27 loss to the Steelers last week, dampening their momentum going into a game with such big implications.

Eagles’ Experience

In the past five games, Jalen Hurts has tallied 16 touchdowns and just one interception. Daniels is second among NFL quarterbacks with 464 yards rushing while Hurts is third with 378. With Hurts’ strong capability in both the running and passing game, many analysts have noted Daniels’ similarity of play. Hurts is fifth in the league with a passer rating of 103.4 while completing 69.8% of his passes. Hurts has developed his style of NFL play through thousands of repetitions at practice and taking the Eagles to the 2022 Superbowl, an advantage Hurts has in his fourth full season as a starter.

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The Commanders’ defense has steadily improved from the start of the season, but it remains to be seen how it will fare against Eagles’ phenom running back Saquon Barkley.

The Commanders take on the Eagles Thursday, Nov.14 at 8:15 on Prime Video.