The Eagles and Commanders will headline the Week 10 matchups with an intriguing Monday night contest that’ll see Carson Wentz return to Philadelphia.
Washington is 4-5 on the season, but they’re ever-improving and set to welcome star pass rusher, Chase Young, back to the lineup.
Philadelphia is the NFL’s only remaining undefeated team, and we’ve highlighted three causes for concern ahead of Monday.
Winning in the NFL is hard
Winning in the NFL is already hard enough, but it can become downright impossible when you are the only undefeated team remaining in the NFL.
Only 20 NFL teams have started a season 9-0 since the Miami Dolphins went undefeated in 1972.
The Steelers 2020 group was the last team to start a season 9-0, and the 2015 Carolina Panthers, led by Cam Newton before that, got up to 15-0 before suffering a loss.
The 85 Bears won 12 straight, Peyton Manning’s 2005 Colts team won 13 straight, and the 2007 Patriots won 18 straight regular-season games before losing to the Giants in the Super Bowl.
Starting a season undefeated is excellent, but only the 1972 Dolphins went undefeated in the regular season while winning the Super Bowl.
Philadelphia and the fans must keep things in perspective while understanding that a stormy night is undoubtedly on the horizon.
Let’s hope it’s not Monday night.
Antonio Gibson-Brian Robinson Jr. breakout performance
Philadelphia is coming off a defensive showing in which rookie running back Dameon Pierce logged 139 yards on 27 carries as he became the first player in franchise history to record two 130-plus-yard rushing games within the first eight contests of their career.
The Eagles’ run defense without Jordan Davis (ankle) was poor against Houston, and a dominant performance by either Commander running back could be the recipe for the home team’s first loss of the season.
Antonio Gibson is the dual-threat target, while Brian Robinson Jr’s downhill running style could give Philadelphia fits on Sunday night if Washington can keep things close early on.
Commanders defense much improved
Washington is middle of the pack in total defense but sits right inside the top ten in sacks with 11 as a unit.
The Commanders are also a top-ten rushing defense, top three in the league on third downs (32.8%), and sixth in a time of possession (31:38).
Washington doesn’t have the horses in the secondary to stop Philadelphia’s passing attack. Still, a strong performance from Montez Sweat, Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen, and potentially Chase Young could be all the Commanders need to pull off an epic upset on the road.
