Commanders’ ‘Secret’ Plan for Stopping Eagles Saquon Barkley

The Washington Commanders are ready for a high-stakes matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football, with the NFC East lead on the line.

After leading the division for the majority of the season, Washington fell behind following a Week 10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia’s strong victory over the Dallas Cowboys. To recover the top rank, the Commanders must first shut down Eagles running back Saquon Barkley.

Washington’s season has been boosted by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, whose dual-threat ability have provided a new spark to the attack. However, Daniels was outmatched by the Steelers, who limited him to five rushing yards on three attempts and imposed a pass-centric approach.

This week, he will face another difficult defense in the Eagles, who have lately won five of their past six games against the Commanders, including two close games with final scores of 38-31 and 34-31. However, Washington leads the rivalry 89-84-5, dating back to their first game in 1934, when the Boston Redskins trounced the Eagles 6-0 at Fenway Park.

The ability to restrict Barkley may be the key to Washington’s triumph. The Commanders are ranked 28th in run defense, allowing an average of 142.7 rushing yards per game, something the Eagles and Barkley are sure to target. Barkley has been dominant this season, with 991 running yards and four games over 100 yards.

In nine games against Washington, he has an average of 88.2 running yards and eight total touchdowns. Commanders new coach Dan Quinn, who was previously the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, may seek to implement some of Dallas’ techniques from their last game against the Eagles, in which they limited Barkley to 66 yards.

The stakes are high for Thursday’s game, as both teams compete to secure their NFC East positions. For Washington, it’s an opportunity to reclaim their division lead, while the Eagles hope to expand it. Stopping Barkley and igniting Daniels’ spectacular playmaking will be critical to the Commanders’ success in the spotlight.