What Separated the Eagles from the Commanders in Week 11?

The battle between the two best teams in the NFC East was just that, but in the end, the Philadelphia Eagles had just enough to beat the Washington Commanders.

Nov 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs past Washington Commanders defenders on way to a 39-yard touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Through three quarters of Thursday night's contest between the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles the road team was in relative control of the game.

Leading 10-6 entering the fourth quarter the Commanders' offense certainly wasn't clicking on all cylinders, but the defense was doing enough to keep the Eagles' attack at bay.

The time for Washington to take advantage of that defensive performance never came, however, and eventually Philadelphia broke through for three fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns. Anyone can see that's where the game turned, but it's the presence of that rushing attack in the first place that former NFL player Chris Long says is what separates the two teams sitting atop the NFC East Division.

Nov 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs past Washington Commanders defenders on way to a 39-yard touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

"I think in a game where both quarterbacks don't play well, one team had a life jacket," Long said on his Green Light with Chris Long (Yote House Media) program. "Honestly, that's the way I think about it. When things aren't going right - you're a fisherman - you always have your PFD (personal flotation device) on your vessel. The PFD in this situation is the Eagles' front and it's Saquon Barkley. And in games like this, it goes a long way. And that's what I thought was going to happen. I thought this was a spot where the Eagles would impose their will early and often, but it just took more time."

To Long's point, the Commanders' defense held Barkley to just 56 yards on 15 carries in the first half. In the second, Barkley ran the ball 11 more times and ripped off 90 yards and two touchdowns. He gained 62 of those yards on the two touchdown runs.

Meanwhile, Washington went the other direction and after averaging 6.3 yards per carry in the first half running back Brian Robinson Jr. finished with just a 3.9 yards per carry average for the game.

The shift in run game production was swift, and relied heavily on just two plays. But it was incredibly impactful, and is something we'll surely be reminded of when the two teams face off again in what could be a pivotal contest in the NFC East Division race come December.

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