Commanders vs. Eagles GAMEDAY Preview: Can Washington Stop Jalen Hurts?

Can the Washington Commanders pull off the upset against the Philadelphia Eagles today?

The Washington Commanders travel to face the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles in a NFC East division showdown this afternoon. 

One week removed from a career-high performance, quarterback Sam Howell hit his low in a 37-3 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Seemingly every time Howell dropped back to pass, he was either getting sacked or throwing an interception. Howell completed 19 of 29 passes for 170 yards with four interceptions and was sacked nine times.

Washington's offensive line vows to better protect Howell after allowing a league-high 19 sacks through three games. 

The Commanders must learn from their mistakes, and fast, with a date looming against Philadelphia's strong defense and rookie Jalen Carter. The defending NFC Champions defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-11 in Week 3. The Eagles held the Bucs to 174 total yards while compiling 472 yards of total offense.

Washington hopes history repeats itself. Last season, the Commanders' win in Philly  on Monday Night Football was a massive upset and ended the Eagles' undefeated streak.

Entering week 4, Washington is tied with the Dallas Cowboys behind the Eagles, who sit stop the division. A Commanders upset win against Philadelphia would make a major statement of legitimacy in coach Ron Rivera's fourth season.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts throwing a pass against the Washington Commanders / Geoff Burke, USA Today

RECORDS: Washington Commanders (2-1) at Philadelphia Eagles (3-0)

ODDS: Washington is a 8-point underdog vs. the Eagles. 

GAME TIME: Sunday, October 1st, 2023 at 1 p.m. ET

LOCATION:  Lincoln Financial Field - Philadelphia, PA

TV/RADIO: FOX, BIG 100.3 FM

THE FINAL WORD: Commanders cornerback Benjamin St-Juste on fixing last Sunday's mistakes:

“It wasn’t going to be no Cinderella story where we go 17-0," St-Juste said. "Now we’re about see what kind of a team we are. Not just a small L; we got a big L today. So, it’s gonna be like, how can we bounce back from this? Can we recover? Can we fix the issue like we made today and not repeat it next week?"

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