Sunday is a huge challenge for the Commanders’ defense.
They needed to get to Baker Mayfield, who had led Tampa’s offense to the fourth-highest points in the NFL, averaging 29.5 a game while passing for 4500 yards and including 41 touchdown passes. But the Commanders got a couple of big stops, coming away with their 23-20 conquest.
The Lions led all NFL teams in scoring, averaging 33 points per game. However, the defense came away with four interceptions and forced a Goff fumble, winning the turnover margin 5-0 and resulting in a 45-31 victory.
This Sunday, it will be the Philadelphia Eagles, so Commanders’ defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. admitted Thursday that Washington’s defense has its hands full with the Eagles run game.
Kenny Pickett being in only helps you if you keep Saquon Barkley from ripping off 68-yard TD runs.
PHI has 21 points in 13 minutes. pic.twitter.com/AvSeJWm9jN
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) December 22, 2024
“It starts with defeating them up front because they can move people. They just do a really nice job of the gap scheme. When they want to come down here with the duos, they can get on doubles and move people out the way.”
The Eagles ran for 228 yards in their win in Philadelphia. When the teams met in Washington, the Eagles again ran for over 200 yards (211), but the Commanders won 36-33 in the game’s final seconds.
“You put a phenomenal runner behind a great offensive line; that adds to it. What else do they have? Two great receivers and a really good tight end and a quarterback that can do it. So, there’s issues all over there that we have to make sure we take care of.”
Whitt was then asked why Saquon Barkley looks rejuvenated this season. To which Whitt correctly and succinctly replied, “He’s always looked good to me, maybe it’s the offensive line that’s opened up some things, but I couldn’t answer that.”