Eagles Defeat Commanders, 29-18: 10 Takeaways From Philadelphia’s Division-Clinching Win

The Philadelphia Eagles traveled on the road to defeat the Washington Commanders, 29-18. While it wasn’t as pretty as last week’s shutout win over the Las Vegas Raiders, it was promising to see the Eagles put together solid performances in back-to-back games.

The Eagles also clinched the NFC East title, as Philadelphia became the first team to repeat as division winners since they last did it in 2004. Yet there are still a few concerns for the Eagles following a second consecutive victory.

Here are my 10 takeaways from Philadelphia’s division-clinching win.

Jalen Hurts Is Looking Like Himself

Following a five turnover performance against the Los Angeles Chargers, there were some talking heads that were calling for Jalen Hurts to be benched. Yet Philadelphia’s franchise quarterback has silenced his critics with back-to-back efficient performances.

Hurts looked like his old self against the Commanders…and I mean that in the most respectful way possible. He was efficient through the air, completing 22-of-30 passes for 185 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Although the most impressive part of Hurts’ performance may have been what he did with his legs. When players weren’t open, Hurts showed a willingness to scramble, as he had seven rushing attempts for 40 yards. It was a promising performance from QB1 that the Eagles can certainly build on moving forward.

Saquon Barkley Still Has It

Jalen Hurts isn’t the only player that looked like their old self in Week 16, Saquon Barkley also turned back the clocks. He finished the game against the Commanders with 21 carries for 132 yards and one touchdown.

Barkley appeared to get better as the game went on, as he broke free for a 48-yard run late in the fourth quarter. The 28-year-old running back has now eclipsed the 1,000 rushing yard mark in 2025, despite a down year.

A.J. Brown Is Starting To Heat Up

Since the Eagles bye week in Week 9, A.J. Brown has been a focal point of Philadelphia’s offense. While Brown’s heavy usage hasn’t always led to success this season, it has clearly been a result of the Eagles opening up the passing game in recent weeks.

In Brown’s first eight games of 2025, he was targeted 10+ times in just one game. Yet in his last six games, Brown has eclipsed 10+ targets in five of those matchups. While Brown told fantasy football owners to drop him due to his frustration several weeks ago, his role has grown significantly since then.

Eagles Offensive Line Impressed

Eagles All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson didn’t make his long anticipated return against the Commanders. Yet Philadelphia’s offensive line stepped up and played arguably their best game of the entire season in Washington.

Jalen Hurts was pressured on just four of his 37 dropbacks against the Commanders, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. It was the lowest pressure rate (10.8%) that Hurts has faced in a single game in his career.

Philadelphia’s offensive line also helped get the ground game. Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby combined to have 25 carries for 169 rushing yards and two touchdowns. It was an impressive, bounce back performance for Philadelphia’s inconsistent offensive line.

Nick Sirianni Is Still Too Conservative

While the Eagles offense has been able to fix some issues in recent weeks, Nick Sirianni still struggles to close out the first half. Sirianni has consistently made poor decisions that have lacked aggression near the end of the first half all season long.

The Eagles had the ball with two timeouts and one minute remaining when they crossed midfield. Yet Philadelphia’s offense stopped pushing the ball downfield and turtled once again.

It’s as if the Eagles were playing for a long field goal, despite Jake Elliott already missing a 43-yard field goal earlier in the game. The Eagles eventually settled for a 57-yard field, which Elliott missed, as expected.

I’ll say it again, for the millionth time, Sirianni needs to be better (and more aggressive) in these end of half scenarios.

Jordan Davis Deserves a Blank Check

When the Eagles exercised the fifth-year option on Jordan Davis rookie contract, some were skeptical of the move. Given Davis’ lack of production in his first three seasons, some believed that he wasn’t much more than a run stuffer in the NFL.

Yet Davis has taken a leap that many, possibly even the Eagles, didn’t expect to see in 2025. While Philadelphia has been without Jalen Carter for several games, Davis has consistently dominated in the trenches.

Davis put on a show against the Commanders, as he was tied for second on the team in total tackles. The 25-year-old rising star recorded six total tackles and two tackles for loss in Washington. If he keeps up this level of play, he’s in for a massive payday in the near future.

Brandon Graham Did It Again!

When Brandon Graham first came out of retirement in 2025, he didn’t have much of an impact on the field for the Eagles. Yet a move to the inside during Jalen Carter’s absence has helped Graham discover the fountain of youth.

Graham has played a rotational role along the interior of Philadelphia’s defensive front in recent weeks. Graham has now recorded three sacks over his last two games, despite playing just 16 snaps. He deserves to keep a role on the inside, even when Carter returns.

No Nakobe Dean, No Problem

Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean left the game with a hamstring injury in the first quarter. It was time for rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell to step up once again, and he delivered just as he did to start the regular season.

While Dean is an important piece to Philadelphia’s defense, the Eagles have an incredible wealth of depth at linebacker. There aren’t many teams that have the luxury of going from a player like Dean to a player like Campbell, following an injury.

Following years and years of poor linebacker play in Philadelphia, it’s clearly a new era for the Eagles. Howie Roseman has placed a high value on the linebacker position in recent years and has assembled the best position room in the NFL.

Cooper DeJean Told Commanders: “You Can’t See Me!”

After failing to record an interception during his first regular season in the NFL, Cooper DeJean hauled in his second interception of the year against the Commanders. He followed it up by honoring WWE wrestler John Cena with his signature “Five Knuckle Shuffle” finishing moving in the end zone.

It was the exclamation point on another stellar performance from DeJean. Aside from his interception, DeJean also had five total tackles and four pass breakups. He should be in the running for All-Pro consideration in 2025.

Jake Elliott Is a Legitimate Problem

The Eagles were able to overcome Jake Elliott’s struggles during the regular season in 2024. He was able to turn things around in the postseason and many thought Elliott’s issues were behind him.

Yet Elliott is struggling once again this season and he’s even worse than he was in 2024. The 30-year-old kicker missed three field goal attempts against the Commanders, although one was negated by a penalty.

Elliott has now missed seven field goals this season, including five misses in his last five games. While Elliott’s contract makes it difficult to move on from him right now, the Eagles should bring in competition in 2026.