Commanders at Eagles: How to watch, odds, expert picks in battle for top of NFC East
At the season's outset, the Eagles being favored at home against Washington in Week 11 wouldn't have surprised anyone. What would have raised eyebrows is the fact they're favored by so little. Washington has been so sparklingly efficient on offense that even a stacked Eagles roster isn't enough to get the spread wider than about a field goal.
Commanders at Eagles
Jayden Daniels' season accomplishments have been marveled at ad nauseam, so looking elsewhere, the key matchup for the Commanders is star wideout Terry McLaurin vs. Philly rookie corner Quinyon Mitchell . They'll likely be up against each other most of the game, and Mitchell has made the leap since the Eagles' bye.
From Week 6 on, he hasn't allowed more than 25 yards in a game, and quarterbacks have been shying away from targeting him (13.9 percent of snaps compared to nearly 20 percent before the bye). Mitchell's success has come as he's pressed receivers more, but McLaurin is fantastic at beating press coverage. Look for a lot of go routes if the rookie challenges him at the line of scrimmage.
Jalen Hurts is the king of the QB sneak, leading the NFL with 17 touchdowns and 53 first downs on sneaks over the last two years, and he and Saquon Barkley should feast against a generous Washington run defense. But if Hurts is contained to the pocket, he could have a long day. The Commanders defense flipped a switch in Week 5, and opposing quarterbacks have felt the heat. Since then, they've cranked up their blitz rate from 28 percent (sixth-lowest) to 36 percent (seventh-highest) and have the league's third-highest pressure rate.
If Brian Robinson Jr. returns to the backfield, Washington could match Philadelphia's firepower. If their defense can bother Hurts, they have a shot to take the lead in the NFC East. Who would have thought?
Commanders vs. Eagles odds
Expert picks for Commanders vs. Eagles
Read more about NFL Week 11
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Best bets: Patrick Mahomes as an underdog is too good to pass up
(Photo of Jayden Daniels: Patrick Smith / )
