Eagles battle Commanders for NFC East's top spot
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A battle of the NFC East's established and rising stars. Photos: Cooper Neill/Getty Images; Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Divisional dominance is at stake this week in one of the most pivotal matchups between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders in decades.
Why it matters: The winner of Thursday night's game puts itself atop the NFC East and in good shape to win the division crown.
Driving the news: Birds fans will flock to Lincoln Financial Field early to tailgate ahead of the 8:15pm kickoff. Former Eagles running back and return specialist Brian Mitchell is leading a pep rally and pre-game show at 5pm at the Portal in LOVE Park.
- There's perhaps no one better equipped to break down the significance of the matchup than Mitchell, who played for Washington for several years before signing with the Birds in 2000.
Stunning stat: The teams are facing off with records at least four games above .500 for the first time since 1996, per the Associated Press.
Catch up quick: The Eagles are on a five-game winning streak after dominating reigning division champs Dallas last week.
- The Commanders, led by star rookie QB Jayden Daniels, have won three of their last four games, losing a nail-biter Sunday to the Steelers.
- Washington hasn't won the division since 2020 — and they did it that year with a losing record. The Eagles last won the division in 2022 en route to the Super Bowl.
Odds: If last year's contests are any indication, it could be close. The Eagles won both games against Washington by a combined 10 points.
Zoom in: Jalen Hurts has proven once again why he's one of the top quarterbacks in the league, tossing for nearly 2,000 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. On top of that, he has run for 10 TDs.
- But Daniels is nipping at his heels. This year's No. 2 overall pick, from LSU, has thrown for more than 2,100 yards and nine touchdowns — and is arguably one of the top five players overall at his position. He's emerged as a favorite to win NFL Rookie of the Year.
What they're saying: Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni told radio host Joe DeCamara these are the high-stakes games he looks forward to every year.
- "Every opportunity in the NFL is so precious," he said. "It's cold, the leaves are falling off of the trees …. You just feel it, 'Hey, this is football season.'"
Key to the game: The Eagles have one of the league's most potent running backs in Saquon Barkley.
- He'll be looking to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark against a Commanders defense that's giving up an average of 142 rushing yards per game.
If you go: Tickets start at $122.
- The game is being broadcast on Fox and is streaming on Amazon Prime.