Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) looks on during the first quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

3 Keys To Eagles Beating Commanders, Winning NFC East

Originally posted on Philadelphia Eagles on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Dec 18, 2025 6:00 PM ET

The Philadelphia Eagles have a chance to clinch the NFC East on Saturday despite all of the negative noise of the season to this point.

From the way this team has been discussed nationally this season, you'd think the Eagles were on the cusp of missing the playoffs, not winning the NFC East for the second straight year. No team has accomplished the feat since 2004. But the Eagles are right there, but they can't overlook the Washington Commanders this weekend.

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With that being said, here are the three keys to victory on Saturday:

The Eagles have a shot at the division

Offensive Line

The offensive line has been beaten up for weeks. Landon Dickerson, Lane Johnson, and Fred Johnson all missed practice on Wednesday. Fred Johnson and Dickerson returned to the practice field, but, Lane Johnson remains out. With three weeks remaining in the regular season, the most important thing is going to be getting this offensive line as close to healthy as possible for the playoffs. If that means another week without Lane Johnson, so be it. But this line arguably is the most important part of the offense. It opens up the running game, the passing game, and everything else. The line has looked better of late, but the Eagles need this crew at their best.

Saquon Barkley

The Commanders are allowing the fifth-most rushing yards per game this season at 136.3 yards per game. Barkley has started to turn it on over the last three games. Barkley has 256 rushing yards over the last three games and two touchdowns. If the Eagles are going to make a deep run this season, they're going to need Barkley. This is the perfect opportunity for him.

Stopping The Run

The Commanders have been bad this season, but their running game actually has been solid. The Commanders average the fourth-most rushing yards per game at 137.1 yards per game. It'll be difficult without Jalen Carter, but Brandon Graham played well at defensive tackle last week. If the Commanders are going to upset the Eagles, it will be behind the running game.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia Eagles on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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