3 problems the Commanders must address before Week 11 at Eagles

The Washington Commanders play their most important game of the 2024 season on Thursday Night Football when they travel to the Philadelphia Eagles for a nationally televised NFC East clash.

They are coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which left them a half-game behind Philadelphia. Their remaining schedule does not appear very daunting, and the Commanders would remain in an excellent position for a playoff spot even if they lost. However, defeat to the Eagles at this stage would put a serious dent in their chances for the division crown.

More importantly, after playing a tough but sloppy game against the Steelers, Dan Quinn has to get his team playing sound football again.

The dropped balls and silly penalties must be eliminated. The Eagles are playing very well right now, but even during the down years under Ron Rivera, the Commanders always gave them a good contest. There is no reason to assume this will not be the kind of tight, high-scoring game these two rivals have played against each other in recent years.

If the Commanders are to come out on top, there are three big problems they must address beforehand. Let's examine them in greater detail.

Problems the Commanders must address before Week 11 at Eagles

Planning for the Eagles' wideouts

I don’t need to remind you what A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith did to the Washington Commanders last season.

In two games, the standout wide receivers combined for 31 catches on 36 targets. In the second of those contests, Brown and Smith caught all 15 of their targets. The pair totaled almost 500 receiving yards and found the end zone five times. Washington’s defense was utterly helpless.

The status of newly acquired cornerback Marshon Lattimore remains unknown. If he cannot play, Joe Whitt Jr. and his crew will have to figure out strategies for quieting Brown and Smith without the benefit of a true shutdown presence.

Defensive schemes can help take out one great receiver. But when they have faced an elite pair this season, the Commanders' secondary has not performed well.

Chris Godwin and Mike Evans torched them in Week 1. A couple of weeks later, Ja’Marr Chase and a rusty Tee Higgins also presented major headaches. The Commanders' defense surrendered 70 points in those two games.

Washington did shut down an above-average receiving corps from the Chicago Bears. However, they were aided a great deal by quarterback Caleb Williams’ inaccuracy in that game.

Without Lattimore, the Commanders don't have any player who can consistently stay with a quality outside receiver. It's been the same story for a while.

The player best suited to do that, Benjamin St-Juste, seems to make multiple errors at the worst possible times weekly. The others - Mike Sainristil and Noah Igbinoghene - do not have the ideal length or speed to play the perimeter. Unfortunately, both have been forced to for lack of better options.

Somehow, Whitt and defensive pass game coordinator Jason Simmons must find a way to confuse quarterback Jalen Hurts and provide enough help to the corners. Otherwise, Brown and Smith will once again run wild through the secondary.

Commanders interior OL must handle the pressure

Tyler Biadasz, Nick Allegretti, and Sam Cosmi have provided a steady core for the Washington Commanders' offense this season. This trio must be at their brilliant best in Week 11 with the national spotlight glaring.

Though they have not been dominant, the offensive interior has provided decent running lanes for Brian Robinson Jr. and company. They've also kept Jayden Daniels from being pressured in the pocket.

The rookie signal-caller has shown the ability to handle most edge rushers. But no quarterback can overcome pressure right up the gut.

That changed against the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense very strong in the middle. Biadasz was struggling with an injury. Both Cosmi and Allegretti had their hands full with Cameron Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi, and Keanu Benton.

Those Steelers interior defenders combined for six tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, and two pass deflections. That is insane production coming from the defensive tackle position.

They also opened up doors for linebackers Patrick Queen and Elandon Roberts to attack Commanders ball-carriers. Most of all, they made it very difficult for Daniels to find any room to operate either within the pocket or on running plays.

This was very reminiscent of the Baltimore Ravens game. Their stout defensive front and speedy linebackers largely shut down Daniels’ explosive plays. It cannot become an ongoing trend.

The Commanders face another stern test against the Philadelphia Eagles. Their defense is predicated on the dominant play of interior linemen Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Milton Williams, and Moro Ojomo. They are a ruthless quartet capable of making life extremely uncomfortable.

Carter and Davis are huge and athletic. Williams always seems to play well against Washington. Veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio substitutes liberally, ensuring that his best players remain fresh throughout the game.

The Commanders would benefit enormously from having injured starters Robinson, Cornelius Lucas, and Andrew Wylie back on the field. Even if all of them return, it won’t matter if Washington's interior protectors don’t hold up effectively.

Commanders need pass-catching contingencies

Fans knew this would be a concern in 2024. Other than Terry McLaurin, who would catch passes?

Noah Brown may be developing into a legitimate No. 2 wide receiver, though it’s still a bit too early to declare that. So far, the Washington Commanders have relied on veterans Austin Ekeler and Zach Ertz to come up big in the passing game at key moments.

In recent weeks, Ekeler had to take over for Brian Robinson Jr. as the lead running back, which has reduced his usage in the passing game. He has been outstanding this year - arguably the most instinctive runner Washington has had in more than a decade.

Ertz's predicament is more concerning. He has not looked as good in recent weeks as he did to begin the season. He’s 34 years old and missed half of his games in 2022 and 2023 due to injuries.

It would make sense that he is slowing down. Ertz had a costly drop in the loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and simply fell on another play after catching the ball in the middle of the field.

If Ertz is indeed beginning to slow down, that will be even more evident when playing on short rest this Thursday. Someone else will need to step up. That someone is rookie second-rounder Ben Sinnott.

The rookies drafted around him - Mike Sainristil, Johnny Newton, and Brandon Coleman - have all taken on larger roles. It is now Sinnott’s turn.

When they drafted him, general manager Adam Peters noted that he saw a lot of George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk in the versatile Kansas State product. It's time to show why in a crunch divisional clash.

Sinnott has been getting more snaps of late but has yet to do much in the passing game. He has been targeted just three times this season. The Philadelphia Eagles have been excellent against opposing tight ends this season, so neither Ertz nor Sinnott is likely to have a big game. But a couple of key catches on third downs could make the difference in the outcome.

If Ertz isn’t able to perform, then a player like Sinnott will have to.

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