Commanders' bitter rival is imploding from within and it's glorious

There was only one team standing between the Washington Commanders and a trip to the Super Bowl last season. They just so happened to reside within their division.

However, all is clearly not well within the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

The Commanders have the chance to equal Philadelphia's 4-2 record when they welcome the Chicago Bears in Week 6 for a pivotal Monday Night Football showdown. This comes after Nick Sirianni's squad suffered an embarrassing loss to the New York Giants with a national NFL audience watching on.

Commanders must seize the initiative as tension grows within the Eagles

It was another disjointed, unprepared performance from the Eagles. Their offense was stagnant, as evidenced by their inexplicable four-straight tush pushes to get into the end zone. It's just unwatchable, and speaks to the lack of imagination within offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo's schematic concepts.

On defense, Philadelphia had no answer for the Giants' rookie duo of quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Cameron Skattebo. It's a complete mess, with signs of dysfunction in the building that cannot be ignored during this two-game skid.

Jalen Hurts is coming under fire. Patullo's offense is mundane and predictable. The trenches aren't as strong as they once were. Others aren't happy — Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, and DeVonta Smith are right at the top of the list.

Commanders fans can only laugh, but dismissing the Eagles entirely would be foolish. This remains a talented roster with Pro Bowlers and All-Pros everywhere you look. They also proved more than capable of overcoming early adversity last season before finishing top of the pile.

The Eagles started 2-2 last time around. Some fans were calling for Sirianni to be fired, but they only lost one game — to the Commanders at Northwest Stadium — the rest of the way. Honest soul-searching is needed during their mini-bye to repair relationships and find the right solutions to ensure this lackluster start, which could be even worse had it not been for one or two big plays in key moments, from snowballing.

Nothing else will do.

All the Commanders can do is focus on themselves, keep piling on the pressure, and let the chips fall where they may after that.

The next objective is putting the Bears in their place. After that, it's the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs. If Dan Quinn's squad can navigate these contests effectively, they could find themselves atop the NFC East at the expense of Philadelphia.

There is an opportunity awaiting the Commanders. The Eagles are the ones under pressure, and the cracks are beginning to show.