Washington Commanders: 4 takeaways from Week 3 loss vs. Eagles

4. Commanders’ run D was stout

The Eagles boast the league’s most prolific offense. Entering this game, many thought that Miles Sanders and Jalen Hurts would have an easy day against the Commanders’ ground defense. They had their moments, but the defense actually did a better job than expected in keeping them in check.

The Commanders began the game by demonstrating that they were at least capable of achieving what the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings were unable to do. They stopped Hurts and Sanders’ running lanes. To illustrate, the Eagles gained only 36 yards on their opening two drives. The majority of those came as a result of a pass interference call. However, Sanders’ rushing routes were frequently obstructed by the Commanders, while Hurts was relegated to scramble about in the backfield on those first two plays.

Overall, the Eagles were held to 72 yards on the ground in this game. They averaged just 2.4 per carry. That’s a far cry from their first two games when they averaged over 190 rushing yards per game. Given how effortlessly the Eagles ran through the Vikings and Lions, this is a notable element to build on.

3. Commanders’ air D picked apart

The Commanders did an excellent job of containing the Eagles’ potent running assault, but they struggled mightily in the air. Jalen Hurts, the Eagles’ dual-threat quarterback, had a big passing day. By halftime, he already had 279 yards and three touchdowns. He eventually finished 22-for-35 for 340 yards.

Hurts capitalized on Washington’s inexperience in the secondary early and often. Rachad Wildgoose, a Commanders cornerback whom Washington claimed off waivers in August, made his first career start in place of the injured William Jackson III. Wildgoose, sadly, was called for pass interference twice in the first half. Overall, the Eagles had 328 passing yards compared to just 153 for the Commanders.

2. Sacked like crazy

Similar to last week, plays were frequently stymied before they even began. This was evident from how often Carson Wentz found himself on the ground.

The Commanders’ offensive line battled all afternoon to handle the Eagles’ ferocious pass rush. The offensive line didn’t do too well, though. Six Eagles defenders got in on the action, bringing down Wentz nine times. Six of those sacks came in the first half. Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave knocked down Wentz on back-to-back plays in the first quarter, leading to a third-and-26 that eventually turned into a three-and-out.

As underwhelming as the offensive line was, however, Wentz was also quick to criticize himself. He claimed that he needed to get rid of the ball faster in certain instances.

Not surprisingly, the passing game suffered as a result of the six sacks in the first half.

1. Wentz just didn’t play well

Carson Wentz was fantastic in his first two Commanders starts. He passed for seven touchdowns and went over 300 yards in both games. Wentz, however, had a net -16 throwing yards in the first half of the Eagles defeat.

Yes, we can blame the sacks again, but even when Wentz did get time in the pocket in the first half, he wasn’t very crisp. Before halftime, the veteran completed only 3-of-10 throws for 24 yards and missed many open targets. Terry McLaurin was kept without a grab until the third quarter, and rookie wideout Jahan Dotson was limited to two catches for 10 yards.

Some accountability may also be thrown in the direction of offensive coordinator Scott Turner. Despite the Eagles’ early success in creating pressure in the backfield, Turner persisted to have Wentz drop back into the rapidly collapsing pocket.

The Commanders had success rushing the ball in the first half, highlighted by Curtis Samuel’s 15-yard run on the opening play from scrimmage and Antonio Gibson’s six carries for 35 yards. Early in the second quarter, Washington trailed only 10-0, but it never really committed to the run. By the time they trailed 24-0, it was too late.

If this Commanders team will go only as far as Wentz takes them, well, their fans might already be looking at a lost season.