Predicting the Commanders next four games following 2-3 start in 2023

Commanders vs. Eagles - Week 8

A relatively quick second meeting sees the Washington Commanders welcome the Philadelphia Eagles for what should be another physical encounter. Ron Rivera's men arguably turned in their finest performance of the campaign against the defending NFC champions in Week 4, even if it only resulted in a narrow overtime loss despite a rousing effort.

The Eagles are currently unbeaten and look like the class within both the NFC East and the conference overall along with the San Francisco 49ers. However, if Washington wants to get on Philadelphia's level somewhere down the line, these are the games where they need to stamp their authority.

Those in the locker room can take heart from their performance at Lincoln Financial Field, but that will count for nothing in this one. The Eagles are likely to be much better from an execution standpoint by midseason, so it represents a grave challenge and if the Commanders are carrying any passengers, they'll pay the price.

Much like their first meeting, it all starts upfront. The defensive line must contain and pressure Jalen Hurts in the hope he'll make mistakes and the protection in front of quarterback Sam Howell must hold firm versus a stout defensive front that's stacked with weapons led by first-round pick Jalen Carter.

Prediction: Loss (4-4)

FedEx Field will hopefully be rocking after two straight wins in this scenario. But these are two teams on different paths right now and it's hard to see anything other than defeat looking at the grand scheme of things.