Eagles-Commanders on Saturday of Week 16: What We Learned from Philadelphia's 29-18 win

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1. Eagles creep closer toward title-winning identity. Philadelphia’s offense is still a tough watch at times, but after trudging through another low-output first half, the Eagles finally looked more like the team that won Super Bowl LIX. It didn’t come easily; on the go-ahead touchdown drive in the third quarter, Philadelphia needed two defensive penalties to keep its drive alive before finally cashing in. But the fashion in which the Eagles closed -- a quick, rugged Saquon Barkley touchdown run after a Cooper DeJean interception and a final scoring march powered by an explosive run from Barkley -- showed this team still has plenty of talent that is liable to bury an opponent if Philly can get out of its own way. Barkley made his reputation as a consistent closer in 2024 and finally did that on Saturday, gaining 92 of his 132 yards in the second half, an encouraging sign for an offense that has needed more production from him in 2025. It’s ultimately up to the Eagles to make this type of output a more frequent result, but on Saturday, it was good enough for them to lock up the NFC East crown with two weeks left to play.
2. Injuries continue to pile up for Commanders. In what is already a lost season, Washington couldn’t avoid the persistent injury bug again on Saturday. Marcus Mariota exited the game with a hand injury after getting stepped on by Eagles pass rusher Nolan Smith, and with Mariota went Washington’s remaining hopes of pulling off the upset. After the veteran backup left, Josh Johnson threw a crushing interception, allowing the Eagles to take a commanding 21-10 lead early in the fourth. Making matters worse, a handful of other Commanders suffered injuries: receiver Jaylin Lane (ankle) did not return, backup tackle (and Laremy Tunsil replacement) Brandon Coleman went down with 3:03 left to play, Samuel Cosmi left with injury and Jer'Zhan Newton exited with an ailment with 1:04 remaining. Add in ejections for defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and safety Quan Martin -- which could include fines and/or suspensions -- and the picture only becomes bleaker. The Commanders have a lot of work ahead of them this offseason, and the final few weeks are proving to be a brutal finish.
3. Davis is breaking out. With Jalen Carter out of action, Philadelphia needed the other young gap-plugger to step up, and Jordan Davis has done so in a big way in recent weeks. Davis was a force on Saturday, racking up six tackles (including four run stuffs, per Next Gen Stats), splitting double teams with remarkable quickness and stonewalling Washington runners in the backfield in a second-half sequence that proved pivotal for the Eagles’ efforts in pulling away from the Commanders. The typical offseason physical transformation cliche proved to be much more than a trope for the Eagles’ defensive tackle, whose leaner frame has allowed him to become an even more explosive, agile defender in 2025. It’s been obvious over the last month and should give Eagles fans renewed confidence in their defense as they return to the playoffs.

Next Gen Stats insight from Eagles-Commanders (via NFL Pro): Jalen Hurts was pressured on just four of his 37 dropbacks in Week 16, his lowest pressure rate in a game in his career (10.8%).

NFL Research: The Eagles' victory over the Commanders clinched the NFC East title for a second straight season, making them the first back-to-back NFC East champions since Philadelphia won four straight from 2001-2004, and ending the longest non-repeat division winner streak in NFL history at 21 seasons.