ClutchPoints
On paper, the Week 18 showdown between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders has basically no impact on the NFL season as a whole.
The NFC East is locked up, the Eagles are more or less locked into the three seed unless the Chicago Bears drop the ball against the eliminated Detroit Lions, the Commanders have no shot at the top overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, with Washington’s 4-12 record locking them right around the seventh overall pick, depending on how Week 18 shakes out.
And yet, in Week 16, the Eagles and Commanders got incredibly testy before the game’s clock hit quadruple zeros, with Dan Quinn going out of his way to call Nick Sirianni and company out for going for two after a touchdown in the second half; a play that resulted in an all out brawl between Tyler Steen, Mike Singletary, and Javon Kinlaw.
“I can only answer from my side and what I would do,” Quinn said via Commanderswire. “But, hey man, like that’s how they want to get down then. Like all good. We play them again in two weeks.”
Are fans in Philadelphia, Washington, and beyond about to witness a dog fight both between the whistles and after it sounds? Considering the Eagles and Commanders will both be rolling with backup quarterback – and in Washington’s case, a backup to a backup in Josh Johnson – the actual on-field product likely won’t be the best matchup of the weekend. And yet, Week 16 wasn’t a particularly competitive game either, but it added some fun in the form of intraconference drama, so who knows, maybe Week 18 will feature some fireworks too.
With their playoff spot more or less set heading into the playoffs, the Eagles have opted to give many of their starters a rest in Week 18, with Jalen Carter out with a hip injury, Nakobe Dean out with a hamstring injury, Marcus Epps out with a concussion, and Jaelan Phillips out with an ankle injury. While Jihadd was a full participant at practice on Friday and will likely start in Week 18 as a result, the players around him may not feature many Pro Bowlers, with younger options like Ty Washington, Michael Carter II, Smael Mondon, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., and Jaylx Hunt all likely to earn extensive time against Quinn’s squad.
Will the Eagles be easy to throw on if Kelee Ringo, Jakorian Bennett, Michael Carter II, and Mac McWilliams are logging the majority of the snaps at cornerback? Most certainly so, but for 39-year-old Johnson to attack the Eagles down the field, he’ll need time to throw the ball, which might not be particularly easy if Vic Fangio gets his way.
Of the Eagles’ 42 sacks in 2025, only 20 came from “starters,” with Hunt leading the team at 6.5, Moro Ojomo right behind him at 6.0, Brandon Graham at three, Byron Young at 2.5, and then the quartet of Patrick...
