Sean Mannion’s first game as offensive coordinator gives the Eagles a clean chance to go hunting.
Washington comes into Week 1 with a handful of spots Philadelphia can press, and the path is pretty clear: lean on the run game, stress the linebackers, and make the new pieces in the Commanders’ back end sort things out on the fly.
The first opening is up front, where the Eagles should look to attack Washington’s outside linebackers on the ground. The Commanders added Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson, and both can rush the passer, but one is vulnerable when the play turns into a run fit battle.
With Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson carrying major size advantages at the tackle spots, Mannion has a chance to keep the edge defenders busy all afternoon. Washington nose tackle De’Ron Payne can clog things inside, which makes the wide zone and off-tackle approach even more important.
That’s the kind of setup that could let Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby find space for chunk gains.
The next spot is in the middle of the defense, where the Commanders are trying to sort out a linebacker group that includes veteran Frankie Luvu and rookie first-rounder Sonny Styles. Eagles fans know Luvu well after his 2024 NFC Championship Game performance, and Styles is stepping into his first regular season game.
That combination invites pressure from the play-action game. With Jalen Hurts working off fakes, Dallas Goedert and the other targets can attack the middle more often in Mannion’s system.
If Washington starts chasing too hard, that only makes it easier for the Eagles to keep layering in play action and RPO looks.
The third weakness sits in the secondary, where Philadelphia can work the intermediate game and the routes that split the middle of the field. DeVonta Smith will draw plenty of attention, but he won’t be the only one who can benefit. Hurts should have chances to distribute the ball in areas the Eagles have not consistently leaned on in recent years, and Mannion’s approach points directly that way.
Washington’s safety group is also in transition. Nick Cross arrives from Indianapolis, while Jeremy Reaves is moving into a starting role after being known primarily as a special teams player. That leaves room for issues with communication and chemistry, especially in a Week 1 setting against a new offensive plan.
Philadelphia gets all of this at home, in front of a charged crowd, with a revamped attack. That combination gives the Eagles a real opportunity to make the Commanders’ new-look defense spend the night reacting instead of dictating.
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