Eagles Eye Rare NFC East Repeat, But Injuries Still Loom Large
PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles are on the doorstep of history. With a win this weekend over the Washington Commanders-or a Cowboys loss to the Chargers-they'll clinch their second straight NFC East title.
That may not sound earth-shattering until you realize it hasn’t been done in this division in over two decades. The last team to pull it off?
The Eagles themselves, back in 2003-04.
But if Philly’s going to punch that ticket with a win, they’ll have to do it shorthanded again. Two of their most important players-defensive tackle Jalen Carter and right tackle Lane Johnson-are set to miss another game. That’s three straight for Carter, five for Johnson.
Carter’s absence stems from a nonsurgical procedure on his shoulders. As for Johnson, he’s been out since suffering a Lisfranc sprain in his foot back on Nov. 16 against Detroit.
The Eagles could’ve placed him on injured reserve, freeing up a roster spot. But when you’re talking about a perennial All-Pro like Lane Johnson, you take every week as a fresh chance for a return.
“Every case you think through differently, individually, and you never put anything past Lane,” head coach Nick Sirianni said ahead of practice on Monday. Neither Johnson nor Carter participated.
Sirianni made it clear the team won’t rush either player back. Putting them on IR now would mean a guaranteed four-game absence-and with the playoffs looming, that’s a tough call to make.
Still, there’s some positive news on the injury front. Fred Johnson, who’s been filling in for Lane at right tackle, was back at practice in full after missing a day with an ankle issue.
Landon Dickerson, the starting left guard, also returned after sitting out with a calf injury and a scheduled rest day. Both are good to go.
So while the Eagles are still missing some heavy hitters, they’re not limping into this game. They’re just navigating the final stretch of a long season-like every contender does.
And make no mistake, this team is thinking bigger than just the division crown.
“It’s a hard division throughout the history of this game,” said running back Saquon Barkley, who knows the NFC East all too well from his years with the Giants. “So to do something that hasn’t been done in 20 years is pretty cool. But that can’t be the focus.”
Barkley’s right. The Eagles have put themselves in position to clinch, but the work isn’t done. The focus now is on execution-finishing strong, sharpening every detail, and building momentum for the postseason.
And Barkley’s got his own milestone in sight. He’s just 60 yards away from back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. That might not match the 2,005-yard explosion he had last year, but it still matters-especially considering the grind of this season.
“Any time you can rush for 1,000 yards, it’s a big deal,” Barkley said. “The year hasn’t gone, statistically, like last year.
But sometimes that’s how the game goes. My mindset is I can still have the impact I want to have on this season.”
That impact could come in bunches this weekend. Washington’s defense has been generous, to say the least.
They’re giving up 137 yards per game on the ground-28th in the league-and rank 31st overall in total defense. If Barkley’s looking to make a statement heading into January, this is the matchup to do it.
The Commanders, meanwhile, are a far cry from the team that was battling the Eagles for NFC supremacy not long ago. They’re 4-10 and reeling.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels is out for the season with a dislocated left elbow. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil is also sidelined with an oblique injury.
And defensive tackle Eddie Goldman won’t play due to a concussion.
It’s a depleted Washington squad, and Philly knows what’s at stake. Clinching the division early would be another step toward securing home-field advantage-and more importantly, a chance to get healthier before the real grind begins.
The Eagles have been here before. Now they just have to finish the job.