The NFL may be preparing a prime-time shakeup for Week 8, and the Philadelphia Eagles look like the team that could get bumped.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Rob Tornoe, the league is considering moving the Eagles’ Nov. 1 matchup with the Washington Commanders out of the Sunday Night Football window. That game is currently set for 8:20 p.m. ET, but one of the other 1 p.m. or 4 p.m. games could be pushed into that spot instead.
The timing makes sense from the league’s perspective, at least on paper. Philadelphia is sitting at 2-3 after losses to the Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars in Weeks 4 and 5, dropping the team into its first losing record under Nick Sirianni. The Eagles have also been dealing with multiple injuries, along with Lane Johnson’s sudden retirement.
On the field, the biggest problem has been how games are slipping away late. Philadelphia has developed a habit of fading in the second half, and that pattern showed up again against Jacksonville in London on Sunday. The Eagles led by one point with eight seconds left, then watched the Jaguars flip the game with a huge kick-return sequence before Cam Little drilled a 57-yard field goal as time expired.
Washington’s recent finish wasn’t exactly a clean one either. The Commanders are 1-3-1 after a wild overtime game against the New York Giants, and their own clock-management issue ended with the final snap coming after time had run out, leaving them in a 27-27 tie.
If the NFL does decide to flex the Eagles-Commanders game, the most likely alternatives appear to be in the mix as replacements. The Inquirer reported that the Bills-Ravens matchup is probably protected by CBS, while the other two options involve undefeated teams: the Chiefs and the Vikings.
NBC can move its Sunday night game, but the league has to give 12 days’ notice, which would make Oct. 20 the deadline. As of the time of writing, the NFL had not announced any final decision.
In Other News...
Commanders Report Card Reveals What Really Cost Them A Win In New York
A detailed look at Washingtons Week 5 trip to New York makes one thing clear: this was not just a game that slipped away, it was a game the Commanders let get messy in the margins. The report card found bright spots in the rushing offense and along the defensive line, while also showing how the passing game and protection left too much work for the rest of the team to cover.
Special teams and coaching also came under the microscope, because the tie with the Giants felt less like a clean finish and more like a lesson in game management. Washington had built enough of a cushion to control the afternoon, but the final verdict from the breakdown is that the Commanders issues in pass protection, secondary play and late-game decision-making added up at exactly the wrong time. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Fans Are Still Questioning One Backfield Decision In The Tie
Jacory "Bill" Croskey-Merritt was one of the few bright spots in Washingtons 27-27 tie with the Giants, and the rookies work on the ground stood out even in a game that left plenty to sort through. He led the Commanders in rushing yardage and looked like the kind of back who could help steady an offense that needed a dependable spark as the afternoon wore on.
So it caught the eye when the backfield usage shifted late, with the Commanders leaning away from the runner who had been most effective. Rachaad White handled the rest of the carries while Croskey-Merritt stayed on the sideline, and the decision only added to the questions surrounding a game that already felt strange in the way it unfolded. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Let A Winnable Game Slip Away With Brutal Late Mistake
For much of Sundays Week 5 meeting, Washington looked positioned to leave with a win after building a two-touchdown cushion in the fourth quarter. Instead, the Commanders wound up in a 27-27 tie with the Giants, a result that felt especially painful after New Yorks late surge and Jameis Winstons 326-yard, three-touchdown day kept the pressure on until the final whistle.
Washington still had a path to finish the job in the closing seconds, but a costly clock-management mistake erased the chance to line up a potential game-winning field goal. The Commanders will have to live with the missed opportunity after letting a winnable game slip away in a finish that left plenty of frustration on their sideline. [Read more 🡒]