Eagles vs. Commanders preview: 5 questions and answers with the Week 10 enemy

The Philadelphia Eagles are set to host the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field on Monday Night Football. In order to preview this Week 10 matchup, I reached out to our enemies over at Hogs Haven. The keen KyleSmithforGM took the time to answer my questions about this upcoming battle. Let’s take a look at the answers. [For my answers to KS4GM’s questions about the Eagles, check out Hogs Haven.]

Our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook have all of the odds for this week’s games.

1 - Safe to say the Carson Wentz era in Washington is already over, right? To what extent is Taylor Heinicke an upgrade at this point?

Many of us certainly hope the Wentz era is over. We don’t want to give up a second round pick to the Colts, and we’ve had enough of the Carson Wentz experience. Personally, I never want to watch him play again. It was traumatizing. Heinicke’s numbers actually end up looking quite a bit like Carson’s, but - in my opinion - he’s far more enjoyable to watch. His passion for the game, his ability to energize his teammates, and the feeling that he’s never truly out of it make the game fun when he’s in. I’m also not expecting the Eagles to sack him 9 times this week.

2 - Besides the QB change, what’s notably different about the Commanders since the last time they played the Eagles?

The defense continues to play better and better each week, and should be even better, if Chase Young can return on Monday. Rookie running back Brian Robinson is recovered from his gunshot injuries, and is a steady piece of the offense, providing a bit of a change up to Antonio Gibson. And, speaking of Gibson, he’s returning kicks now and is a top 5 returner (among those with more than 1 return this year).

3 - It looks like Dan Snyder might actually be selling the team, which is great news for Commanders fans and bad news for Eagles/Cowboys/Giants fans. Can you touch on why this sale would be such a big development?

Honestly, it’s not an understatement to say that a change in ownership is as meaningful to Washington fans as a Super Bowl victory. Many fans have been hoping for a decade or more that this day would come, and it finally appears to be here. With the Snyders gone, hope returns to the fanbase. Hope that we can finally have a proper GM and head coach who can select their own QB, without the owner dropping in off his yacht to piss away a first round pick. Hope that the team we love won’t be run by an insecure weasel of man who we’re embarrassed to enrich. Hope that some return to greatness might again be possible.

4 - What is the Commanders’ biggest strength and biggest weakness right now?

The Commanders’ biggest strength at this point is its defense, which seems to be getting more and more cohesive. In particular, the defensive line, led by Jon Allen and Daron Payne, has been superb.

Its biggest weakness has to be its quarterback, followed closely by its offensive line. I’m going to be very interested to see if Scott Turner can develop a game plan to help neutralize Philly’s defense, but I’m not counting on it.

5 - Who wins this game and why? With DraftKings Sportsbook listing the Eagles as 10.5-point favorites, what’s your score prediction? And what are your expectations for the rest of this Commanders season?

I expect the Eagles to win 24-17. At the beginning of the season, I predicted the team would end up 8-9, and that still seems about right to me.