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Eagles @ Commanders
Week 8 · 2026
Philadelphia brings five straight losses to Washington, which has not played in 13 days.
Philadelphia went 2-0, then lost five. Seven did it before; none won seven
StorylineIn January 2025 these two met for the NFC title and Philadelphia won 55 to 23; Sunday night they meet at a combined 3-9-1. Philadelphia beat Washington 24 to 22 in Week 1, won in Tennessee, and has lost five straight since, outscored 133 to 79, most recently 38 to 21 at home to Dallas on Monday. It is the eighth team since 1999 to start 2-0 and lose its next five, none of the first seven finished better than 6-10, and a sixth straight loss would be the franchise's longest since its eight in 2012. Washington is 1-4-1, has not won since beating Seattle in Week 3, and has had 13 days since its last game to Philadelphia's six, so the question is which of two sliding NFC East teams can still hold a game together for four quarters.
Teams that started 2-0 and lost their next five, regular season, since 1999
| Season | Team | First seven | Final record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | JAX | W W L L L L L | 6-10 |
| 2002 | CHI | W W L L L L L | 4-12 |
| 2007 | SF | W W L L L L L | 5-11 |
| 2013 | HOU | W W L L L L L | 2-14 |
| 2015 | DAL | W W L L L L L | 4-12 |
| 2024 | NO | W W L L L L L | 5-12 |
| 2025 | ARI | W W L L L L L | 3-14 |
| 2026 | PHI | W W L L L L L | 2-5 so far |
Philadelphia's losing streaks of five or more, since 1999 (playoffs included)
| Season | Losses | From | Through |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 8 | Wk 5 at PIT | Wk 13 at DAL |
| 2016 | 5 | Wk 11 at SEA | Wk 15 at BAL |
| 2026 | 5, active | Wk 3 at CHI | Wk 7 vs DAL |
Both teams by game, 2026
| Week | Philadelphia | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | W 24-22 vs WAS | L 22-24 at PHI |
| 2 | W 24-20 at TEN | L 20-37 at DAL |
| 3 | L 7-27 at CHI (Mon) | W 33-31 vs SEA |
| 4 | L 20-24 vs LA | L 13-30 vs IND |
| 5 | L 17-19 at JAX | T 27-27 vs NYG |
| 6 | L 14-25 vs CAR | L 17-23 at SF (Mon) |
| 7 | L 21-38 vs DAL (Mon) | Bye |
Teams on six days of rest against an opponent with 13 or more, regular season since 1999
| Games | Six-day team record | On the road | Average margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 57 | 33-23-1 | 14-8 | +3.6 |
Why it matters. A 2-0 start followed by five losses has never ended in a winning season since 1999, and the closest was Jacksonville's 6-10 in 2001, so Philadelphia is playing against a pattern as much as an opponent. Washington's slide runs across seasons, from 12 wins in 2024 to 5 in 2025 to one win in six games now, none since Week 3. The rest gap points toward Washington, but teams in Philadelphia's six-day spot have won 33 of 57 such games since 1999, so the schedule alone settles nothing.
Philadelphia's rush is last in sack rate. Washington allowed nine in two games
What to watchPhiladelphia's pass rush has eight sacks on 254 dropbacks, 3.1 percent, last of 32, after 42 sacks and 13th by rate in 2025, and it had none in Week 7 while Dallas averaged plus 0.446 expected points per dropback against it, 25th of the 28 defenses that played that week. Jalyx Hunt led the 2025 team with six and a half sacks and has none this season; Nolan Smith has three of the eight, the Week 7 injury report listed him Out with a concussion, and the Week 8 practice report lists him and Hunt as limited participants. Washington's protection is the opening: it allowed three sacks in its first three games and nine on 73 dropbacks in its last two, five against the Giants and four in San Francisco, after a 7.3 percent rate and 19th place in 2025. If Philadelphia sacks Jayden Daniels on either of Washington's first two possessions, the Weeks 5 and 6 protection is back; if Daniels is clean at halftime, the last-ranked rush is the one on the field.
Lowest sack rate, defenses, 2026 Weeks 1 to 7
| Rank | Defense | Games | Dropbacks | Sacks | Sack rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | PHI | 7 | 254 | 8 | 3.1% |
| 31 | MIA | 6 | 182 | 6 | 3.3% |
| 30 | KC | 6 | 218 | 8 | 3.7% |
| 29 | NYG | 7 | 229 | 9 | 3.9% |
| 28 | LA | 7 | 241 | 10 | 4.1% |
Sacks by game, 2026
| Week | Philadelphia defense made | Washington offense allowed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 vs WAS | 1 at PHI, 36 dropbacks |
| 2 | 2 at TEN | 0 at DAL, 35 |
| 3 | 0 at CHI | 2 vs SEA, 33 |
| 4 | 1 vs LA | 2 vs IND, 39 |
| 5 | 2 at JAX | 5 vs NYG, 31 |
| 6 | 2 vs CAR | 4 at SF, 42 |
| 7 | 0 vs DAL | Bye |
Both units, two windows
| Unit | 2026 Wks 1 to 7 | Rank of 32 | 2025 regular season | 2025 rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHI defense, sacks made | 8 on 254, 3.1% | 32 | 42 on 582, 7.2% | 13 |
| WAS offense, sacks allowed | 14 on 216, 6.5% | 17 (fewest first) | 7.3% | 19 |
Philadelphia sack leaders, regular season
| Player | 2025 sacks | 2026 sacks |
|---|---|---|
| Jalyx Hunt | 6.5 | 0 |
| Moro Ojomo | 6.0 | 0 |
| Jordan Davis | 4.5 | 0.5 |
| Nolan Smith | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Jalen Carter | 3.0 | 3.0 |
Why it matters. Philadelphia's 2025 defense ranked eighth by EPA per play with a rush that sacked passers on 7.2 percent of dropbacks; with that rate at 3.1 percent, the same defense ranks 28th by EPA per play and its pass defense 27th. Washington's line allowed a sack on 12.3 percent of dropbacks over its last two games, 30th of 32 over Weeks 5 to 7, so one of two recent samples breaks Sunday night. Both are short windows set beside full seasons.
Philadelphia has the fewest 20-yard catches. Six went to two receivers
What to watchPhiladelphia's offense ranks 30th of 32 by EPA per play, and it has 10 completions of 20 yards or more in seven games, 1.43 a game, fewest in the league, after 42 and 24th in 2025. Six of the 10 went to DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks, whom the Week 7 injury report listed Out (Smith with a hamstring, Wicks with an ankle) and the Week 8 practice report lists as not participating; Jalen Hurts threw nine of the 10 before the Week 6 report listed him Out with a calf injury, and Tanner McKee has one in two starts since, a 21-yard catch by Makai Lemon against Dallas. Washington's pass defense allows them: 20 in six games, 3.33 a game, 26th of 32, with four in each of four games. If Philadelphia completes a 20-yard pass in the first half, Washington's soft spot is open; if it has none by halftime, the offense is back to the drives that ended on third and long.
Fewest completions of 20 yards or more per game, offenses, 2026 Weeks 1 to 7
| Rank | Offense | Games | Completions of 20+ | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | PHI | 7 | 10 | 1.43 |
| 31 | TEN | 7 | 11 | 1.57 |
| 29 | ARI | 7 | 13 | 1.86 |
| 29 | TB | 7 | 13 | 1.86 |
| 28 | LAC | 6 | 12 | 2.00 |
| 21 | WAS | 6 | 16 | 2.67 |
Philadelphia's completions of 20 yards or more, 2026
| Receiver | Catches | Weeks | Passer |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeVonta Smith | 3 | 1, 2, 3 | Hurts |
| Dontayvion Wicks | 3 | 1, 2, 2 | Hurts |
| Darius Cooper | 2 | 2, 5 | Hurts |
| Dallas Goedert | 1 | 1 | Hurts |
| Makai Lemon | 1 | 7 | McKee |
Most completions of 20 yards or more allowed per game, 2026 Weeks 1 to 7
| Rank | Defense | Games | Allowed | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | DET | 6 | 29 | 4.83 |
| 31 | BUF | 6 | 26 | 4.33 |
| 30 | HOU | 7 | 29 | 4.14 |
| 29 | JAX | 6 | 21 | 3.50 |
| 27 | NO | 7 | 24 | 3.43 |
| 27 | TEN | 7 | 24 | 3.43 |
| 26 | WAS | 6 | 20 | 3.33 |
Philadelphia passing by passer, 2026
| Passer | Games | Dropbacks | EPA per dropback | Completions of 20+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Hurts | 5 | 167 | -0.080 | 9 |
| Tanner McKee | 2 | 85 | -0.141 | 1 |
Why it matters. Without chunk plays, an offense has to string together long drives, and Philadelphia's have kept stalling: it faces the longest average third down in the league. Washington's defense has allowed at least four 20-yard completions in four of its six games and ranked 21st in the same measure in 2025, so Sunday is a fair test of whether Philadelphia can still find them. Three of Philadelphia's 10 came against Washington in Week 1, all from Hurts.
No two offenses face longer third downs. Washington converts the fewest
What to watchBoth offenses arrive at third down behind: Philadelphia needs 8.37 yards on an average third down, the longest in the league, and Washington needs 8.06, second longest, against a league average of 7.03; in 2025 they were at 7.52 and 7.07. Washington converts 30.9 percent, last of 32, after 38.0 percent and 22nd in 2025, and on third and 7 or longer it has converted 20.8 percent; Philadelphia converts 37.9 percent, 25th. In the Week 1 meeting Washington converted 5 of 15 third downs and lost by two, and Philadelphia's defense has faced 14.7 third downs a game, second most in the league, and allows a conversion on 42.7 percent, 20th. If the first third down of the night for either team is 3 yards or shorter, that offense is already ahead of its own season; both have needed 8 or more on average.
Longest average third down distance, offenses, 2026 Weeks 1 to 7
| Rank | Offense | Third downs | Yards to go | Converted | Rate | Rate rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PHI | 95 | 8.37 | 36 | 37.9% | 25 |
| 2 | WAS | 81 | 8.06 | 25 | 30.9% | 32 |
| 3 | LAC | 82 | 8.02 | 30 | 36.6% | 27 |
| 4 | TEN | 82 | 7.93 | 29 | 35.4% | 29 |
| 5 | SEA | 90 | 7.72 | 36 | 40.0% | 17 |
Third downs, both offenses against the league, two windows
| Offense | Window | Yards to go | Conversion rate | Share at 7 or more | Rate at 7 or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHI | 2026 Wks 1 to 7 | 8.37 | 37.9% | 53.7% | 23.5% |
| WAS | 2026 Wks 1 to 7 | 8.06 | 30.9% | 59.3% | 20.8% |
| League | 2026 Wks 1 to 7 | 7.03 | 40.9% | 47.1% | 26.5% |
| PHI | 2025 regular season | 7.52 | 38.2% | 55.1% | 28.1% |
| WAS | 2025 regular season | 7.07 | 38.0% | 45.5% | 29.4% |
| League | 2025 regular season | 6.90 | 40.2% | 46.0% | 25.6% |
Washington's third downs by game, 2026
| Week | Opponent | Third downs | Converted | Average to go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | at PHI | 15 | 5 | 8.8 |
| 2 | at DAL | 14 | 8 | 6.4 |
| 3 | SEA | 13 | 3 | 7.9 |
| 4 | IND | 15 | 2 | 9.1 |
| 5 | NYG | 12 | 4 | 8.1 |
| 6 | at SF | 12 | 3 | 7.9 |
Why it matters. Third-down distance is set on first and second down, so the yards to go measure how each offense fares on the early downs, and no two offenses have left themselves farther to go. Washington converts the fewest, and 59.3 percent of its third downs are 7 yards or longer against 47.1 percent across the league. Philadelphia's defense ranks 20th on third down and faces the second most, so the side that wins first down Sunday gets the shorter third downs neither offense has had.
Philadelphia stops scoring after halftime. Washington stops defending
What to watchPhiladelphia has led at halftime in four of seven games and won two of them. It has scored 90 first-half points, seventh most, and 37 after halftime, 5.3 a game, fewest in the league, after 9.9 a game in 2025; in the five losses it scored 17 second-half points and allowed 76, and it gave away halftime leads of 20 to 10 against the Rams and 14 to 7 in Jacksonville. Washington's defense fades the same way from the other side: it allows 16.3 points a game after halftime, 31st of 32, after 12.7 in 2025, and it let a 12 to 3 halftime lead over the Giants end in a 27 to 27 tie. If Philadelphia leads at halftime, its first possession of the third quarter is the tell: points there test the defense that allows 16.3 after halftime, while a punt hands the game to the half Philadelphia lost in all five defeats.
Fewest points after halftime per game, 2026 Weeks 1 to 7 (overtime included)
| Rank | Team | Games | First half points | Second half points | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | PHI | 7 | 90 | 37 | 5.3 |
| 31 | BAL | 7 | 118 | 51 | 7.3 |
| 30 | MIA | 6 | 47 | 51 | 8.5 |
| 29 | IND | 7 | 92 | 62 | 8.9 |
| 27 | LAC | 6 | 36 | 54 | 9.0 |
| 27 | GB | 7 | 81 | 63 | 9.0 |
Most points allowed after halftime per game, 2026 Weeks 1 to 7 (overtime included)
| Rank | Defense | Games | Allowed | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | DET | 6 | 101 | 16.83 |
| 31 | WAS | 6 | 98 | 16.33 |
| 30 | BAL | 7 | 114 | 16.29 |
| 28 | ARI | 7 | 112 | 16.00 |
| 28 | BUF | 6 | 96 | 16.00 |
Halftime score and second half, 2026
| Week | Philadelphia | Second half | Washington | Second half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14-9 vs WAS, won 24-22 | 10-13 | 9-14 at PHI, lost 22-24 | 13-10 |
| 2 | 14-10 at TEN, won 24-20 | 10-10 | 10-17 at DAL, lost 20-37 | 10-20 |
| 3 | 7-10 at CHI, lost 7-27 | 0-17 | 17-10 vs SEA, won 33-31 | 16-21 |
| 4 | 20-10 vs LA, lost 20-24 | 0-14 | 6-10 vs IND, lost 13-30 | 7-20 |
| 5 | 14-7 at JAX, lost 17-19 | 3-12 | 12-3 vs NYG, tied 27-27 | 15-24 |
| 6 | 7-10 vs CAR, lost 14-25 | 7-15 | 3-20 at SF, lost 17-23 | 14-3 |
| 7 | 14-20 vs DAL, lost 21-38 | 7-18 | Bye | Bye |
Why it matters. Philadelphia's first halves rank with the better teams in football, and its second halves are where the five losses happened, so Sunday turns on the 30 minutes after halftime more than the 30 before it. Washington's defense has allowed more per game after halftime than every team but Detroit. One of the two second-half numbers has to give, and both are six or seven games set beside a 2025 season in which Philadelphia scored 9.9 a game after halftime and Washington allowed 12.7.
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