Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is a good young player, no doubt, but the talent around him is already depleted by injuries. Film study for this Sunday’s game clearly shows their offense isn’t facing the Philadelphia Eagles at its peak, giving Philly’s defense a prime chance to come alive. My deep dive into Daniels’ four games reveals a unit that’s not clicking on all cylinders, especially in one key area.
Under-Center Struggles Are Giving Opponents A Blueprint
Remember all that offseason buzz about the Commanders going under-center more? Yeah, that hasn’t exactly panned out. They are operating from under center on only about 27% of their plays, and honestly, they don’t look good doing it. It’s striking, looking through their passing plays, to find no explosive completions of 20-plus yards from under center. Not one! And only a single under-center throw has generated at least +1 EPA. This offense looks way more comfortable in shotgun and empty formations, spreading out the defense and giving Daniels the space to see the field. It makes you wonder why they’re even bothering with the under-center look when it’s clearly not working. The intended connection between their run game and play-action passing from under center just hasn’t produced enough.
Limited Tools and Predictable Plays Set Up The Eagles’ Defense
After losing Terry McLaurin for the season, the Commanders are seriously short on weapons. Stefon Diggs is their biggest remaining receiving threat, and the Eagles know all too well the trouble he can cause from their first meeting. Diggs is still an outstanding route runner, and Washington moves him around everywhere, but one player can only do so much. The under-center playbook is heavily tilted towards runs and play action, with them barely ever just dropping back and throwing from that formation. Defenses aren’t being asked to defend a particularly broad range of possibilities when the Commanders go under center. This is a clear opportunity for the Eagles’ defense to recognize those tendencies and really exploit them.
This Sunday, the Eagles’ defense has a golden chance to make a statement against an offense that’s trying to force a scheme that doesn’t fit its young quarterback or its available talent. It’s all there for the taking for Philly to turn things around.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleeding Green Nation.
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