Eagles think they can beat Commanders without starters in Week 18?

5 days ago 2

The Washington Commanders will put the finishing touches on a miserable season Sunday when they face the NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles in the regular-season finale. The Commanders have lost 10 of their last 11 games heading into Sunday's finale.

While the Eagles have already clinched the division title, they're still playing to improve their seeding. They're currently the No. 3 seed, but could still move up to No. 2. That one spot could mean the difference in facing the Los Angeles Rams or the reeling Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card round.

Despite having something to play for, the Eagles plan on resting most of their starters, including quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Washington, which is currently in line to pick sixth in the 2025 NFL draft, is only playing for draft positioning. Well, the coaches and players are playing to win, but the fans want to see the Commanders continue to move up in the draft order. Washington head coach Dan Quinn is not sitting anyone healthy.

Veteran Josh Johnson will likely make his second consecutive start at quarterback. Marcus Mariota was injured in the first game against the Eagles two weeks ago and looks "doubtful" as of Wednesday. The Commanders have been hit hard by injuries all season.

While the Eagles plan to rest their starters, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia said he believes they think they can beat the Commanders without them.

"They won't admit this publicly, but my sense is they think they have a legitimate shot to beat the Commanders with their backups," Zangaro said on Wednesday's edition of "Bmitch & Finlay" of 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C.

Of course, Philadelphia thinks it can beat Washington without its starters. With so many injuries, it's almost like this game is a battle of the backups. There's also the fact that backup quarterback Tanner McKee started the Week 18 game against the New York Giants last season and won. The Eagles had already secured the No. 2 seed heading into the final week.

You can bet Quinn is using this and the scuffle two weeks ago between these rivals as a way to give his team some motivation on an otherwise meaningless game in the standings for the Commanders.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Do Eagles think they can win without starters?

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