Eagles vs. Commanders predictions: Our writers pick a winner for Week 16

The Eagles travel down I-95 for a Saturday evening road game in Landover, Md., against the Washington Commanders on Saturday.

One team has four wins and shut down its starting quarterback for the rest of the season. The other got back on track with a blowout win Sunday and is gearing up for another playoff run.

The schedule makers probably didn’t have this type of disparity on their bingo cards when they matched up the Eagles and Commanders for two games in the final three weeks of the NFL season, but here we are.

Here’s how our writers see Saturday’s game going:

Yes, the Raiders stink, but the Eagles should be feeling pretty good about themselves after their 31-0 drubbing of Las Vegas on Sunday. The offense got back on track. The defense couldn’t have played much better. Jake Elliott finished a game without missing a kick for the first time since Week 11.

All is right at the NovaCare Complex, right?

Yes, at least for now.

But the Eagles should be ready to pounce Saturday. They’re facing another team starting a backup quarterback. They’re facing an even worse defense than the one they beat up on Sunday. And they can clinch the NFC East with a victory.

» READ MORE: Eagles vs. Commanders in Week 16: Here are the numbers that matter

It’s hard to envision that not happening Saturday night. The Commanders can score, especially with Terry McLaurin back in the lineup. And Marcus Mariota will test what the Eagles have learned about trying to stop the quarterback running game. But the Eagles have way too big of a talent advantage for this game to be much of a worry.

Three of Washington’s four wins this season are against the Giants (twice) and Raiders. The other came against the Chargers. But Jayden Daniels started that game, and the Commanders defense played its best game of the season. That was all the way back in October, though, and that defense is banged up.

Hang the banner. The Eagles will win their second consecutive division title, and their third in four seasons.

Prediction: Eagles 27, Commanders 13

Another Eagles win incoming.

Even when Daniels was healthy enough to play, this Commanders team hadn’t been the NFC contender it was last season. While McLaurin is still one of the top receivers in the division, the Commanders have a shortage of playmakers overall. The season-ending ACL injury to Zach Ertz certainly doesn’t help matters. Jacory Croskey-Merritt has been a solid threat on the ground, but he’s prone to making rookie mistakes (including three fumbles this season).

» READ MORE: What we know (and don’t) about the Eagles entering Week 16 vs. the Commanders

The biggest concern for the Eagles defense is Mariota’s ability to use his legs to extend plays. The Eagles have conceded 329 rushing yards to opposing quarterbacks this season, the second-highest total in the NFL. If Vic Fangio’s unit can keep him contained, it will be in position to shut the Commanders down.

The big question facing the Eagles offense going forward: Can it sustain the success it established in the win over the Raiders? The Eagles ought to have a good chance of doing so against the Commanders in two of their final three games. Even with Dan Quinn taking over the defensive coordinator duties, Washington still has struggled against the pass and the run.

With a win, the Eagles will clinch the NFC East, making them the first back-to-back winners in the last 20 seasons. So much for the league back-loading these Eagles-Commanders games with the aspiration that they would have playoff implications for both teams.

Prediction: Eagles 28, Commanders 20