Eagles vs. Commanders predictions: Our writers pick a winner for Week 8

Many Eagles fans probably could have predicted before the season that the Birds would be seeking a home-and-home sweep when they visited the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium on Sunday night (NBC10, 8:20 p.m.).

Little could they have believed that the Birds would limp to the D.C. suburbs as a desperate team. The Eagles, who took down Washington 24-22 in the Week 1 opener at the Linc, are losers of five straight games. It’s the longest losing streak since 2016 for a team decimated by injuries, most notably blood clots that are likely to sideline Jalen Hurts for the rest of the season.

The Eagles (2-5) are still alive in the moribund NFC East — as are the 1-4-1 Commanders — but with the trade deadline approaching on Nov. 10, it’s getting late early for Nick Sirianni’s team.

Our Eagles writers make their picks below on whether the team can stop its slide and avoid the NFC East basement:

It’s pretty hard to believe the NFL and NBC couldn’t find a viable opportunity to get this ugly of a Week 8 football game out of the primetime Sunday Night Football slot.

The 2-5 Eagles travel down I-95 for an NFC East showdown with the 1-4-1 Washington Commanders. Who’s excited?!

Well, maybe I am a little bit. I’m writing this prediction from Rome, off the Eagles beat for the week to document Villanova’s trip to the Vatican and to open the 2026-27 basketball season.

Lucky me for two reasons: 1) Rome. 2) I don’t have to watch this football game.

Yes, I’m very lucky to get paid to watch and cover sports. But if there’s any game on the Eagles calendar to miss, it’s this one.

Anyway … can the losing streak really reach six games? Of course it can. Will it? I’m not so sure.

A lot will depend on what pass catchers Tanner McKee has at his disposal on Sunday night and if Saquon Barkley is healthy enough to make a big impact on the game.

Those are big ifs. But the offense showed signs of life Monday night and it’s certainly something to build on.

One lesser “if” from this view is the Eagles’ defense. It was horrendous on Monday, but I can’t imagine the group doesn’t respond with some pride Sunday night. Just a gut feeling.

Prediction: Eagles 20, Commanders 16

I don’t think the 2026 Eagles are very good. Hot take, I know.

They’re coming off an embarrassing loss to the Cowboys on Monday Night Football — a 17-point dud during which they failed to record a tackle for loss or quarterback hit. On the whole, they’re averaging 1.1 sacks per game, which is the second-lowest total in the league.

The Birds are also riding their first five-game losing streak since 2016. Things are bad. It’s already been a long season in South Philly and they’re not even halfway done.

But c’mon, they’re at least better than the Commanders.

The Commanders are 1-4-1. They have quarterback Jayden Daniels and … that’s about it. Even talented wide receiver Terry McLaurin is now on the injured reserve.

That’s not to say the Eagles aren’t battered. We still don’t know if their top two wideout weapons, DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle), are going to suit up or not.

Even still, their offense showed some spunk last week. I think they’ll carry that into this week’s game and notch a two-touchdown win, with the defense bouncing back in emphatic fashion.

Prediction: Eagles 21, Commanders 7

Well, it’s Eagles-Commanders.

The intrigue surrounding this primetime game is practically nonexistent. Again, the Eagles figure to be depleted offensively. Hurts remains sidelined due to the blood clots in his lungs. Smith (hamstring), Barkley (hamstring/back), and Wicks (ankle) are trending toward not playing, given they did not practice on Thursday (the Eagles held a walk-through on Wednesday, and they were listed as nonparticipants on the estimated injury report).

Perhaps they think Barkley can play, as the Eagles only have two other running backs on the active roster and the practice squad in Jaydon Blue and Elijah Mitchell.

The Commanders have a worse record than the Eagles, and they may not be a great team overall, but they have one thing the Eagles do not — their franchise quarterback. Daniels hasn’t won a game yet this season, but he is playing some good football, as evidenced by his performance as the Commanders attempted to come back against the San Francisco 49ers two weeks ago. They fell short, but he was still stellar despite the pressure he faced all night.

As long as the Commanders have the edge in the quarterback battle, they will have the edge in this game. The Eagles defense should put up a better fight compared to their embarrassing outing against Dallas last week. Plus, the Commanders don’t have CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens among their receiving corps, nor do they have as strong of an offensive line (right guard Sam Cosmi, however, is one of the better players at his position in the league).

But if the Eagles defense gets leaky again, its offense hasn’t proven that they have enough firepower with McKee at the helm, all while relying on a receiving corps of Makai Lemon, Dallas Goedert and … Hollywood Brown?

Prediction: Commanders 24, Eagles 20

Listen to the latest episode

When Jalen Carter is at his game-wrecking best, he’s as unstoppable a force as there is in the NFL. Such was the case during the Eagles’ Super Bowl run two years ago. But since then, between injuries and uneven play, the defensive tackle’s contributions have been inconsistent. On the heels of general manager Howie Roseman signing Carter to a historic contract, The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane looks at the costs of the extension — both in terms of dollars and cents, as well as roster construction. Plus, Jeff advances storylines for the Nov. 10th NFL trade deadline, and, in his weekly mailbag, addresses some reporting about the Eagles’ salary cap situation.  Listen here.

Listen to all episodes here or wherever you get your podcasts.