I'm starting to write this just as the game ended, and I still don't know what to make of it. As expected, Washington pounded the ball on the ground to try to keep Philly's offense off the field, not unlike Houston's strategy the week before.
Except this time, it worked to perfection. The Commanders forced the Eagles' defense to stay on the field for more than two-thirds of the game. And Terry McLaurin stepped up when it mattered most (i.e. often) when the team neeeded a first down. That's because the running game wasn't very good, as we've come to expect. Brian Robinson averaged 3.3 YPC, while Antonio Gibson (3.1) and Curtis Samuel (3.0) couldn't make much headway.
But it was enough, because the team made enough big plays at the right time to keep the chains moving.
Remember that Patriots-Bills game last year in the snow, when Mac Jones attempted only three passes? New England ran the ball 46 times. For context, Washington ran it 49 times last night. I had thought the Commanders would be forced to throw to keep pace. Instead, their defense kept them in it long enough to demoralize the Eagles' vaunted defense.
Fantasy-wise, there's not much we can take away from Philadelphia's side, except that one of my favorite underappreciated receivers, Quez Watkins, finally got some love. He also fumbled away that love. So who knows if that'll cost him. But he has the speed to be the #5 offensive weapon for boom-bust fans.
And DeVonta Smith was the squeaky wheel with eight targets. No teammate had more than four. Obviously, I wouldn't sell high on Smith, because he can keep going higher. And I definitely wouldn't get anxious about A.J. Brown, whose ceiling is as high as any receiver's. It was just one of those games.
For the Commanders, it's hard to get excited about Robinson's 26-86-1 line. I mean, if you started him, congratulations. Well deserved success. But he has only four targets in six games and is averaging 3.3 YPC. Flawlessly executed game plan aside, this is a sell-high moment for an RB who needs volume for 6+ points and a touchdown for startability. That's too risky for me. Antonio Gibson remains the better PPR option.
I would also advise selling high on Terry McLaurin; you should be able to get a nice haul in return. He's benefitted from Jahan Dotson's absence, and while Dotson returned last night, McLaurin had the kind of outsized target share (38%) we don't normally see. Yes, he's the #1 WR. But this team doesn't score enough through the air to trust him as a top-20 WR, which is what you'll probably want if you're playoff-bound.
Finally, I'm seeing Jeremy Milbrandt as the closest-score winner, predicting a 27-24 Washington victory. Several of you boldly (or at least I thought it was boldly, but actually it was "smartly") picked the Commanders to win. Jeremy edged out Mike Vanacore (23-21) and Shannon Mink (31-13) for the top prize. Congrats Jeremy!
Except this time, it worked to perfection. The Commanders forced the Eagles' defense to stay on the field for more than two-thirds of the game. And Terry McLaurin stepped up when it mattered most (i.e. often) when the team neeeded a first down. That's because the running game wasn't very good, as we've come to expect. Brian Robinson averaged 3.3 YPC, while Antonio Gibson (3.1) and Curtis Samuel (3.0) couldn't make much headway.
But it was enough, because the team made enough big plays at the right time to keep the chains moving.
Remember that Patriots-Bills game last year in the snow, when Mac Jones attempted only three passes? New England ran the ball 46 times. For context, Washington ran it 49 times last night. I had thought the Commanders would be forced to throw to keep pace. Instead, their defense kept them in it long enough to demoralize the Eagles' vaunted defense.
Fantasy-wise, there's not much we can take away from Philadelphia's side, except that one of my favorite underappreciated receivers, Quez Watkins, finally got some love. He also fumbled away that love. So who knows if that'll cost him. But he has the speed to be the #5 offensive weapon for boom-bust fans.
And DeVonta Smith was the squeaky wheel with eight targets. No teammate had more than four. Obviously, I wouldn't sell high on Smith, because he can keep going higher. And I definitely wouldn't get anxious about A.J. Brown, whose ceiling is as high as any receiver's. It was just one of those games.
For the Commanders, it's hard to get excited about Robinson's 26-86-1 line. I mean, if you started him, congratulations. Well deserved success. But he has only four targets in six games and is averaging 3.3 YPC. Flawlessly executed game plan aside, this is a sell-high moment for an RB who needs volume for 6+ points and a touchdown for startability. That's too risky for me. Antonio Gibson remains the better PPR option.
I would also advise selling high on Terry McLaurin; you should be able to get a nice haul in return. He's benefitted from Jahan Dotson's absence, and while Dotson returned last night, McLaurin had the kind of outsized target share (38%) we don't normally see. Yes, he's the #1 WR. But this team doesn't score enough through the air to trust him as a top-20 WR, which is what you'll probably want if you're playoff-bound.
Finally, I'm seeing Jeremy Milbrandt as the closest-score winner, predicting a 27-24 Washington victory. Several of you boldly (or at least I thought it was boldly, but actually it was "smartly") picked the Commanders to win. Jeremy edged out Mike Vanacore (23-21) and Shannon Mink (31-13) for the top prize. Congrats Jeremy!