Half-dozen Commanders who could give the Eagles and Kellen Moore's offense fits

We aren't tucking our tails and running by any means. Never have... Never will... We have to be honest though. We've been fully engaged during every Philadelphia Eagles game while simultaneously keeping one eye on everything the Washington Commanders are doing. Here's what we've been thinking.

For years, we've taken them seriously. We've known they'd take a tremendous step forward if they ever found a franchise quarterback because they've been solid on defense more often than they haven't been.

Jayden Daniels is the real deal folks. We wouldn't worry yet, but we certainly wouldn't overlook him. Don't look now, but this coming game will determine the NFC East's leader after Week 11.

Philly enters this one having disposed of the Dallas Cowboys who is coincidentally the Commanders' opponent in Week 12. These games between the Birds and Washington often come down to a few plays and some key moments by each team's defense.

Dan Quinn is one of the NFL's great defensive minds, and he has some ballers.

Here are six Commanders we'll be monitoring during the game who could give the Eagles a few fits.

Bobby Wagner is the ageless wonder. No, for real. This dude doesn't age. He's a future Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee who leads Washington in solo tackles (47) and total tackles (83).

Sure, we could spend time talking about his brilliance, but that almost seems lazy. Here are six of his teammates to keep an eye on (and one very honorable mention.

Frankie Luvu, linebacker

Frankie Luvu is one of the NFL's best young linebackers. He was also one of the more sought-after defensive free agents this past March. He landed with the Commanders and has been balling all season.

He has already turned in 61 tackles, five sacks, five TFLs, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble. Philly's skill players had better keep their heads on swivels when he is in the area.

Jeremy Chinn, safety

We've had our eye on Jeremy Chinn since his rookie season. He was taken 64th overall during the 2020 NFL Draft, 11 picks after the Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts.

He and Luvu were teammates in Carolina from 2021-2023. What in the heck are the Panthers thinking? How did they let both of these guys get out of the door?

It's easy to see why they keep losing year in and year out.

Dante Fowler Jr., linebacker

Dante Fowler is another of the Commanders' great linebackers. He leads his team in sacks, already tallying 8.5 on the season.

He's also added 25 tackles to the cause. Ten have resulted in a loss of yardage. He boasts a forced fumble, a pass breakup, and an interception.

Good gracious! What can't he do?

Daron Payne, defensive tackle

Daron Payne's job is to clog the middle of every week's trench war. He does his job fairly well and has done so for a while.

He stands at six-foot-three and tips the scales at 320 pounds. He'll keep the interior of the Eagles O-line busy. He's registered 1.5 sacks on the season.

Mike Sainristil, cornerback

Mike Sainristil is a good rookie slot cornerback hailing from the University of Michigan. He and Benjamin St-Juste are the Commanders' starting outside corners. 2023 first-round draftee Emmanuel Forbes has slipped on the depth chart to second string.

Sainristil and St-Juste will draw a lot of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith duty this week. That leads us to believe the Birds may have a slight advantage in that matchup.

Dorance Armstrong, defensive end

Dan Quinn has done a good job in his first season with the Commanders. The transition was eased by bring a familiar face, Dorance Armstrong, with him from the Cowboys.

Armstrong has already dented the stat sheet with three sacks, 19 tackles, and a forced fumble. In ten games vs. the Eagles, he has already turned in 12 tackles and two sacks on 248 career defensive snaps. He's also seen 84 snaps vs. the Birds as a Cowboys special teams unit member.

Marshon Lattimore, cornerback (if he plays)

Marshon Lattimore is dealing with a hamstring injury. He hasn't played since Week 8 and didn't practice with his new team on Monday.

The Commanders added him at the deadline to potentially add some punch to the defensive secondary. Lattimore has given Philly issues over the years. We'll see if he plays on Sunday.