The Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders meet on Sunday night, and I still can’t believe the NFL didn’t flex this game out of prime time. Both NFC East teams are banged up, both are underwhelming, and the Eagles’ practice reports have been loaded with DNPs. Nobody knows who is actually going to suit up for Philly. In my opinion, that is the entire story of this Eagles vs. Commanders matchup. Whoever gets more bodies on the field probably wins.

Look at Washington. The Commanders are 1-4-1. They are terrible. This team has taken so many steps back, and Jayden Daniels hasn’t even won a game this year. Their record includes a tie against the New York Giants, which tells you plenty. Philly isn’t exactly lighting the world on fire either. Both defenses are bad right now, and both offenses are pretty bad too.

The Commanders’ injury list is brutal

Washington lost wide receiver Terry McLaurin for the season last week. Running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt is on injured reserve now. Then you go down the injury report and it keeps going. Wide receiver Treylon Burks, the next man up, is questionable. Guard Nick Allegretti is questionable. Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw is doubtful. We already know offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil is out.

That is a lot of talent sitting on the sideline for a team that was already struggling. But here’s the thing: the Commanders are coming off a bye week, and I think that rest gives them a huge boost. It’s an extra week to get healthy and clean up mistakes matters, especially against a Philadelphia team that has struggled to find answers.

Philly’s offense showed life, but the defense hasn’t

On the Eagles’ side, the offense did play better last week. Keep in mind, though, it came against a subpar Dallas Cowboys’ defense, so I’m not ready to throw a parade. The bigger issue is on the other side of the ball. The defense still hasn’t figured it out, and Washington will test it.

And on top of that, these two teams always play each other tough. Go back to Week 1. It was a tight game, and it seems like this matchup lands that way every single time no matter what the records say.

So how does this one shake out? In my opinion, it comes down to willpower, fight, and which team shows up healthier.

If the Eagles get Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, and Dontayvion Wicks on the field, I think Philadelphia wins something like 24-21. Those three change everything about what this offense can be. Barkley gives them a real run game, Smith is the steadiest weapon on the roster, and Wicks adds another body the defense has to respect.

But if things stand how they are now, it’s a different story. Washington is the heavier favorite, Daniels is out there, and the Eagles have none of those guys. In that scenario, the Eagles are just relying on the same thing they’ve been relying on all year, which is false hope. If that’s the game we get, I think the Commanders win a tight, sloppy one, something like 27-21.

Battle for the NFC East or the tank-a-thon?

Both teams have been underwhelming. Both coaching staffs have been underwhelming. This is honestly one of the hardest games I’ve had to predict, because neither team has given you a real reason to trust it.

So what is this game, really? Is it a battle for the NFC East, or a battle in the tank-a-thon? And let me ask everybody a question that would have sounded crazy a couple of months ago. Do you even want the Eagles to win this one at this point?

It all depends on who suits up, and that’s why the injury report matters more than any matchup breakdown this week. I expect a lot of those Eagles names to miss this game. That’s why I’m leaning toward Washington. We’ll see what happens, but unless Saquon, Smitty, and Wicks walk out of that tunnel, my pick is the Commanders squeaking one out on Sunday night.