Eagles should expect to play a pissed off Commanders team on Thursday night and it’s easy to see why
Divisional games are always going to be heated but the Philadelphia Eagles should expect Thursday night's game against the Washington Commanders to be more intense than usual. Washington is coming off a very frustrating 28-27 Week 10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and with the quick turnaround ahead, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn and his […]
Divisional games are always going to be heated but the Philadelphia Eagles should expect Thursday night's game against the Washington Commanders to be more intense than usual.
Washington is coming off a very frustrating 28-27 Week 10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and with the quick turnaround ahead, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn and his players will still be fresh off of feeling that anger.
“This was a hard loss, no doubt about it,” Quinn told reporters Monday. “And the response is what was so important. So, what I saw on the field last night, towards the end, in the locker room, of guys talking to one another – they were mad. That's what I honestly wanted to see. [Regarding] these missed opportunities to say, ‘How do we make sure that doesn't happen again?’
"… I thought that was a good sign to know that, yeah, they're mad and like this game, getting here this week can't get here quick enough. So every once in a while, that short week's not such a bad thing. We'll be on a plane by Wednesday and get to go battle again in a really tough, good environment, against an excellent team…
"… This team is itching to play. I can promise you that. You have that taste where you're just mad.”
The reason why the Commanders are so mad about last week's loss is that they left too much out of the field when it came to big plays and committed several costly mistakes. Most notable was when cornerback Benjamin St Juste allowed the crucial game-winning touchdown. But dropped passes and penalties hurt the Commanders too.
"That identity is coming through," said Quinn. "I thought they played with a lot of toughness, that brotherhood was on display in the way they supported one another. Literally, as we've talked about: this team is tough and I'd take them against anybody, anywhere, anytime.
"That's the mindset we have as a group. And I know they'll be ready to fight. It's kind of who we are and how we get down. So that part, I know we'll be ready."
Meanwhile, the Eagles were able to rest their starters for a full quarter in their Week 10 win over the Dallas Cowboys. And hopefully, that's enough energy saved up to stop a very angry Washington team at the Linc.
