One team is looking to keep pace and improve its standing in the NFC in Week 16, while the other is hoping to play spoiler and ruin a division rival’s playoff push along the way. The Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders collide as one of two games being played on Saturday in Week 16.
For Philly, the No. 1 seed in the NFC is pretty much out of reach, but a win this week means they’d clinch the NFC East title for a third time in four years. A Dallas loss this week would also clinch the NFC East for Philadelphia, regardless of whether they win or lose. With a win and a Bears loss in Week 16, the Eagles would move into a tie for the No. 2 seed with Chicago. The Bears would win that tiebreaker should they end with the same record due to beating the Eagles earlier in the season.
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Having been officially eliminated from playoff contention, the Commanders decided to shut down quarterback Jayden Daniels after an injury-riddled season that limited him to just seven games this season. Veteran Marcus Mariota will continue as the starter for Washington as they look to play spoiler and further evaluate talent for next season.
Eagles-Commanders start time: 5 p.m. ET
Location: Northwest Stadium | Landover, Maryland
TV channel, live stream: Fox, NFL+
Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more as the Eagles and Commanders face off in a Week 16 NFC East showdown.
Live6 updates
Sat, December 20, 2025 at 1:30 PM PST
Tarohn Finley
Sequels are rarely better than the original, and Saquon Barkley’s nearly record-breaking season last year has been hard to follow up.
After rushing for 2,005 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, the Philadelphia Eagles’ star running back has rushed for 940 yards and six touchdowns this year.
After rushing for over 100 yards in 10 of his 16 regular-season games last season, Barkley has reached that mark in only two games this year.
After the Eagles were rewarded with a Super Bowl victory, they rewarded Barkley with a two-year, $41.2 million contract extension last March.
Barkley’s lack of production has been one of the reasons the Eagles have struggled on offense this season.
Barkley will look to turn his season around on Saturday against the Washington Commanders, who rank 28th in run defense. The teams will meet again on January 4.
Sat, December 20, 2025 at 1:15 PM PST
Tarohn Finley
The Philadelphia Eagles will once again be without right tackle Lane Johnson in Saturday’s game against the Washington Commanders.
Johnson, 35, has missed five weeks since suffering a Lisfranc injury in Week 11’s win against the Detroit Lions. He has not practiced since the injury.
The loss of Johnson means the Eagles will continue to be without one of their best pass blockers.
Johnson has not allowed a sack this season and has only given up 7 total pressures, along with 3 penalties on 262 pass-blocking snaps, according to PFF. He has a pass-blocking grade of 80.4.
Fred Johnson will continue to start in Johnson’s absence.
Kate Magdziuk
Kate Magdziuk
The Philadelphia Eagles will be without star defensive tackle Jalen Carter for the third consecutive game this year after undergoing a procedure on both of his shoulders.
He wasn’t placed on injured reserve, which hinted toward a potential quick return, but it will be at least another week before he makes his way back to the field.
Carter has had a down season, all things considered, with just two sacks so far on the season and four tackles for loss. Indications seemed to be that Carter was dealing with the injury throughout the season, so if he returns fully healthy, it could be a big plus for the defense heading into the postseason.
The Eagles have the opportunity to clinch the NFC East title with a win Saturday.
Chris Cwik
With the team sitting at 4-10 after Week 15 and quarterback Jayden Daniels dealing with an elbow issues, the Commanders decided to shut down the second-year quarterback for the rest of the year.
Daniels spoke about that decision and his season on Tuesday, saying he was “super frustrated” by how things fell apart, per ESPN.
Though Daniels will remain on the team’s active roster, he won’t start the rest of the way. Instead, the team will go with veteran Marcus Mariota under center to close out the year. Daniels said he was improving, but did not pass enough markers to be cleared to play in Week 16.
“I don’t want to miss games at all,” Daniels said. “It’s been a frustrating year, disappointing year. You learn from it and move forward.”
The 24-year-old added that he’s focused on his long-term status, saying, “Longevity is a big thing, so you want to be smart with this.”
Kate Magdziuk
With less than 90 minutes to go until kickoff, the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders have announced their Week 16 inactives. Here’s a look:
Eagles inactives
QB Sam Howell (Emergency 3rd QB)
Commanders inactives