The Washington Commanders don’t need to be giving the Philadelphia Eagles any extra motivation ahead of Week 16’s crunch NFC East clash, but clearly nobody explained that to Brian Robinson Jr.
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He’s been blasted for a “not bright” claim he made during an interview that’s sure to fire up the Eagles. Commanders running back Robinson told The Team 980, “We feel like we are the better team.” It’s a remark Thom Loverro of The Washington Times deemed “not bright,” while asking “How big do you think Joe Gibbs would blow this up and post it in the locker room?”
The reference to Gibbs, the most successful head coach in Washington franchise history, is telling. Three-time Super Bowl winner Gibbs notoriously hated his players ever providing the opposition with so-called ‘bulletin-board material.’
That’s just what Robinson has done ahead of a game the Commanders have to have. Even though the third-year pro isn’t wrong about the fine margins that cost his team in the first meeting with the Eagles, a 26-18 defeat for the Commanders back in Week 11.
Attack-Minded Brian Robinson Has Motivated Eagles
The Eagles will be itching to make Robinson eat his words. Particularly promises like “we’re going to attack them. We’re going to go right at them.”
Robinson wants to play on the front foot, but members of a formidable Philadelphia defensive front will have other ideas. Members like hulking defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis.
This massive duo will be key to taking inside running lanes away from Robinson. The kind of lanes a Commanders running game skilfully orchestrated by offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has exploited all season, except against the Eagles.
Carter, Davis and Co. held Robinson and the rest of Washington’s rushing attack to just 93 yards on 28 carries in their last game. Making the Commanders one-dimensional increased the pressure on rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels to win the game by himself.
Various factors conspired against Daniels, but it wasn’t all about what the Commanders didn’t do, despite Robinson’s claims.
Commanders Had Multiple Problems in First Meeting
Robinson cited self-inflicted mistakes, “we shot ourselves in the foot multiple times.” That’s only partly true because the Commanders didn’t give the game away as much as the Eagles took it from them.
They did it by flummoxing Daniels with a complex mix of coverage and pressure. Daniels took three sacks and threw an interception.
Yet for all their struggles, the Commanders still had a chance to at least tie the game in its final seconds. A botched two-point attempt, when officials overturned an apparent catch by former Eagles tight end Zach Ertz, was followed by an onside kick Dallas Goedert recovered.
It’s going to take more than a bold claim about being better to overcome the 12-2 Eagles this time. Especially when the Commanders are missing key personnel.
The most notable absences are Ertz, who is dealing with a concussion. It’s the same problem that’s landed running back Austin Ekeler, a key change of pace for Robinson, on injured reserve.
An offense stretched thin going against a defense that seemed to have them figured out makes winning this game a tough assignment for the Commanders. There’s plenty of motivation because a victory might clinch a playoff berth with two games remaining.
It means the Commanders will be fully focused, but they should hope Robinson’s comments haven’t increased the intensity among the Eagles.
