NFL Week 16 Saturday Slate Preview: Eagles vs. Commanders, Packers vs. Bears

Written by: Miles Jordan •

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Commanders vs. Eagles

Eagles vs. Commanders

Saturday football takes center stage in Week 16 with an NFC doubleheader packed with playoff implications. The early matchup features an NFC East showdown as the Philadelphia Eagles host the Washington Commanders, with the division title potentially hanging in the balance.

Eagles

Philadelphia enters Week 16 with a chance to make history. A win on Saturday would make the Eagles the first team in 21 years to clinch back-to-back NFC East titles.

The Eagles’ offense has been under the microscope throughout the season, especially after hitting a low point in a disastrous Week 14 loss to the Chargers. That performance sparked questions about the unit, and even Jalen Hurts, but those doubts quieted quickly in Week 15. Philadelphia bounced back with a dominant 31-0 win over the Raiders, its most complete offensive showing in weeks.

Hurts was highly efficient, completing 12 of 15 passes for three touchdowns and a 154.9 passer rating. While Las Vegas hasn’t offered much resistance defensively this season, the performance was still encouraging for an offense searching for consistency. Philadelphia now faces another favorable matchup against a Washington defense ranked near the bottom of the league in yards allowed, scoring defense, and opposing passer rating.

With Saquon Barkley dealing with a stinger, Hurts may again be asked to shoulder more responsibility. If so, expect expanded roles for A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith after the duo combined for just four targets in last week’s blowout win.

Commanders

Washington’s season hasn’t gone as planned, and Saturday’s game will mark another step toward the finish line. With the Commanders eliminated from playoff contention, veteran Marcus Mariota will remain under center after Jayden Daniels was shut down for the final three games due to an elbow injury.

Daniels’ absence caps a frustrating year that saw him miss significant time after leading Washington to an NFC Championship Game appearance as a rookie. Keeping their young quarterback healthy moving forward will be a top offseason priority, but first, the Commanders are focused on closing the season with some positives.

A win last week snapped an eight-game losing streak, and playing spoiler by preventing Philadelphia from clinching the division would resonate with Commanders fans. That task won’t be easy against an Eagles defense ranked among the league’s best in points allowed and opponent completion percentage.

Mariota has been steady in limited action this season, posting an 11-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. If Washington hopes to pull off the upset, wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who has found the end zone twice since returning from injury, will likely need to deliver a standout performance.

Eagles

This week’s Banged Up Score (BUS): 84.1

Last 4 weeks’ BUS:

Week 12: 87.1

Week 13: 86.0

Week 14: 83.4

Week 15: 84.0

The Eagles’ BUS is rolling pretty smoothly into the last few weeks of the season, with the only bumps coming on the offensive and defensive lines. Tackle Lane Johnson, who is an anchor for the O-line in both pass protection and run blocking, will miss another week. Johnson has been sidelined since injuring his foot four weeks ago against the Lions. With the Eagles' offense being less effective than we’ve seen in previous years, the hope is that backup Fred Johnson can maintain his performance after helping the Eagles to a 31-0 win over the Raiders last week. Defensive end Jalen Carter has been out of the lineup after having surgery on both shoulders earlier this month. While Carter was not put on IR, he has been ruled out for this week.

Commanders

This week’s Banged Up Score (BUS): 60.0

Last 4 weeks’ BUS:

Week 12: BYE

Week 13: 68.9

Week 14: 71.4

Week 15: 61.5

Unlike the Eagles, the Commanders' BUS has been trending downward, driven largely by the quarterback Jayden Daniels' injury. Daniels dislocated his non-throwing elbow earlier this season and returned in Week 14, but left that game after falling on the elbow again. After the Week 14 setback, the team made the decision to keep him out for the remainder of the season. QB Marcus Mariota will start, but he will be without starting left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who is widely regarded as an elite pass protector. On the other side of the ball, the Commanders are lacking depth on the defensive line as defensive tackle Jer’zhan Newton is questionable with an illness, DT Eddie Goldman is out with a concussion, and defensive ends Dorance Armstrong (knee) and Jevontae Jean-Baptist (pec) are both on IR and will stay there for the rest of the season.

Packers vs. Bears

Week 16 features a special Saturday slate with an NFC doubleheader loaded with postseason implications. After the Eagles look to lock up the NFC East earlier in the day, the spotlight shifts to Chicago, where the Bears host the Packers in a rivalry matchup that could reshape the NFC North race.

Bears

Everything is lining up for Chicago to take a major step forward in its breakout season. A prime-time home matchup against Green Bay offers the Bears a chance to seize control of the NFC North, and potentially clinch a playoff berth, with a win paired with a Lions loss or tie on Sunday.

Saturday marks the latest point in a season that the Packers and Bears have met with first place on the line, a remarkable note in the league’s oldest rivalry. It will be the 212th all-time meeting between the two teams, though recent history hasn’t favored Chicago. The Bears dropped a tough loss to Green Bay just two weeks ago, despite a spirited second-half rally led by rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.

That comeback effort highlighted the resilience Chicago has shown in the first season under head coach Ben Johnson. Williams has helped guide a balanced offense, but the Bears’ defense has been the engine behind their success. Chicago leads the NFL with 30 takeaways, a trait that could prove decisive against a Packers team that thrives when protecting the football and struggles when turnovers pile up.

Saturday night also represents a rare moment of December relevance for the Bears. Chicago hasn’t beaten Green Bay at Soldier Field since 2018, the same year it last won the division, and hasn’t played a truly meaningful late-season game since 2020. While one result won’t define the entire season, this matchup carries the weight of a turning point for a franchise eager to change the narrative.

Packers

The Packers arrive in Chicago facing a significant challenge beyond the rivalry itself. Saturday will be Green Bay's first game without defensive end Micah Parsons, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury and leaves behind one of the most impactful pass-rushing resumes in the league.

Parsons was the engine of Green Bay’s defense, leading the NFL in quarterback pressures while pacing the team in sacks, tackles for loss, and quarterback hits. His absence forces a major adjustment for a defense that has been far more effective when he’s on the field.

With Rashan Gary providing a steady presence, Green Bay will need increased production from Lukas Van Ness and Kingsley Enagbare. Van Ness recently returned from a lingering foot injury and is still working back into a full workload, while Enagbare has quietly produced over the past month as part of the rotation.

If the Packers’ pass rush takes a step back, the Bears’ ground game becomes an even bigger concern. Powered by D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, the league’s only running back duo with at least 650 rushing yards each, Chicago has led the NFL in rushing since Week 6. With key Bears receivers sidelined, stopping the run will be a top priority for Green Bay as it looks to navigate this rivalry showdown without its defensive centerpiece.

Packers

This week’s Banged Up Score (BUS): 60.0

Last 4 weeks’ BUS:

Week 12: BYE

Week 13: 68.9

Week 14: 71.4

Week 15: 61.5

The Packers' report for the week could nearly be mistaken for their starting lineup from last week’s game against the Broncos, and the list doesn’t even include the loss of DE Micah Parsons, who has been the leader of the Packers' defense all year and tore his ACL last week. Running back Josh Jacobs, who leads the team in rushing yards by over 500 yards, is questionable with knee and ankle injuries.

Running back Emmanuel Wilson will likely feature heavily this week, even if Jacobs suits up, as backups MarShawn Lloyd (calf/hamstring) and Chris Brooks (chest) are out (IR) and questionable, respectively. More key offensive weapons, wide receiver Christian Watson and Dontayvion Wicks, are questionable with chest/shoulder and ankle injuries, respectively. To make matters more difficult for the offense, quarterback Jordan Love is managing a non-throwing shoulder injury, wide receiver Matthew Golden has practiced through a wrist injury, and offensive lineman Zach Tom missed every practice this week with back and knee injuries and will be a game-time decision.

In addition to Parsons on the defense, defensive end Kingsley Enagbare may not play due to illness, and S Evan Williams is questionable with a knee injury. It will be interesting to see who, if anyone, steps up to fill Parsons’ role as a defensive leader, both emotionally and for production on the field.

Bears

This week’s Banged Up Score (BUS): 72.9

Last 4 weeks’ BUS:

Week 12: 72.2

Week 13: 69.8

Week 14: 72.5

Week 15: 76.5

The Bears’ BUS has been up and down over the past few weeks. The receiving corps is the greatest point of concern this week, with wide receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden II ruled out with foot and ankle injuries, respectively. Running back D’Andre Swift is also questionable with a groin injury. Look for quarterback Caleb Williams to try to get the ball to D.J. Moore, the only starting receiver left standing. On the defense, linebacker Tremaine Edwards is listed as questionable as he’s coming off IR after missing four games with a groin injury. Fellow linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga, who backs up the middle linebacker position, has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.

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