November 02, 2026

Game ball, three stars, and snap count analysis: Week 8, Eagles at Commanders

Giving out game balls — even fake ones — is becoming a difficult chore with this team.

By Jimmy Kempski
PhillyVoice Staff

Geoff Burke/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Eagles can't keep putting an injured Saquon Barkley on the field during a lost season.

In their Week 8 loss to the Washington Commanders the Philadelphia Eagles played 69 snaps on offense and 60 on defense. Let's just get right to the snap counts, some notes, and some special recognition.

Quarterback

• 69 snaps: Tanner McKee

Notes: McKee is mostly playing in the same backfield as the RB6, and throwing to an assortment of backup receivers behind a makeshift offensive line. He has not been set up for success, to put it mildly. But also, his style of play is not going to elevate the players around him, and it's questionable if he would succeed even if everything around him were pristine.

Running back

• 39 snaps: Elijah Mitchell

• 22 snaps: Saquon Barkley

• 8 snaps: Jaydon Blue

Notes: If the Eagles are not trading Barkley, then he is obviously in their long-term plans. He has made clear that his body is not where it needs to be. It would be malpractice not to protect a star player who is not healthy in a lost season.

Wide receiver

• 66 snaps: Darius Cooper

• 65 snaps: Makai Lemon

• 32 snaps: Hollywood Brown

• 18 snaps: Elijah Moore

Notes: Lemon had 6 catches for 57 yards. Otherwise the Eagles' receivers didn't do much of anything. Lemon has some toughness, and when he gains confidence I don't think we'll often see him drop passes. He can be a good role player from the slot in a functional offense. But as I have noted previously, I just don't see explosiveness there.

Tight end

• 55 snaps: Dallas Goedert

• 13 snaps each: Johnny Mundt, Eli Stowers

• 12 snaps: Grant Calcaterra

Notes: Stowers made his first NFL catch in this game. He had three, actually, for 53 yards, although two of those were for 46 yards on the last two plays of the game, deep into garbage time. Still, there's going to be a time when the Eagles should get their young developmental players significantly more playing time, and Stowers will be at the top of that list.

Offensive line

• 69 snaps each: Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Drew Kendall, Tyler Steen, Markel Bell

• 1 snap each: Fred Johnson, Willie Lampkin

Notes: This offensive line got torn apart all night by a bad Commanders pass rush, as McKee was sacked five times and was under pressure on most of his passes.

Edge defenders

• 47 snaps: Nolan Smith

• 28 snaps: Jonathan Greenard

• 24 snaps: Arnold Ebiketie

• 21 snaps: Jalyx Hunt

Notes: The Eagles' pass rush continues to be non-existent. There are some players who are still playing, giving high-level effort despite the circumstances. One of them is Nolan Smith. I cannot say the same for Jonathan Greenard.

Watch 52 https://t.co/emnm5awOzi pic.twitter.com/QofZyMpucV
— Patrick (@PhillyPMC) November 2, 2026

That's just not good enough.

Interior defensive line

• 49 snaps: Jalen Carter

• 37 snaps: Jordan Davis

• 36 snaps: Moro Ojomo

• 15 snaps: Byron Young

• 9 snaps: Ty Robinson

Notes: As noted in our "10 awards" article, Ojomo game a postgame speech, urging his teammates not to quit. That's not a speech you want to hear a player feel like he has to give.

Linebacker

• 60 snaps: Zack Baun

• 54 snaps: Jeremiah Trotter

Notes: Jihaad Campbell was out with a hamstring and quad injuries.

Trotter had 10 tackles. He is pretty clearly a better player than Campbell right now and it will be interesting to see if Trotter just remains the starter whenever Campbell is healthy enough to play again.

Cornerback and safety

• 60 snaps each: Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean

• 59 snaps: Andrew Mukuba

• 58 snaps: Riq Woolen

• 29 snaps: Kenny Moore

• 13 snaps: Marcus Epps

• 1 snap: Michael Carter

Notes: Quinyon Mitchell is probably the one player on the team who has made a strong case for the Pro Bowl this season, and even he finally got roasted.

Jayden Daniels launches it deep to Treylon Burks 🎯

PHIvsWAS on NBC/Peacock
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/GS8ra3wPaT
— NFL (@NFL) November 2, 2026

I did think Andrew Mukuba finally had a good game. He had a nice INT that didn't count because Greenard jumped offsides. He also forced a Chig Okonkwo fumble that the Eagles recovered.