1 unsung hero of Eagles’ division-clinching win over Commanders

For only the second time in 20 years, the Philadelphia Eagles have won the NFC East in back-to-back seasons.

Taking the field against a Washington Commanders team with four wins and a backup quarterback under center, the Eagles didn’t need to beat their division rivals to punch their ticket to the postseason, as they theoretically could have lost out and still made it if the Cowboys went just 1-2.

And yet, the Eagles didn’t look like a team playing with a 99 percent chance of making the playoffs in Week 15.

No, with a three-game losing streak just a week in the rear view, Nick Sirianni, Kevin Patulo, Vic Fangio, and company came out swinging and played well enough to give their reserves a few snaps before hitting the locker rooms, taking down Washington 29-18 on the way to the NFC East pennant.

Jalen Hurts played a mostly clean game, with a pair of turnovers erased by savvy fumble recovery and a flag, the receivers did more good than bad, and Saquon Barkley arguably turned in his best game of the season, showcasing that maybe he still is the same player who ran for 2,000 yards last season.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Eagles were able to take care of business in a major way, with the secondary holding Washington to just 130 passing yards and a Cooper DeJean interception, the line bottling up the Commanders’ run game to just 90 yards, and both Byron Young and Brandon Graham getting on the board with sacks.

So in a game with so many positives, who was the real unsung hero of the contest? Well, he’s pretty hard to miss, as he’s consistently one of the biggest players on the field game after game.

Eagles DT Jordan Davis made his presence known vs. the Commanders

With Jalen Carter still out with a shoulder injury, the pressure was on for fourth-year defensive end Jordan Davis to live up to his draft pedigree against the Commanders.

Famously drafted one pick before Kyle Hamilton in the 2022 NFL Draft, Davis was supposed to be a force multiplier in the run game as the NFL’s most athletically gifted nose tackle but after some strong play as a rookie, he was quiet for must of 2023 and the front half of the 2024 season, before stepping up down the stretch on the way to the Super Bowl.

Returning to Philadelphia in the best shape of his career, Davis has set a new standard for his on-field play in 2025, and in no game was that more evident than in Week 16, when he turned in an exemplary showing against a Washington team that can run the ball with the best of them.

Holding down the nose spot as Byron Young, Moro Ojomo, and Brandon Graham cycled in around him, Davis finished out the game tied for second in tackles, second in solo tackles, and with the most tackles for loss. Davis consistently drew interior double-teams on rushing plays, a common occurrence at this point in his career, but showcased his improved get off, disengaging blocks to make plays on rushers looking to advance the ball between the tackles.

Jordan Davis is the best DLineman in the NFL #FlyEaglesFly #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/oOVzippxj6

— Athens Steve (@RainyAthens) December 21, 2025

Through Week 15, Davis has already played a career-high 572 defensive snaps, with that total going over 600 in Week 16. He’s recorded a career-high 59 total tackles and 27 solo tackles, and his 4.5 sacks are more than his previous three seasons combined. From an advanced analytics standpoint, Davis has also been a darling, ranking 20th out of 126 interior defensive linemen in Pro Football Focus’ overall defensive grade, 10th among 131 qualifying defensive tackles in run defense grade, and 50th out of 110 qualifying pass rush grade.

Throw that all together, and goodness, Davis is about to get paid.

In the NFL, there’s a ceiling for early downs-only nose tackles. They are usually taken off the field for money downs, third downs, late-game comeback attempts, and thus are rarely compensated financially to the tune of their pass-rushing counterparts. In the past, Davis was a very good nose tackle with seemingly very little upside on passing plays. But in 2025? Davis has proven he can not only play 60-plus percent of his team’s defensive snaps but can really make plays in the backfield, instead of just taking up space as a massive body. If Davis can turn in two more productive games and parlay that production into the playoffs, he might just get to call Carter a teammate for a few more seasons, as Howie Roseman will be forced to back up the Brinks truck to ensure he stays in Philadelphia for the long haul.

The post 1 unsung hero of Eagles’ division-clinching win over Commanders appeared first on ClutchPoints.