_The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team._
The Washington Commanders are kicking off their 2026 season with a road test against the Philadelphia Eagles. Here are three keys to starting 1-0.
**1\. Have an answer for Saquon Barkley.**
Defensive coordinator Daronte Jones put it best when asked about Barkley. "Saquon is special," he said. "I don't think, it's...a one-man job \[defending him\]. It's a team effort."
Though Barkley obviously wasn't as effective in 2025 as he was in his 2,000-yard campaign in 2024, he's still one of the most potent offensive weapons in the league. He faced eight-man boxes on 30.71% of his runs last season, which ranked 14th in the league, and still managed to rank eighth in yards before contact (689). He'll be facing a Commanders defense that struggled to stop the run last season, giving up 4.8 yards per rush and 18 rushing touchdowns.
But this is not last year's defense. The Commanders invested money and draft picks to improve the unit's personnel. They brought in Jones, who brought in a new system that will borrow concepts from a Minnesota Vikings scheme that will create disruption at the line of scrimmage. Players like Daron Payne and Frankie Luvu are back, but the rest of the front seven looks drastically different with the additions of K'Lavon Chaisson, Leo Chenal and Sonny Styles.
It will be difficult to completely bottle up Barkley, but the Commanders are confident that their investments will pay off. Players like Tim Settle Jr. should help clog running lanes between the tackles, and Chaisson has the athleticism to keep up with Barkley on perimeter runs. But if they can limit some of his dynamic ability, it would both show Washington's improvement on defense and give the team a better chance at a win.