The Washington Football Team can win the NFC East division title with a victory against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL regular-season finale on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
Coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET with Football Night in America on NBC, followed by kickoff at 8:20 p.m. ET from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Washington (6-9) looks to claim their first division title since 2015 and their third NFC East championship since realignment in 2002.
Winners of four of their past six games, Washington ranks second in the NFC in scoring defence (21.0 points allowed per game) and has not allowed more than 20 points in a game since Week 10.
Quarterback Alex Smith, the favourite to win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award after returning to the field this season following a severe leg injury in 2018, is expected to start this weekend vs. the Eagles.
Smith is 4-1 in five starts this year and holds a career regular-season record of 98-67-1 (.563), the sixth-highest winning percentage among active quarterbacks with at least 100 starts.
Defensive end Chase Young, who has 6.5 sacks and four forced fumbles, is one of two rookies to make the Pro Bowl this year (Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson) and joins guard Brandon Scherff as Washington’s 2021 Pro Bowlers. Washington running back Antonio Gibson leads all NFL rookies with 11 rushing touchdowns this season.
Washington and Philadelphia met in Week 1 this season, with Washington earning a 27-17 victory in head coach Ron Rivera’s first game with the team.
Since taking over as the team’s starting quarterback in Week 14, Eagles rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts has averaged 282.3 passing yards and 79.3 rushing yards per game, while accounting for six total touchdowns (five passing, one rushing).
Last week, wide receiver DeSean Jackson caught an 81-yard touchdown pass, marking his fifth career touchdown catch of at least 80 yards, tied for the most in NFL history.
The Eagles had three players named to the 2021 Pro Bowl: interior lineman Fletcher Cox, defensive end Brandon Graham, and center Jason Kelce.
Calling Philadelphia-Washington is Al Michaels (play-by-play), in his record 35th season as the voice of the NFL’s premier primetime package; 16-time Emmy Award-winner Cris Collinsworth; and three-time Emmy Award-winning sideline reporter Michele Tafoya. Three-time Super Bowl referee Terry McAulay is the Sunday Night Football rules analyst.
NBC’s coverage of Sunday Night Football is led by executive producer Fred Gaudelli and director Drew Esocoff. SNF is the only show to win 10 Sports Emmy Awards for Outstanding Live Sports Series.
Mike Tirico hosts Football Night in America at 7 p.m. ET alongside Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl champion Rodney Harrison, former NFL quarterback Chris Simms, and NFL Insider Mike Florio. Football Night is produced by Rob Hyland and directed by Mike Sheehan.
In addition, Steve Kornacki, NBC News’ celebrated political correspondent, returns to FNIA for the remainder of the season to analyse the NFL playoff picture from the Big Board following the conclusion of the afternoon games.