With the Washington Commanders taking a surprising 10-7 halftime lead over the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday, the Commanders are trying to get everyone involved in their offense behind quarterback Marcus Mariota. One of those players is wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr., who has not had an explosive start to the game.
What’s Happening With Commanders WR Deebo Samuel Sr.?
In the first half, Samuel had two catches for 15 yards and no touchdown receptions. He was targeted twice by Mariota at that point. However, things started to turn south for Washington in the third quarter. Mariota had to leave the game and headed into the team’s blue tent.
Mariota then had to go to the Commanders’ locker room. Reports from Fox Sports and other media outlets indicated that Mariota suffered a right-hand injury. He also was checked for a concussion, too. After backup quarterback Josh Johnson took over for the Commanders, Mariota came back to the sidelines.
But he had his Washington jacket over him on the sidelines, so it didn’t appear that he’d be coming back at all. The Eagles took command of the game in the fourth quarter, leading the Commanders 29-10.
Up at the break@NWFCU | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/ahOqsgkSg8
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) December 20, 2025
The Commanders entered Saturday’s game already eliminated from NFL postseason play. However, the Eagles have a significant reason to pull off the win. If Philadelphia holds on and wins the game, then it will secure the NFC East Division title.
Samuel and the Commanders will attempt to pull off a significant upset and make things difficult for the Eagles.
By the fourth quarter, though, Samuel only had three catches total for 35 yards and no touchdowns. With Johnson on the field, maybe he can try to connect with Samuel as the veteran wide receiver tries to find room in that Philadelphia secondary.
According to the PFSN NFL WR Impact metrics, Terry McLaurin was the top receiver with an impact score of 80.9 and grades out to a B-. Samuel doesn’t have enough data to be included among the top wide receivers in the WR metrics.
So, Samuel will have to dig deep into his bag of tricks as the game rolls along. But time is running out for the Commanders to think about an upset victory at home in front of their fans.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.
