During a radio interview on 106.7 The Fan in Washington D.C., running back Brian Robinson said of the Commanders' matchup with the Eagles this Sunday, "We feel like we are the better team."
He said other stuff, too, but that was the juiciest quote. A snippet from the interview:
Robinson should think his team is better. He'd be kind of a loser if he didn't. But thinking it and saying it are two different things, as professional athletes will take any perceived slight and use it as a competitive advantage.
In the locker room after their win in the 2022 NFC Championship game, Eagles players gleefully repeated a pregame quote from George Kittle, who they felt questioned the Eagles' physical play.
As for Robinson's opinion that the Commanders are the better team, what the hell... let's examine that.
Who has the better record?
The Eagles are 12-2. The Commanders are 9-5. Advantage: Eagles.
OK, but what about their quality of opponents? Has either team beaten anyone good?
The Eagles have beaten five teams with winning records. The Commanders have beaten zero teams with winning records. Advantage: Eagles.
Have these two teams played each other?
Yes, in Week 11, the Eagles beat the Commanders 26-18. Advantage: Eagles
How about point differential?
The Eagles are +122. The Commanders are actually a surprisingly high +81. Still, advantage: Eagles.
How about yardage differential?
The Eagles are +1367. The Commanders are +730. Advantage: Eagles.
What about analytical rankings?
The Eagles are ranked 5th in DVOA. The Commanders are ranked 12th. Advantage: Eagles.
What does Vegas think?
Well, the Eagles are the road team on Sunday, and they are 3.5-point favorites.
The Commanders have had a good season. In fact, they have their best record after 14 games since 1992 (!). But, the Eagles have a pretty good argument that their résumé this season is better.
Robinson will have a chance to back up his words on Sunday.
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