Commanders have secret weapon to deploy against DeVonta Smith, Eagles

The Washington Commanders are just days away from kicking off the 2026 season against the Philadelphia Eagles.

This is a big opportunity for the Commanders

. A win would not only signal the team is back to being legit after a down year, but also give them an early leg up on a division rival. It won’t be an easy task, though, as the Eagles return most key players from 2025 and are expected to contend once again.

One of the keys for the Commanders will be the defense keeping the Eagles’ explosive offense in check. The Eagles no longer have A.J. Brown, but they still have weapons like DeVonta Smith, Saquon Barkley, and Dallas Goedert.

Smith, in particular, will be dangerous as the team’s new No. 1 receiver. Fortunately for the Commanders, they might

have the perfect solution to Smith.

Amik Robertson dominated Smith in 2025

In 2025, as a member of the Detroit Lions, cornerback Amik Robertson went up against Smith and the Eagles.

In that matchup, Smith ended with just one catch for eight yards. It was the worst game of the receiver’s season, and the advanced numbers tell us just how good Robertson was.

According to Next Gen Stats, Robertson matched up with Smith 15 times in that game and held the receiver to no catches on three targets. Robertson also stayed within one yard of Smith for 1.55 seconds per matchup, meaning the corner had extremely sticky coverage.

In fact, this was the longest time in tight coverage in any matchup since at least 2018.

On the other side, Amik Robertson held DeVonta Smith without a catch on 3 targets across 15 matchups.

Robertson stayed within one yard of Smith for 1.55 seconds per matchup, the longest average time in tight coverage in any WR-CB matchup since at least 2018 (min. 10 matchups).… pic.twitter.com/epZm84QwQM

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) November 17, 2025

For whatever reason, Robertson had Smith’s number, and the receiver was unable to get any separation whatsoever. That’s definitely a game Smith won’t forget, and the Commanders would be wise to exploit it once again.

If Smith can be kept in check, the main focus will be stopping the Eagles’ ground game. Last season, the Commanders and Eagles split the season series, so it will be interesting to see how it shakes out this year.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders have secret weapon to deploy against DeVonta Smith, Eagles