Eagles’ defense cracking vs. Commanders is concerning as playoffs approach
LANDOVER, Md. – The Philadelphia Eagles can’t use Kenny Pickett as an excuse for why they lost to the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
After Jalen Hurts spotted the Eagles a 7-0 lead and field position for the Eagles to go ahead 14-0 before leaving the game in the first quarter – Pickett did his part to help Philadelphia score 33 points. Was he good? No. But for a team with one of, if not the best defense in the NFL, what he gave them should have been good enough. The Commanders had scored more than 27 points just once since Week 8.
On Sunday, Washington won 36-33 behind five touchdowns from likely Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels, including the game-winner to Jamison Crowder with six seconds left.
The Eagles, who were riding a 10-game winning streak, still hold the NFL’s fourth-best odds to win the Super Bowl at +550 at BetMGM, but Sunday’s loss was a step in the wrong direction. “We had some penalties and some sloppy play today that cost us,” Eagles coach Nick Srianni said after the game.
Daniels’ 258 passing yards are the most the Eagles have allowed in a game since Week 4. Four of his touchdowns came on drives of at least 50 yards — two went for longer than 85 yards. More concerning for Philadelphia, it wasn’t Washington’s best showing. The Commanders turned the ball over five times. They allowed Saquon Barkley to run for over 100 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter alone. They trailed 27-14 going into the fourth quarter.
“The good news is we can improve a lot,” Commanders coach Dan Quinn said.
Give the Commanders credit. They adjusted and found ways to get stops when it mattered most. The Eagles didn’t. Washington was also aided by a DeVonta Smith dropped pass on third down that would have allowed the Eagles to run out the clock. It left two minutes for Daniels and the Commanders offense to go win the game. They did just that, with their third touchdown of the fourth quarter.
“I think it just boosts morale even more,” Daniels said of the late win.
Giving Washington confidence was the last thing the Eagles (12-3) wanted to do. The loss puts them further behind Detroit in the race for the No. 1 seed, which would relegate Philadelphia to No. 2 and a first-round playoff meeting with the No. 7 seed – currently the Commanders (10-5).
That might have been the matchup regardless of Sunday’s result, but now both teams know Washington can not only beat the Eagles but also move the ball on their vaunted defense, something the Commanders struggled to do in a Week 11 loss in Philadelphia.
In a vacuum, this one loss isn’t enough to say the Eagles aren’t still a Super Bowl contender, but knowing Washington isn’t close to the best team they’d have to see in the playoffs, it gave them plenty to clean up in the final two weeks of the season.