PHILADELPHIA — Then there was none.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ run as the NFL’s last undefeated team ended Monday night, when the Washington Commanders team that entered the game as underdogs by double-digits ended up winning a shocking 32-21 win on Lincoln Financial Field.
What made they (5-5) accomplish this feat? They rely on a combination of good Washington performance, Philadelphia mistakes and questionable officiating prevented from preventing the Eagles (8-1) away from continuing to chase their 1972 Miami Dolphins’ undefeated mark.
An overview of the highlights and highlights of an unforgettable event in Philly:
Controlling the timer
Washington played for 40 minutes and 24 seconds: Washington has waffled at times regarding its offensive identity however, it wasn’t the case on Monday night when the Commanders carried on the ground 49 timesthe most they’ve run in the game since 2002with an average of 152 yards. It wasn’t a lot of fun however it was efficient. It’s helped by the running forward Brian Robinson Jr., who was unable to play in his first 4 games due to having been shot two times in his lower part of his body during an armed attempted robbery in August, has found his rhythm and can create a great team together with Antonio Gibson.
“We can play the ball but we need to be sure to stay in the game,” Washington coach Ron Rivera said. “The main thing we have to understand is what we’re doing what we’re about, who we’re and what we are able to be.” -John Keim. John Keim
The reason the Eagles were unable to stop it: The absence from the rookie defensive lineman Jordan Davis looms large. The Texans scored 168 yards during Week 9 against Philly without Davis out. It was evident that Washington was going to try to do the same, but Philly was unable to answer the questions. With Davis being out until at least Week 13 when he plays The Tennessee Titans, defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon needs to figure out how to stop the leak and prevent his team from slipping into an uncontrollable tailspin.
“[We’re going be continually assessed against the running until we can stop this,” defensive end Brandon Graham stated. “I’m ready. Let it roll. This is the attitude you need to adopt.” -Tim McManus Tim McManus
Turnovers
The way the Eagles were struggling: Philly entered with a +15 turnover differential, one of the highest of the bunch. This was the first game of the season where the Eagles were unable to win the battle over turnovers. The first one wasn’t their faultthey missed the obvious facemask placed for defensive player Dallas Goedert that contributed to his fumble being lost but the others included an interception by quarterback Jalen Hurts, who threw into double coverage after the deep ball to A.J. Brown. Brown. Eagles knew that there was a chance of a regression from the average when it came to the game of takeaway/giveaway however that doesn’t mean they can’t take the blame for the sloppy performance against a lesser opponent.
“It’s vital to control the things you can control such as control of your ball’s security, understanding where you are in the ball is and where it’s required to go, or just the execution” Hurts said. “Those can all be things we control, and we need to improve our performance at doing that.” -McManus McManus
Who was the key to Washington: Washington forced four takeaways.
An interception was made by the safety Darrick Forrest. Forrest was able to recover a fumble
A linebacker’s fumble recovery Jamin Davis resulted in an attempt at a field goal.
A last-second scoop and score from the defensive player Casey Toohill to end the game.
Forrest’s interception resulted in an interception drive that gave the team a an advantage of 17-14. He claimed that coaches had have told him throughout the this week Hurts “throws lots of 50-50 balls. I knew I’d need to take a shot at the ball. My coach said when he gave you a shot, go for it. This is exactly the way I went about it.” -” Keim
A shrewd performance from the QB Taylor Heinicke
What exactly is the thing that Heinicke was able to do so well? Apart from making the ball turn twice, he was a master in managing the game, and making quick throws in numerous third downs. It was helpful that of the 21 third downs Washington had 12 of them were less than four yards, which meant the offense could not keep Philadelphia off balance. Heinicke cleverly located Terry McLaurin frequently eight times to gain 128 yards. Heinicke also ran back 19 yards in order to recover the shotgun that flew over his head. He was capable of throwing it out of bounds. This allowed Washington to continue his touchdown drive. Then, he dropped to one knee while the third-and-7 was thrown into the air with 1:45 remaining . He was then subsequently hit with a hammer by Brandon Graham for a 15-yard penalty. “It’s the most significant victory of my life,” Heinicke said.
“He plays without anxiety,” McLaurin said. “Everything’s not beautiful, but he’s always giving us opportunities to make plays. He’ll stretch plays using his legs and take on tough yards. You’re confident when you see someone with such a style. There are many people who measure his height, his armsize, everything else. However, you cannot determine what’s inside his chest.” -Keim. Keim
What did the Eagles struggled to stop aside from the run the Eagles had trouble stopping McLaurin. A cornerback Darius Slay took responsibility for McLaurin’s best catch of the game with a 41-yarderand he thought it was an similar matchup. Slay played alongside McLaurin as he was lined up outside, but didn’t cover Washington’s top receiver as moving to the slot, the area where he caused a lot of the harm. The Eagles were without their the slot corner’s starting player Avonte Maddox who was placed in injured reserve Monday because of an injury to his hamstring. Slay said he’ll need convince coaches to help him learn more slot techniques so it’s easier for him to play inside in the near future. McManus was the only one to be named. McManus
Uncertain calls made against Eagles
In the third-and-1 position early in the final quarter of the game, and with the Eagles losing by two points, Hurts completed a pass to Goedert to create a possible first down. Linebacker for the Commanders Jamin Davis took Goedert’s facemask and pulled it when he tried to take him down, but the simultaneous strike by the defensive lineman John Ridgeway knocked the ball loose. Washington was able to recover, and then tacked on 55 yards Joey Slye field goal to increase the lead to six. The play was not a good call simply and straightforward and the result was costly. “We did not observe a face mask on the court,” the referee Alex Kemp stated following the game.
The penalty that sealed the match was an individual foul by the defensive player Brandon Graham for hitting Heinicke who gave himself up after taking a knee at the point of view of the official and was thus ruled as a player who was not defenseless. The hit also struck the neck and head, Kemp said. “I would like to cover the injury by doing what I can in the coming week” Graham said. “I’m sure to learn from the time to ensure that next time , I don’t allow the team to fall in such a scenario.” McManus -McManus McManus
What does this mean for each team and what’s next?
Commandos: Washington currently stands at 5-5, and been victorious in four of its five games before Sunday’s game against Houston (1-7-1). The Commanders will now need to take advantage of this win by beating a poor side on the road. The two previous losses came with a score of four against Tennessee or by 3 points to Minnesota. They required a huge victory over a strong team.
“For us to have an outcome like that we’re full of faith,” Heinicke said. Like Gibson stated, “It shows what we’re capable of. It’s another win that we need to build upon.” However, Washington is still an .500 team, and is two games ahead of Dallas for third spot within the NFC East. Rivera declared, “We have to follow this with a follow-up. We can’t say that we’ve arrived, but we have not yet arrived.” -” Keim
Eagles They are the Eagles are currently in a tie to their fellow Minnesota Vikings for the best record in football with an 8-1. They hold the head-to-head tiebreaker after beating Minnesota earlier in the season. As of Week 10 Philadelphia was the team with the most straightforward end-of-season program in the game. The conversation inside the locker rooms following the game was about the need to respond to the first adversity which was summed up by Hurts telling the team “I’ve had a great feeling about what we’ll do.” It’s not like the loss was appreciated and a receiver A.J. Brown said afterwards that “now the 17-0 streakhas been dealt with.” It’s time to get them back on track prior to facing Colts Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. McManus is the quarterback. McManus
