What ruined the Eagles’ pursuit of a perfect season? A combo of turnovers, masterful ball control from Washington and efficient play for Taylor Heinicke.
PHILADELPHIA — And then there were none.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ run as the NFL’s final remaining undefeated team came to an end Monday night, as a Washington Commanders team that entered the night as double-digit underdogs came away with a shocking 32-21 victory at Lincoln Financial Field.
How did the Commanders (5-5) do it? What was the combination of strong Washington play, Philadelphia mistakes and questionable officiating that kept the Eagles (8-1) from any further pursuit of the 1972 Miami Dolphins’ undefeated mark? And moreover, what does the result mean going forward for both teams?
A look at the highlights and lowlights from a surprising night in Philly:
Washington held possession for 40:24: Washington has waffled at times on its offensive identity, but that wasn’t the case Monday night as the Commanders ran the ball 49 times — their most in a game since 2002 — for 152 yards. It wasn’t explosive, but it was highly effective. It helps that running back Brian Robinson Jr., who missed the first four games after being shot in August, has gained a rhythm to make a nice pairing with Antonio Gibson.
“We can run the ball; we have to make certain we stay with it,” Washington coach Ron Rivera said. “The biggest thing we have to do is understand where we are, who we are and what we can be.”– John Keim
Why Eagles couldn’t stop it: The absence of rookie defensive tackle Jordan Davis looms large. The Texans rumbled for 168 yards in Week 9 against Philly with Davis out. It was obvious Washington would try and follow suit, and yet Philly had no answers. With Davis sidelined until at least Week 13 against the Tennessee Titans, defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon needs to figure out how to plug the leak to prevent his unit from going into a tailspin.
“[We’re going to continue to be tested against the run] until we stop it,” defensive end Brandon Graham said. “I’m ready. Bring it on. That’s the attitude you’ve got to have.” — Tim McManus
How the Eagles struggled: Philly entered with a plus-15 turnover differential — by far the best in the league. This marks the first game this season in which the Eagles lost the turnover battle. One wasn’t their fault — the refs missed a blatant facemask on tight end Dallas Goedert that contributed to his lost fumble — but the other three were, including an interception from quarterback Jalen Hurts that he threw into double coverage on a deep pass to A.J. Brown. The Eagles knew there would be some regression to the mean when it came to the takeaway/giveaway game, but that doesn’t excuse this level of sloppy play against an inferior opponent.
