1 week Ago
Even afforded early Christmas gifts by the Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington Commanders left Thursday night's NFC East showdown still in search of a signature win. And still not sure if they belong among the NFL's elite. Despite Eagles' kicker Jake Elliott missing two field goals and extra point, the Commanders' defense fell apart in the fourth quarter of a 26-18 loss at Lincoln Financial Field.
Saquon Barkley ran for two touchdowns in a 20-second span after Commanders' coach Dan Quinn made a controversial decision to pass up a potential field goal that would've given his team the lead. With the win, the Eagles are firmly in control of the division at 8-2 while the Commanders lost their second consecutive game to fall to 7-4. Washington has only one win over a team with a winning record (the 6-4 Arizona Cardinals) and the combined opponents' record of its seven victories is 23-45.
Instead of attempting a 44-yard field goal that would've given his team a 13-12 lead, Quinn went for 4th-and-2 at Philly's 26 with eight minutes remaining. After bobbling the snap and aborting a hand-off, quarterback Jayden Daniels ran to the right but was tackled for no gain. Five plays later Barkley took a hand-off on 3rd-and-3 and ran untouched 23 yards for a touchdown and a 19-10 Philly lead.
On Washington's next offensive snap Daniels was intercepted over the middle by Eagles' safety Reed Blankenship. It was only the rookie quarterback's third pick of the season. Barkley, who ran for 146 yards, then zipped up the middle - untouched again - for a 39-yard touchdown and the rout was on.
USA Today The Commanders took a 10-3 lead on a 45-yard field goal by Zane Gonzalez at the end of their first possession of the second half. The Eagles answered on their next drive with a 31-yard field goal that was set up by safety Percy Butler's missed tackle on Barkley's 43-yard catch-and-run. Related: Commanders Take Advantage of Eagles Miscues For 7-3 Halftime Lead Washington took a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter fueled by two plays in which running backs ran through would-be tackles of ballyhooed Eagles' linebacker Zack Baun.
Austin Ekeler gained 34 yards on a simple swing pass, dragging Baun the final 15. Then Robinson broke Baun's initial tackle attempt and scampered up the middle 18 yards to the 1-yard line before punching it in for the touchdown. After a 10-day layoff, the Commanders host the struggling 3-6 Dallas Cowboys.
The hope is that game is the debut of newly acquired cornerback Marshon Lattimore, who is yet to play for Washington because of a lingering hamstring injury. Related: Inside Jaws’ Shocking Take on Jayden.
