EAGLES SECOND HALF SURGE LEADS TO 29-18 WIN OVER WASHINGTON AND A PLAYOFF SPOT
- Al Thompson
- 27 minutes ago
- 6 min read
The Philadelphia Eagles shrugged off a shaky start, two missed Jake Elliott field goals, a lost fumble on the opening kickoff, a late-game brawl over a two-point conversion to post a 29-18 win over the Washington Commanders.
The Birds (10-5) clinched the NFC East for the second consecutive season and the home playoff game that comes with it.
The lost fumble came on the game-opening kickoff.
Normally surehanded Will Shipley fumbled the opening kick return that was recovered by Washington.
The defense held, holding the home team to a Jake Moody 20-yard field goal.
The Eagles rushed for 207 yards as a team on 34 carries. Saquon Barkley carried the ball 21 132 and a highlight reel 12-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to give the Eagles a 21-10 lead.
Tank Bigsby had four carries for 37 yards including a 22-yard touchdown run with 4:26 left in fourth quarter.
Elliott was charged with two field goal misses of 43 (second quarter) and 52 yards (also second quarter), but he actually missed three. His 57-yard miss near the end of the first half was nullified by a Washington penalty.
Even with the extra five yards, Elliott missed. All three misses had the leg: all three were wide left.
After Bigsby's TD, rather than, Sirianni opted to go for two given kicker Elliott’s struggles earlier in the game.
Barkley ran the ball to convert the to make the score
Several Commanders players were pissed nonetheless. Thinking the Eagles were trying to run up the score, some Washington players started shoving Eagles players.
As reported on nfl.com, after Barkley converted a two-point conversion to extend Philadelphia’s lead, Eagles wide receiver Darius Cooper and safety Will Harris exchanged several light pushes following the whistle.
Two players on Washington's defense -- lineman Javon Kinlaw and safety Quan Martin -- and one Eagles player - offensive lineman Tyler Steen -- were disqualified after being flagged for unnecessary roughness.
Jalen Hurts was outstanding again, going 22 of 30 for 185 yards, two touchdown passes, no turnovers and a QB Rating of 111.1. He was sacked twice.
His top targets included A.J. Brown who had nine catches for 95 yards, DeVonta Smith, who recorded six catches for 42 yards and a TD, Dallas Goedert had three catches for 32 yards and a highlight reel 15-yard touchdown pass.
Cooper DeJean recorded his second interception of the season against Josh Johnson, who was in for injured Marcus Mariota.
Zack Baun led the Eagles with nine total tackles (three solo).
For the Commanders, Mariota 7 of 14 for 95 yards. Johnson 5 of 9 for 43 yards.
INJURED LINEMEN DUE BACK NEXT WEEK
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that defensive tackle Jalen Carter and right tackle Lane Johnson are expected to be back against the Buffalo Bills in Week 17.
Carter injured both of his shoulders, as he has missed the last three games, while Johnson has been out for the previous five games with a foot injury.
HERE ARE SOME POSTGAME NOTES COURTESY OF THE EAGLES STAFF
* With tonight’s 29-18 victory at Washington, Philadelphia earned its second straight NFC East Championship (third in the last four seasons), marking the first time a team has captured back-to-back NFC East crowns since the 2001-04 Eagles (four) over two decades ago.
* This is Philadelphia’s 12th NFC East Championship under Jeffrey Lurie’s ownership, which represents the most in the division since 1994 (previously tied with Dallas at 11).
* The Eagles (11) have the 4th-most division titles since the NFL’s realignment in 2002, behind New England (16), Green Bay (12) and Kansas City (12).
* Since Howie Roseman’s first year as a general manager in 2010, Philadelphia has produced seven NFC East-winning rosters, leading the division in that span. The Eagles have also won more than half of the NFC East’s titles (five) dating back to 2017.
* Philadelphia has secured its fifth consecutive postseason berth, tying a team record (previously posted five in a row from 2000-04). The Eagles have also produced playoff appearances in eight of the last nine seasons (since 2017), which marks the best nine-year stretch in franchise history.
* Philadelphia is currently one of only three NFL teams to register 18 postseason trips since the 2000 campaign, joining Green Bay and New England in that category.
SIRIANNI CONTINUES TO MAKE NFL & EAGLES HISTORY
* According to Elias Sports, Nick Sirianni is one of three Super Bowl Era head coaches to make the playoffs five times and win three division championships in their first five career seasons.
* The others who accomplished that feat are Bill Cowher and Chuck Knox. Among that group, Sirianni is the only one to win a Super Bowl in their first five campaigns.
*Sirianni is just the second head coach in Eagles history to earn playoff trips in five consecutive seasons (only one to do so in their first five career years), joining Andy Reid (2000-04).
* Sirianni and Reid are also the only head coaches in franchise history to lead Philadelphia to three NFC East Championships during their first five seasons with the team.
* Including playoffs, Sirianni’s 64 career wins are now tied with Paul Brown for the 2nd-most by a head coach in their first five career seasons, behind George Seifert (68) (per Elias Sports).
Sirianni is also tied with Brown for the 4th-most combined victories by a head coach in their first five seasons with any team, trailing only Seifert (68), Tony Dungy (67) and Don Shula (65).
* Sirianni is tied with Greasy Neale (1941-50) for the 2nd-most wins by a head coach in franchise history (including playoffs), behind Andy Reid (140, 1999-2012).
* Sirianni has led the Eagles to four consecutive 10+ win seasons, which is the 2nd-longest streak by a head coach in team history, trailing only Andy Reid (five, 2000-04).
POST-GAME NOTES
* Philadelphia jumped out to a 7-3 lead with 2:37 remaining in the first quarter on a 6-yard TD pass from Jalen Hurts to DeVonta Smith, completing a 7-play, 63-yard drive (3:29).
The scoring drive was sparked by the 3-play opening drive sequence of a Jalen Hurts pass to DeVonta Smith for 16 yards, a Hurts run for 14 yards, and a Hurts completion to A.J. Brown for 15 yards.
* Hurts has now tied his career high in single-season passing TDs with 23 (also 2023).
* Philadelphia took a 14-10 lead with 3:27 remaining in the third quarter after a 15-yard Jalen Hurts pass to Dallas Goedert for a TD on third-and-goal from the WAS 15, capping off a 17-play, 83-yard drive (10:35).
* Goedert is now tied with Pete Retzlaff (1965) for the most single-season receiving TDs by a TE in franchise history (10).
* Cooper DeJean picked off Commanders QB Josh Johnson with :40 remaining in the third quarter, setting up a 12-yard TD run by Saquon Barkley to extend Philadelphia’s lead to 21-10 with 11:33 left in the fourth quarter, completing a 7-play, 37-yard drive (3:59).
During the drive, Barkley eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the fifth time in his career. This also marks the first time since 2018-19 with NYG that Barkley has reached the 1,000-yard mark in back-to-back seasons.
* Barkley has recorded rushing TDs in three straight games, achieving this feat for the first time since Weeks 11-13 in 2024.
* The Eagles have posted four consecutive seasons with 1,000+ yard rushers (Miles Sanders, 2022; D’Andre Swift, 2023; Barkley, 2024 and 2025).
* Tank Bigsby notched his first TD of the campaign, followed by a successful 2-point conversion by Saquon Barkley, to culminate a 4-play, 80-yard drive (2:12) and open Philadelphia’s lead to 29-10.
MORE FROM THE GAME
Brandon Graham sacked Commanders QB Marcus Mariota on third-and-9 from WAS 43. The sack marked Graham’s 3rd sack in 9 defensive snaps.
Graham is the first player to record sacks in back-to-back games at age 37-or-older since Calais Campbell with Miami during Weeks 10-11 in 2024.
Saquon Barkley rushed for 132 yards, marking his fourth straight game with 100+ rushing yards vs. the Commanders since arriving to the Eagles in 2024 (Week 11 of 2024, 146 yards; Week 16 of 2024, 150 yards; NFCCG, 118 yards).
Philadelphia held Washington to only 130 passing yards, marking three consecutive games of opponent passing outputs under 150 yards (Week 14, 139; Week 15, 64). *
Email Al Thompson at al.thompson@footballstories.com
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