Winning (a little) ugly

The Philadelphia Eagles are in first place in the NFC East thanks to Thursday night’s win against the Washington Commanders. But it wasn’t the prettiest game in the world.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) scores past Washington Commanders safety Quan Martin (20) during the second half of an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

By Chris Murray

For the Philadelphia Sunday SUN

The Philadelphia Eagles’ 26-18 win over the Washington Commanders was definitely reflective of their 2024 season to this point.
In the early going, quarterback Jalen Hurts, and the Eagles were unable to find a rhythm and had problems getting out of their own way due to penalties.

Entering the fourth quarter, thanks to an inconsistent offense that included, surprisingly several missed field goals from kicker Jake Elliott, the Birds found themselves on the wrong end of a 10-6 deficit.

But the Eagles used the running game to make a comeback and scored on their first three fourth-quarter possessions. The Birds’ rushing attack bullied the Commanders’ defense with running back Saquon Barkley gaining 146 of the Eagles’ 228 yards on the ground.

“We got punched in the mouth in the first half, and we responded accordingly,” Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson said. “There are certain moments in the season where wins will give you confidence and this was one of them. Being able to turn around stuff in the second half, make those adjustments, and make those changes to win games”

Barkley scored the last two touchdowns of the game on a pair of electrifying 20+ yard runs that put the game away.

“We just got it rolling. We were able to get some positive plays,” Hurts said. “And when you’re able to get completions, keep the sticks moving, keep progressing, and then impose your physicality in the end of it, that’s what it comes down to.”

The one constant in this was a relentless Eagles defense that hounded and hunted the Commanders’ rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels throughout the game. The Birds sacked Daniels three times and held him to 18 yards rushing. The Eagles also held Washington to just 264 yards of total offense.

“We had to get to him,” said Eagles linebacker Brandon Graham. “Any quarterback that’s out there that’s out there making plays and scoring points. You have to get to him and make him feel uncomfortable. Up front, we did a good job of that and stopped the run.”

Eagles safety Reed Blankenship came with a huge interception that thwarted the Commanders’s hopes of a possible comeback. Two plays later, Barkley put the game away with an amazing 39-yard touchdown run.

“Saquon was great tonight, but that offensive line was really good,” said Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni. “Even on Saquon’s touchdown, we’ve got the receivers running off on that play. Smitty [WR DeVonta Smith] is running off. [WR] A.J. [Brown] is running off to that side. That’s effort.”

When the Eagles (8-2) got blasted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on both sides of the ball back in late September, most fans and observers felt that the Eagles didn’t have what it takes to be a contender.

Hurts was criticized for not taking care of the football, and the team’s defense was maligned for its inability to stop teams from scoring at will. But that was then, and this is now. The Birds have won six straight and have sole possession of first place in the NFC East.

While he is happy with the Eagles where they are now, they can ill afford to get complacent,” Johnson said.

Especially since they were doing the same thing last year before a regular season collapse.

“We’re in a good spot, but I’m able to remember last year when things were going good,” he said. “You had a sense of relief that the job is done and that the accomplishment is there, but you can quickly get knocked on your ass and that’s what happened to us last year”

Because this game kicked off Week 11 of the NFL season, the Eagles have a little extra time before heading to Los Angeles to take on the Rams. You can catch that game on Sunday night at 8 p.m. on NBC-10.