First place in the NFC East was on the line Thursday night in Philadelphia, and the Eagles — the 2022 division champs and regular playoff participant — reminded the new kids on the block in the Washington Commanders that they have a ways to go.
Despite Eagles kicker Jake Elliott leaving six points on the table with two missed field goals and a missed extra point, running back Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia defense dragged the Eagles to a 26-16 victory.
Elliott missed two field goals in a game, from 44 and 51 yards out in the first half, for the first time since the 2019 season. The Eagles were clinging to a two-point lead, 12-10, until Barkley exploded off the line of scrimmage on a shotgun handoff and sprinted his way into the end zone for a 23-yard rushing touchdown. Elliott hit on the extra point, which put Philadelphia up nine, 19-10 with just under five minutes left to play — a lead that would hold en route to its Week 11 win.
Commanders rookie sensation Jayden Daniels threw an interception to Eagles safety Reed Blankenship on Washington’s first play from scrimmage following Barkley’s 23-yard touchdown, which swung momentum heavily in Philly’s favor.
Barkley put the final nail in the Commanders’ coffin two plays later when he took a toss to the right, cut back to the middle and hit the gas pedal until he wound up in the end zone again, this time for a 39-yard rushing score. Barkley totaled 146 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries in a winning effort. Thursday night marked Barkley’s fourth game with at least 140 rushing yards this season, which is already tied for the most such games in a single season in Eagles history along with franchise rushing leader LeSean McCoy, who did so in 2013.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who threw for 221 yards on 18 of 28 passing in addition to rushing for 39 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, went into the blue medical tent prior to the half as he was being evaluated for a head injury. At halftime, Hurts jogged out of the blue medical tent and into the locker room before eventually being cleared to return to action. His solo rushing touchdown came on a 1-yard tush push despite being evaluated for a concussion earlier in the game.
Daniels finished with 191 passing yards, a touchdown (a 5-yard strike with 28 seconds left to tight Zach Ertz) and an interception on 22 of 32 passing in the loss.
Five of the Commanders’ 10 offensive possessions, excluding the end of the first half, ended in punts while two others concluded with a turnover on downs and an interception. Safe to say it was an off night for a squad that entered Week 11 with the NFL’s No 3 scoring offense, averaging 29.0 points per game.
Why the Eagles won
Saquon Barkley is the best player on the Eagles, and he’s their closer, and he threw the team on his back and delivered. Both of his rushing touchdowns came in the fourth quarter as did 76 of his 146 rushing yards (52.1% of his yards Thursday night), and he racked up his second game of the season with over 50 rushing yards and multiple touchdowns in a fourth quarter this season.
No one else in the league has even done that once this season. Barkley has 738 rushing yards rushing yards and averages 7.2 yards per carry in the second half this season. If you’re facing Philadelphia, you better knuckle down after halftime. Otherwise, Barkley will run you over, which is exactly what he did to Washington Thursday night.
Why the Commanders lost
Their defense wore down and their offense failed to keep pace. Commanders head coach Dan Quinn builds his defenses to get ahead of the sticks and rush the passer. Their longstanding weakness has been defending the run. Unable to get his pass rusher to pin their ears back and rush Hurts, they faded down the stretch.
Daniels’ inability to find top target Terry McLaurin was also a factor. He only targeted his Pro Bowl option twice, completing a single pass for 10 yards. That’s simply not enough to consistently keep the chains moving for Washington offensively.
Turning point
Barkley’s first touchdown run of 23 yards immediately followed by Daniels’ interception. Philadelphia’s lead felt very much vulnerable at 12-10 following Elliott’s missed extra point. Barkley erupting for his 23-yard score untouched felt like the game swung decisively in the Eagles’ favor following that moment up two scores on a night that felt like grind for both teams.