The Eagles wanted that form of efficiency as quarterback Jalen Hurts and the passing recreation had been unable to essentially discover a rhythm at any level within the recreation.
Listed here are 4 different takeaways from Thursday’s recreation.
Eagles defensive turnaround continues
The Eagles are formally on a roll, and one of many greatest components of their climb again to the highest of the NFC East has been the outstanding one-year turnaround of their protection.
After ending thirtieth within the NFL a yr in the past and taking part in a major function of their second half meltdown, the Eagles entered play on Thursday night time with the No. 5 defense in the league this season. They performed prefer it towards Washington, utterly shutting down what had been one of many prime offenses within the NFL.
Probably the most spectacular a part of their efficiency was the way in which they utterly took away and eradicated star broad receiver Terry McLaurin, limiting him to only one catch for 10 yards on solely two targets.
Ultimately they held the Commanders offense to only 264 whole yards, solely 18 first downs and simply 18 factors.
Going into their Week 10 recreation the Commanders had been averaging 29 factors and over 392 yards per recreation. Over the previous two video games they averaged lower than 250 yards and scored simply 43 whole factors.
Jayden Daniels doesn’t look proper
The competitors has grow to be considerably harder for Daniels the previous two weeks, and he has performed like a rookie in these video games.
After finishing simply 17-of-34 passes for under 202 yards every week in the past in a 28-27 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Daniels was even worse this week towards the Eagles.
He completed the sport 22-for-32 for under 191 yards, together with his solely landing coming with lower than 30 seconds to play when Washington was already trailing by 16 factors.
It was additionally the second week in a row the place he was an entire non-factor within the working recreation.
Is it the very fact he performed back-to-back excellent defenses? The rib damage from just a few weeks in the past nonetheless bothering him? A mixture of each components? Regardless of the case, Daniels has not seemed like the identical quarterback he was earlier within the season, and till he will get again to that degree the Commanders are going to wrestle to get again to their profitable methods.
Eagles may need a kicking drawback
The one detrimental for the Eagles on Thursday night time was the poor displaying from kicker Jake Elliott. The often dependable Elliott has missed extra kicks than the Eagles are accustomed to seeing from him, and he had a dreadful night time on Thursday lacking two subject objectives, an additional level and barely sneaking one other further level contained in the aim posts.
That’s seven factors that he left on the sphere. It didn’t harm the Eagles on this recreation, however in a better recreation that might have been a expensive displaying.
Commanders are nonetheless studying the right way to win
The Commanders are one of many greatest surprises within the NFL this season, and that is still the case even after back-to-back losses. However what these two losses have proven us is that this crew remains to be younger, nonetheless rebuilding and nonetheless studying the right way to win persistently within the NFL. Particularly when the competitors will get higher.
That they had a 10-point second half lead towards Pittsburgh every week in the past and couldn’t shut it out. They had been seemingly accountable for Thursday’s recreation within the first half and had an opportunity to take a 13-12 lead halfway by the fourth quarter if they’d kicked a 45-yard subject aim. As an alternative of taking these three factors, they tried to go for it on fourth-and-two and had been stuffed partly resulting from a mishandled snap.
From that time on the Eagles utterly took over and scored 14 consecutive factors. These are video games championship groups must win. The Commanders are definitely a great crew. Perhaps even an excellent. They nonetheless have some room to develop.
