Commanders vs. Eagles Notebook: 5 Takeaways from Washington's Monday Night Upset
Call it shocking the world if you want. But the Washington Commanders played like they knew they could take down the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles.
And that's exactly what Washington (5-5) did on Monday night at Lincoln Financial Field, spoiling the Eagles (8-1) chances at a perfect season with a 32-21 upset win.
The Commanders played with a real sense of fight from the start, winning by dominating time of possessions and forcing four turnovers.
Let's look at a few takeaways from one of the biggest wins for the team in recent memory.
McLaurin's Monday magic
Terry McLaurin played like the star receiver he is on Monday night despite being covered by a fellow star in Eagles cornerback Darius Slay. He led all receivers with eight catches and 128 yards, as he was the clear No. 1 option for quarterback Taylor Heinicke.
Scary Terry had four third-down conversions in the first half and nearly had a fifth before getting stopped just short of the line before halftime
But it was the diving 41-yard catch on a perfect pass from Heinicke down the right sideline against Slay that took the cake for his best play and arguably the top highlight of the night.
In a game where the Commanders had to let Heinicke sling it if they wanted any chance at a win, McLaurin proved to be the go-to security blanket while flashing his big-play ability as well.
Brian Robinson flexes his muscles in prime time
The Commanders relied on both of their running backs to snag momentum in the first half, but it was Robinson Jr. that set the tone on the ground, showing that Washington didn't arrive in Philly without bringing some fight.
He finished with 26 carries for 86 yards and a touchdown as both the attempts and yardage totaled new career-high marks for the rookie. He consistently churned out short yardage that wore down the Eagles defense. And while McLaurin had his fair share of third-down success, Robinson Jr. had a handful of short gains to move the chains as well, which helped the Commanders maintain momentum while they built the lead.
No trouble on third down
The Commanders had nine third-down conversions in the first half alone, going 12 of 21 in total.
Coach Ron Rivera can't ask for much more than that. Long drives that drained the clock allowed Washington to keep a consistent offensive rhythm and give its defense ample rest proved to be the ultimate difference in the game. If the Commanders could keep up these results, they'd probably win the next 10 Super Bowls.
Washington greedy with the ball
Even with Thanksgiving around the corner, the Commanders were hardly willing to share the football.
They dominated time of possession 40:24 to 19:36, which, if you do some simple math, is good for over two-thirds of the game. A big reason for this sustained success on offense and the ability to keep long drives going can be attributed to Washington's resounding third-down success.
Darrick Forrest timely takeaways
Forrest snagged his second interception of the season in the second quarter on a deep ball from quarterback Jalen Hurts that looked like it was headed right into the hands of Eagles receiver AJ Brown.
This takeaway led to a Washington touchdown that gave the Commanders a 17-14 lead. From there, they never looked back and led the rest of the way.
But even when the Eagles started to gain momentum, it was Forrest who recovered Quez Watkins' costly fourth-quarter fumble to allow the Commanders to drain more clock before making another defensive stop to all but ice the game.
Forrest found himself in the right places at the right times on a night where the Commanders had four takeaways.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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