'Goodbye, WFT': New Nickname, Old Problems - 10 Observations From Washington Loss to Eagles

The Washington Football Team on Sunday in NFL Week 17 jumped out to a 16-7 first-half lead before being shut out by the Philadelphia Eagles en route to a 20-16 Week 17 loss.

In what was likely the last time we'll see the WFT name in FedEx Field, the team not only lost its final home game but all hopes of making it to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.

More from our observations of Week 17 ...

1. WFT quarterback Taylor Heinicke started the game 12 of 12 for 137 yards.

Using a solid mixture of short passes and designed movement out of the pocket, Washington’s offense capitalized on its quarterback’s strong start, building a 13-7 lead with just one incompletion.

Heinicke, however, was only 15 of 24 after the hot start and was intercepted on Washington's final drive.

2. Along with Heinicke, undrafted rookie running back Jaret Patterson also had a strong start. Patterson had 57 yards on 12 carries and was the team's third-leading receiver with 41 yards on five catches.

Given the level of production, the WFT offense may go back to the film realizing it should have leaned on the undrafted rookie a bit more than it did.

3. WFT tight end Ricky Seals-Jones was injured on Heinicke’s first incomplete pass of the game. Diagnosed with a neck injury, the veteran tight end was carted off the field and ruled out for the game.

Already without star tight end Logan Thomas, losing Seals-Jones next week against the New York Giants would be a big blow for a team needing as much talent on the field as possible.

4. Jamin Davis’ first-half sack of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is the first in the career of Washington’s 2021 first-round NFL Draft pick.

5. Getting the ball back with 2:06 left in the first half, Washington offensive coordinator Scott Turner began the drive too conservatively before picking it up. The result was a 55-yard field goal by kicker Joey Slye, and a 16-7 lead heading into halftime.

6. WFT’s defense held the league’s No. 1 rushing offense to just 47 yards and prevented third-down conversions on 75 percent of attempts in the first half.

In all, Washington held Philadelphia to just four conversions on 12 third-down conversion tries.

The downside came on fourth downs, where the team allowed the Eagles to score both of its touchdowns in this game.

Washington jumped to 10-0 leads on Philly in both games this season but wound up losing both.

7. Coming in with the league’s 20th-ranked third-down offense, Washington converted 63 percent of its attempts in the first half, and finished the game at a season-best 60 percent.

8. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin needed just 10 yards receiving to surpass San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle for sixth place in yards through a player’s first three seasons.

He also needed six receptions to pass Kittle for the seventh-most receptions by an NFL player in his first three seasons.

After his seven-catch, 61-yard performance, McLaurin reached both milestones, while also passing Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley for the sixth-most receptions by a player through three seasons.

With six catches in Week 18, McLaurin would surpass Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill, for fifth.

9. This is the team’s third loss out of four historic closing games in franchise history.

Dating back to the franchise’s days as the Boston Braves, the organization is 1-3 after losing its final game in Boston, last game in Griffith Stadium in 1960, and now what is expected to be the last home game as the WFT.

It’s also the second time the Eagles have done in a Washington team in an era-ending contest.

The only win in these scenarios for the organization came against the Dallas Cowboys in December of 1996, in the team’s last game at RFK Stadium.

10. Following the loss, the Washington Football Team now stands at 6-10, and is officially eliminated from the NFC Playoff race.