Marcus Mariota injury adds to Commanders miserable loss to Eagles

The Washington Commanders are back in the loss column after a 29-18 defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16 at Northwest Stadium.

The Commanders started the game off strong with a fumble on the opening kickoff return that led to the first three points of the game from Washington. However, it appeared to go downhill from there.

While the Commanders and Eagles traded touchdowns in the first half, Washington had a 10-7 lead going into halftime. The second half could not have gone worse for the Commanders.

Washington Commanders cornerback Noah Igbinoghene interferes with a pass for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Devonta Smith | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Commanders struggle in second half, lose vs. Eagles

On the opening drive, quarterback Marcus Mariota had his hand stepped on by an Eagles defender, which forced him out of the game. This led to the commander substituting in third-stringer Josh Johnson, who just didn't have the stuff in relief of Mariota.

Johnson completed 5 of 9 passes for 43 yards and an interception while the Commanders had a chance to re-take the lead. The Commanders' touchdowns came from running backs Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Chris Rodriguez Jr. Rodriguez led the team in rushing with 63 yards on 15 carries while Terry McLaurin had three catches for 53 yards to lead the squad through the air.

The Commanders also saw rookie wide receiver Jaylin Lane and second-year offensive tackle Brandon Coleman go down with injuries, among others, capping off a difficult day for Washington.

In the win, the Eagles clinched the NFC East title for the second straight season. It's the first time the NFC East has had a team win consecutive division titles since 2001-04, when Philadelphia won four straight with Donovan McNabb leading the team.

Philly's win also eliminates the Dallas Cowboys from playoff contention. Now, the Commanders will play the Cowboys in a meaningless football game on Christmas Day. Kickoff is scheduled for Thursday at 12 p.m. ET. Fans can stream the game on Netflix.

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