Eagles Rally Again in Fourth Quarter, Beat Redskins

There were eight lead changes in what turned out to be a 37-27 win, which was the team's second straight victory

LANDOVER, MD. - The expiration date on the Eagles’ season was beginning to come into focus.

Then Carson Wentz did it again.

The Eagles quarterback led a fourth-quarter drive that ended with the first touchdown catch of Greg Ward’s career, a four-yard toss that came with 26 seconds left against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field on Sunday. That was all the points the Eagles needed to put their second straight win on the board but got a 47-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown from linebacker Nigel Bradham to account for the final 37-27 victory.

A pair of Dustin Hopkins field goals, one from 53 yards and another from 43 yards, within a span of 3:10 had given the Redskins a 27-24 lead with 4:52 to play in the game.

That was when Wentz took over.

“That man is different’ said tight end Dallas Goedert, who made a one-handed catch with his left hand on the game-winning drive that covered 20 yards and put the Eagles at the Redskins 25-yard line with 2:18 to play. He finished with five catches in six targets for 55 yards.

“The throw he made to Greg Ward at the back of the end zone (for the game-winner), just trusting Greg Ward to make that play," Goedert said. "He (Wentz) had a helluva game.”

WHAT HAPPENED

Wentz registered his second straight fourth-quarter comeback. He was eight-for-eight for 64 yards on the game-winning drive and 12-for-12 in the fourth quarter for 92 yards and two touchdowns over the final 12 minutes.

It was Wentz’s second straight game leading a fourth-quarter comeback, giving him seven in his career.

On Monday night against the New York Giants, he led the Eagles on a game-tying drive that came with 1:53 to play then won it on the first drive of overtime.

Against the Redskins, there were eight lead changes.

“There’s no such thing as an easy schedule in the NFL,” said center Jason Kelce. “These guys are a good defense. I don’t want to take anything away from them. They’ve been a good defense for a long time. Obviously, their record is down but we know they have good players.”

Wentz ended the game 30-for-43 for 266 yards and three touchdown passes. He now has thrown a touchdown pass in 17 straight games, which is the longest active streak in the NFL, and he now has 25 this season to just seven interceptions.

Ward caught four passes for 40 yards on the game-winning drive and ended the game with seven catches on nine targets for 61 yards. Not bad for someone who had spent the past two-and-a-half seasons on the Eagles’ practice squad while learning how to play receiver after playing quarterback at the University of Houston.

“You always think about big catches like,” said Ward of his touchdown catch against veteran cornerback Josh Norman.

Rookie running back Miles Sanders became the first Eagles player to top 100 yards on the ground since LeGarrette Blount against the Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 1, 2017. Sanders had 122 yards on 19 carries, including a 56-yard scoot on a third-and-10 call.

“They had a front where they had about four guys on the right side,” said Sanders. “It was a big overload look, so I knew it was going to go to the left regardless. Just tried to use my speed and get as many yards as I can.”

Sanders scored two touchdowns, the first on a one-yard run that gave the Eagles a 10-7 lead with 9:53 to play in the second quarter, the other on a 15-yard pass that Wentz rifled to him in the back of the end zone that put the Eagles in front 17-14 with 3:53 to go in the third quarter.

Sanders moved passed LeSean McCoy into first place for an Eagles rookie in most rushing yards with 687. McCoy had 637 in 2009.

WHAT IT MEANS

The win gives the Eagles another two-game winning streak, which is their third such mini-streak of the season. They have not won three in a row but will try to do so on Sunday when the Dallas Cowboys visit Lincoln Financial Field in a battle for first place in the NFC East.

Both the Eagles and Cowboys are 7-7, after the Cowboys clobbered the visiting Los Angeles Rams, 44-21.

The winner will be in firm control of the NFC East with one week left, as the Eagles conclude the regular season with a trip to the New York Giants and the Cowboys finish with a home game against the Redskins.

“I don’t think it’s going to take much motivation this week,” coach Doug Pederson said. “Our guys are excited to get through this game and this win. It is difficult to win in this league, especially in our division. We just got to come to work this week again in preparation for another hard-fought battle and win.”

DEFENSE IN DUMPS

The Eagles defense did not record a sack and didn’t get a turnover until the final play of the game when Avonte Maddox stripped the ball from Redskins quarterback Dwayne Haskins and Bradham scooped and scored.

“I was looking at the Jumbo Tron,” said Bradham, who had a 37-yard scoop-and-score against the Cowboys in 2017. “I wasn’t going to let an offensive lineman tackle me. I never would’ve heard the end of it.”

Haskins had his best day as a pro against the Eagles defense, throwing for 261 yards with 19 completions and two touchdowns on 28 throws. Rookie receiver Terry McLaurin, Haskins teammate at Ohio State, had a 75-yard touchdown catch and finished with five catches for 130 yards. In the season opener, McLaurin hammered the Eagles with 125 yards on five catches, including a 69-yard touchdown.

Washington’s offense was ranked dead-last in the NFL but put up 362 yards of total offense.

The best thing that can be said about the defense is that it held Washington on three downs after Wentz fumbled away the ball at the Philly 34. The defense forced the field goal that gave the Redskins the lead at 27-24.

“We made a big stop, they score a touchdown right there we might not be talking about this,” said Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham, who had five tackles, including two for loss.