'Kind of Silly': Eagles' Win Knocks Washington Down in NFL Playoff Chase
“Kind of silly” is how coach Ron Rivera characterized the objections to, and beliefs that, his COVID-stricken Washington Football Team was granted a bit of time in the NFL postponement of a Sunday game to this Tuesday night meeting at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.
“Kind of serious” is, however, how Rivera's squad tried to respond to the absurdly adverse situation that ended with a 27-17 loss that essentially kills the 6-8 WFT’s NFL playoff hopes while invigorating those of the hated Eagles.
Rivera tried to explain over the weekend (via NBC Sports Washington) that the decision to postpone the Week 15 matchup follows the same pattern from last year, when Washington, through no fault of its own, saw its schedule shifted about.
“We went through the same situation,” he said. “To not expect the games to be pushed back was kind of silly, just because of the fact that — in order to get the games done, in order to get the games played and really have serviceable teams, competitive teams on the field — you had to do that.”
What also had to be done: Adjust to win. The WFT - using Garrett Gilbert as the COVID-era emergency QB despite being a team member for just three says - did not quite do that.
"That,'' Rivera said before the game, "is football."
Or, at least, “that’s football” in a COVID time. And May the best-adjusted team win.
Quarterbacks Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen were both in COVID protocols and therefore were rendered unavailable. Gilbert, to his and the coaching staff's credit, was well short of embarrassing here. He didn’t have a turnover and went 20-of-31 for 194 yards, keeping undermanned Washington in the contest as best he could.
And early on, with the WFT using two defensive takeaways to take a 10-0 lead, seemed capable of a game effort here. But in the end, Hurts and the Philly weapons sprinted by overmatched Washington. The Eagles piled up yardage, with 238 of their 519 yards coming on the ground. Miles Sanders set a career-high with 131 yards.
The 7-7 Eagles are alive. And the WFT?
Rivera said before kickoff: "I like where we are mentally, I like the makeup of our football team right now.''
The mentality might be good. The makeup might be, too. But the fate of the 2021 WFT? Adversity included ... not good.
