Eagles 27, Washington 17: Top 10 Observations
10. GRADING GILBERT - Crazy as it seems, this loss wasn't the fault of emergency starting quarterback Garrett Gilbert. While Washington's injury-ravage defense was gouged for 238 rushing yards, Gilbert played unexpectedly well in only his second career NFL start. He completed 20 of 31 for 194 yards with no touchdowns nor interceptions. Despite a limited playbook and a mostly frenzied pocket, he performed like the NFC East playoff survival stage wasn't too big for him. Give him a B. Gilbert, who a week ago was a member of the New England Patriots' practice squad, is best known for replacing former Texas Longhorns' quarterback Colt McCoy but throwing four interceptions in the 2010 college football national championship game, being MVP of the now-defunct Alliance of American Football league in 2019, and making a quality spot start for injured Andy Dalton in the Dallas Cowboys' 24-19 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020.
9. GOOD LUCK, BAD LUCK - If you can be elated and frustrated on the same play, it happened to WFT on Philadelphia's third play of the game. Wide-open Eagles' tight end Dallas Goedert dropped what would have been an easy first down in the flat, and the ball freakishly caromed off his heel into the arms of Washington safety Landon Collins for an interception. Good news: It was a turnover gift by the Eagles inside Philly's Red Zone. Bad news: Had the referees initially recognized the crazy bounce - because it was ruled an incompletion the play was whistled dead - they would have allowed Collins to stroll in for an untouched Pick Six. Instead, WFT had to "settle" on possession at the Eagles' 26.
8. FAMILIAR TERRITORY - Jaret Patterson scored an almost unfathomable 52 rushing touchdowns in three seasons at the University of Buffalo, including 19 each in 2019 and 2020. Not quite as easy in the NFL, but in his 11th game the rookie finally found the end zone Tuesday night. His 1-yard scoring plunge early in the fourth quarter pulled Washington within 20-17.
7. SCARY STATS - You know it's been a challenging season when a quarterback you signed off another team's practice squad in late December has thrown more passes than your No. 1 starter entering the season. WFT passes thrown this season: Taylor Heinicke 418. Gilbert 31. Kyle Allen 9. Ryan Fitzpatrick 6.
6. SWEAT EQUITY - The dynamic defensive-end duo of Chase Young and Montez Sweat never materialized in 2021, but it's not too late for one of the two to make a positive impact down the stretch. After missing the previous six games due to injuries and COVID, Sweat returned Tuesday night and immediately stamped his name on the game. With the Eagles seemingly driving toward a 7-7 game in the first quarter, Sweat produced a strip-stack of Jalen Hurts that led to a 19-yard fumble return by the opportunistic Collins which helped stake WFT to a 10-0 lead.
5. BACK BREAKER - Ron Rivera and the WFT were seemingly in their element, trailing only by a field goal midway through the fourth quarter. This followed their successful blueprint from 2020, when they won a COVID-altered Monday afternoon game at Pittsburgh, 23-17. Nine of WFT's last 10 games had been decided by one score. So after driving for a touchdown that made it 20-17, Washington had momentum and its chance to get the ball back. But on third-and-6 from Philly's 47, Hurts hit Jalen Reagor with a quick screen that went for 34 yards. On the next play, Hurts found Gary Ward Jr. for the game-clinching touchdown.
4. MISSED OPPORTUNITY - Washington's 10-0 start was good, but it was almost 14-0 great. After Gilbert hit Terry McLaurin with a 46-yard bomb inside Philly's 10, WFT appeared poised to go up two touchdowns before the Eagles could wake up from their Bye-week slumber. But on third-and-goal, Gilbert lofted a perfect pass into the back left corner of the end zone that ... a leaping Adam Humphries dropped. That mistake downsized a touchdown into a field goal. Call it a four-point drop.
3. TIE = DEFICIT? - Considering how the Eagles sleepwalked through most of the first half, it was ominous that WFT settled for only a 10-10 tie after 30 minutes. Before they scored their first point, the Eagles committed two turnovers and three penalties. Not maximizing those gifts came back to haunt WFT in the second half.
2. PLAYOFF PAIN - After last week's loss to the Cowboys, WFT won't defend its title as NFC East champs. And with Tuesday's loss to the Eagles dropping it to 6-8, Rivera's team will almost assuredly miss the playoffs. With three games remaining, Washington is the 10th seed and on the outside looking in - and up - at three 7-7 teams: Philly, the Saints and Vikings.
1. A FOR EFFORT - Considering the circumstances, Washington played about as well as it could. But on a cold, wet night in Philly, the injury-depleted WFT was undermanned and, ultimately, overwhelmed. Gilbert wasn't awful and the team committed no turnovers and only two penalties, and allowed only two sacks. It was clean, lean football. Just not enough playmakers on either side of the ball. That's to be expected, considering all of the season-ending injuries and 23 players on the COVID list this week alone. Washington led 10-0 and was in the game at 20-17 midway through the fourth quarter, but starting a fourth center and third quarterback (off the street) proved too big of a hill to climb.
