Eagles take control of NFC East after defeating Commanders
Goforitradio Staff
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The Philadelphia Eagles (8-2) won their sixth straight after defeating the Washington Commanders (7-4) 26-18 at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday night.
Philadelphia has started 8-2 or better in three consecutive seasons (9-1 starts in 2022 and 2023) and has a 1.5-game lead over the Commanders in the NFC East.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate Philly’s ‘Big 3’ and their outstanding performances on Thursday:
-The acquisition of Saquon Barkley has been nothing short of spectacular. He combined for 198 scrimmage yards and two rushing touchdowns. He ran 26 times for 146 yards while adding two receptions for 52 yards.
Barkley, who had touchdown runs of 23 and 39 yards in the fourth quarter, went over one-thousand-plus rushing yards for the fourth time in his NFL career. Barkley had his sixth one-hundred-yard game this season, and this is the earliest in a season Barkley has gone over one thousand yards.
In addition, he is the second player in team history to reach one-thousand-plus rushing yards through the first 10 games of the season.
-Philadelphia held Washington to 264 yards (the Commanders’ 2nd-lowest output of the year). This is the sixth consecutive game in which the Eagles held a team below 300 yards. The Eagles also held the Commanders under their season averages in rushing, passing, and third downs. The Eagles’ offense struggled for three quarters, and the defense kept doing their job.
-After winning NFC Defensive Player of the Week following his performance against the Cowboys, Zack Baun led Philadelphia’s defense with 14 tackles (8 solo), 1 TFL, and 1 PD. His 14 tackles were the 2nd-most of his career, trailing only his 15-tackle performance in Week 1.
Honorable Mention:
Like the rest of the offense, Jalen Hurts started slow, but he did lead the Eagles on three touchdown scoring drives in the fourth quarter. Hurts went 18/28 for 221 yards, and he ran for 39 yards and a rushing touchdown. In the second half, Hurts was 8/9 for 122 yards, and for the fifth time in the last six games, Hurts did not have a turnover.
End of the Day:
At this point, the Eagles are looking like a championship caliber, especially on defense. The Eagles’ defense is stopping the run, pressuring the quarterback, and keeping teams out of the end zone.
Since Week 6, Philadelphia has allowed only 211 yards(1st), accumulated 22 sacks(1st), 13.8 points allowed(2nd), and 11 takeaways(3rd).
On the other hand, the Eagles’ offense continues to start slow, but they continue to finish strong. The offense is a work in progress, but Barkley is big time, and Hurts is protecting the football and making enough plays for the team to be successful.
What’s Next?
Eagles go on the road to battle the Rams on Sunday night.
Furthermore:
Nick Sirianni owns a 42-19 (.689) career record with the Eagles, representing the highest winning percentage by a head coach in franchise history and 2nd-highest among active NFL head coaches (8th all-time), trailing only Jim Harbaugh (.692, 50-22-1). Sirianni’s .689 mark is 3rd among NFL head coaches since 2021, behind Andy Reid (.767, 46-14) and Sean McDermott (.717, 43-17).
