Recap
Philadelphia moved to 4-0 after beating Washington by a score of 34-31 on Sunday. The Eagles looked to be in control of the game before the Commanders scored 14 points in the 4th quarter to force overtime; the game itself was sloppy and the defense let Sam Howell shred them often. Philadelphia had the chance to put the game away and run out the clock, but opted to score and give Washington the ball back with less than 2 minutes to go in the 4th quarter, which almost was a deadly mistake.
Positive Observations
1.) Jalen Hurts
Hurts played his best game of the season on Sunday; he threw for 319 yards with 2 touchdowns and was consistently putting the ball where it needed to be. Hurts’ deep ball looked great as well; on throws of 25+ air yards, Hurts was 4-8 with 152 yards, 2 TD’s, and a 135.4 rating. Although Hurts wasn’t perfect on Sunday, he is probably the biggest reason why the Eagles won.
2.) A.J. Brown
Brown had an outstanding game, recording 175 yards on 9 receptions with 2 TD’s. Brown looked explosive and showcased his run after catch ability multiple times on Sunday’s game. Although his unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after his go-ahead TD grab in the 4th quarter shortened the field for Washington, Brown played a great game.
3.) Defensive Line
The defense as a whole didn’t look great, but the defensive line was outstanding; the defensive front combined for 32 pressures as a team while recording 5 sacks. They did a great job of making Sam Howell’s life uncomfortable during the game; Howie Roseman’s investment in the trenches has certainly paid off.
4.) Jake Elliott
Jake Elliott has quietly been one of the Eagles most valuable players this season; he kicked a perfect 4/4 field goals on Sunday, including the 54 yard game winner. Elliott has been on fire this season, and has scored more points than the entire New York Giants team so far. Elliott showed off his clutch abilities once again, which put the Eagles in the win column.
5.) Nicholas Morrow
Morrow was brought back to the practice squad after being cut in the offseason before being promoted to the active roster in Week 2, and he showed his worth on Sunday. Morrow tallied 13 tackles, 9 solo tackles, and 3 sacks; he is currently the 2nd highest graded LB in the entire NFL, second to only Roquan Smith.
Negative Observations
1.) Defensive scheme
The Eagles secondary looked absolutely lost on Sunday, allowing Sam Howell to complete 70.7% of his passes for 290 yards and a touchdown. The scheme itself looked off, as the Eagles played pretty consistent soft zone coverage that allowed Howell to find open receivers with ease. Additionally, the defense allowed Washington to drive down the field with less than 2 minutes left to tie the game; this needs to be adjusted before the Eagles face off against the Rams.
Upcoming Opponent
The Eagles (4-0) travel to LA to take on the Rams (2-2) on Sunday at 4:05pm. The Rams are coming off an overtime thriller, where they outlasted Indianapolis 29-23. The Rams are getting some reinforcements for this game, as Cooper Kupp is cleared to play after missing the first 4 games of the season. Although I expect the Eagles secondary to struggle against the duo of Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, I think that the Eagles defensive line will be the difference maker in this game.
Final Prediction- PHI: 38, LAR: 28
NFC East Standings
The Eagles continue their unbeaten streak, moving to 4-0 on the season with the win over Washington. The Commanders played on Thursday to kick off Week 5 of the NFL season, where they were absolutely embarrassed by the Bears. Dallas emerged victorious against the Patriots, while the New York Giants only mustered 3 points in a loss against Seattle. The updated NFC East standings are as follows
- Philadelphia Eagles: 4-0
- Dallas Cowboys: 3-1
- Washington Commanders: 2-3
- New York Giants: 1-3
Final Thoughts
Although this was an extremely sloppy game, the Eagles once again were able to play well enough to win. I’d ideally like to see the Eagles put away teams early and win games decisively, but there is something to be said about the Eagles drive to win; Philadelphia sits at 4-0 without even playing their best football. The Eagles are averaging the 5th most points in the NFL with 29.5 points per game; this team is a force and they’re just getting started. As always, Go Birds!
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Nate Eichner is a featured writer at The Birds Blitz. For more from Nate, check out his archive and read through our Eagles articles for the latest news about the Birds.
