PHILADELPHIA — Last week, when a sure Jimmy Johnson stated he was not but bought on the Philadelphia Eagles, regardless of their 8-0 begin, guard Landon Dickerson was baffled.
“Who’s this guy?” Dickerson requested his teammate Jordan Mailata, per The Philadelphia Inquirer. “The NASCAR driver?”
No, Mailata defined. This was Jimmy Johnson, who was behind the wheel for 2 Super Bowl victories whereas teaching the Dallas Cowboys within the Nineties. Not Jimmie Johnson, who wears the helmet of a special sport and makes his residing turning left.
Perhaps Dickerson, 24, might be excused for the confusion. He was not but born when Johnson gained his final Super Bowl ring. Still, Johnson, now a Fox commentator, had a degree. His skepticism arose from the Eagles’ tendency to rating a flurry of factors early in video games, solely to wrestle later when opponents grew extra accustomed to and resistant to Philadelphia’s run-pass choice offense led by quarterback Jalen Hurts.
This torpor was evident once more within the Eagles’ first defeat of the season, a 32-21 loss to the Washington Commanders on Monday evening. Philadelphia took a 14-7 lead within the first 13½ minutes, scoring the touchdowns on a brief run and a jump-pass by Hurts. Washington ran off the subsequent 16 factors to take an insurmountable lead, and Philadelphia scored solely as soon as extra, within the third quarter. After scoring 133 factors within the second quarter of its first eight video games, the Eagles managed zero on Monday.
It was a collective defeat, attributable to penalties, uncharacteristic fumbles by a staff main the N.F.L. in turnover differential, an interception thrown by Hurts on the Washington 14-yard line and the lack of Philadelphia’s protection to cease a Washington offense that managed the ball for 40 minutes and 24 seconds of the sport’s 60 minutes. On a cold evening, there was nothing crisp about Philadelphia however the climate.
Futility continued till the sport’s closing play, when the determined Eagles started lateraling the ball and Washington defensive finish Casey Toohill scooped up a backward toss by Philadelphia receiver DeVonta Smith close to the objective line and sauntered into the tip zone.
Philadelphia’s loss assured that for the fiftieth consecutive yr — because the 1972 Miami Dolphins — the N.F.L. is not going to end a season with an undefeated staff.
“We played like crap,” Philadelphia Coach Nick Sirianni stated bluntly. “We made our own luck today and it was bad.”
Because of the vagaries of scheduling, the Eagles have been taking part in solely their third recreation in 29 days. Rust, although, didn’t clarify Philadelphia’s acquainted offensive lethargy as the sport progressed or Washington’s capability to management the ball with lengthy, sustained drives.
The Commanders (5-5) transformed 12 of their first 16 third-down performs. Quarterback Taylor Heinicke (12 of 21 for 145 yards) punctured the Eagles’ zone protection, hitting receivers as they ran freely over the center and throwing exact passes alongside the sidelines.
Kicker Joey Slye hit discipline targets of 44, 58, 32 and 55 yards with unblemished accuracy. And the Commanders, effectively, commanded the sport with 152 dashing yards. Philadelphia’s line of defense has been left vulnerable by an ankle damage to its greatest run-stuffer, Jordan Davis, the 6-foot-6, 336-pound rookie. Running has grow to be a prescription for the Eagles’ opponents in in search of victory.
“That’s going to happen until we stop it,” defensive finish Brandon Graham stated.
The victory continued a powerful restoration for Washington’s rookie operating again, Brian Robinson, who was shot in the suitable leg and knee Aug. 28 in what the police stated was an tried theft or carjacking whereas he was out to dinner. Robinson underwent surgical procedure and missed the Commanders’ first three video games, together with a 24-8 loss to Philadelphia on Sept. 25.
On Monday evening, Robinson rushed for 86 yards on 26 pounding carries. In the second quarter, he dragged Philadelphia defenders for 11 yards on one play, shedding them as in the event that they have been layers of clothes, then cleverly reached over the objective line on the subsequent down to put the Commanders forward to keep, 17-14.
Even with their disjointed play, although, the Eagles had their probabilities to salvage Monday’s recreation after an 11-yard landing move from Hurts to Smith drew them to 23-21 on the primary play of the fourth quarter. But fumbles squandered closing alternatives to win.
Tight finish Dallas Goedert coughed up a move because the referees appeared to miss a face-mask penalty. Slye then drilled a 55-yard discipline objective to put Washington up, 26-21, forcing Philadelphia to rating a landing to prevail.
On Philadelphia’s subsequent possession, receiver Quez Watkins caught a 50-yard move over the center, solely to be stripped of the ball at Washington’s 20-yard line. An pointless roughness penalty by Graham on the kneeling Heinicke with 1:38 remaining stored the ball out of Philadelphia’s arms till the ultimate frantic and distressed seconds.
“We lost it together,” Sirianni stated. “Offense, defense, special teams, coaching. We lost it together.”
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