Monday Night Football Recap: Commanders stun Eagles in Philadelphia, handing them their first loss of the season

Commanders 32, Eagles 21

The 8-0 Philadelphia Eagles entered Monday night’s game against the Washington Commanders with a full 10 days of rest, looking for a season sweep after topping Washington 24-8 back in Week 3. Washington came to town having won two of their last three with revenge on their mind, armed with a defense that had allowed just 17 points per game over their last five.

Philadelphia’s defense, which dominated the Commanders in the first matchup, immediately overwhelmed Washington’s offensive front on the game’s opening drive. Taylor Heinicke would fumble while being sacked just five plays into the game, setting up a quick score from the Eagles on Jalen Hurts’ touchdown run. Down 7-0, Washington didn’t blink on their next drive. Taylor Heinicke led the Commanders downfield with huge throws to Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson. Antonio Gibson punched in a short touchdown run to tie the game at seven with five minutes to play in the first quarter. The Eagles clapped back in short order, scoring the first quarter’s third touchdown when Jalen Hurts connected with Dallas Goedert to make it 14-7. 

Washington responded with a field goal on their first possession of the second quarter, pulling them back within four – and after Darrick Forrest’s interception of Jalen Hurts, Washington took the football back with a chance to take the lead. The drive that followed was nothing short of remarkable, a 16-play, 86-yard drive that took better than seven minutes off the clock and finished with Brian Robinson Jr.’s one-yard touchdown run. Philadelphia took the football back with 1:39 to play in the half, but Washington came up with a quick stop – and after a few big offensive plays of their own, turned to Joey Slye for a 58-yard field goal and a 20-14 halftime lead. Washington dominated time of possession throughout the first half, possessing the ball more than any Eagles opponent did in the first half of a game since 2001 – a total of 23 minutes and 47 seconds while running a ridiculous 51 plays. 

The second half started similarly to how the first half ended – with a quick defensive stop by the Commanders, and a long, sustained drive for Washington. This Commanders’ drive ate up more than eight minutes of clock as they moved 66 yards downfield over 14 plays to eventually kick a field goal, extending their lead to 23-14 with just five minutes to go in the third quarter. The Eagles finally put together another successful drive as the game moved into the fourth, capping off their 80-yard trip downfield with Jalen Hurts’ second touchdown pass of the game – this one to Devonta Smith to pull Philly within two. 

The shift in momentum became clearer moments later, as C.J. Gardner-Johnson intercepted Taylor Heinicke’s deep pass to ignite the Philadelphia crowd and give the Eagles a chance to take the lead with 12 minutes to play. Right when the Lincoln Financial Field crowd could feel the shifting tide, it was halted in its tracks by Dallas Goedert’s fumble – and after the replay on the scoreboard showed an obvious missed facemask call on the Commanders, the boos rained down from the Philadelphia faithful. Joey Slye drilled his fourth field goal of the night a few plays later, extending Washington’s lead to 26-21 with 7:33 to play. The sequence that followed for the Eagles was downright disheartening, as Jalen Hurts found Quez Watkins 51 yards downfield for a reception with endless potential, but Watkins fumbled when eventually hit to turn the ball back over to Washington. 

The Commanders ran a few minutes off the clock but punted, leaving the Eagles with three minutes and a five-point deficit needing a touchdown. Washington’s defense once again stood tall, though, sacking Jalen Hurts on third down to force a punt with 2:08 to play. Washington would take over after the two-minute warning hoping to ice the game but would need to endure three Philadelphia timeouts to do so. Philadelphia appeared to get the stop they needed, but an unnecessary hit by Brandon Graham after Heinicke gave himself up for a sack was called for a personal foul, icing the game. Washington would manage a defensive touchdown on Philadelphia’s last desperate play in regulation, finishing an impressive 32-21 win. The massive upset moves Washington back to .500 on the season and left the Eagles’ faithful in a fit of rage at 8-1.

Washington did a great job of playing keep away from the Eagles offense possessing the ball for over 40 minutes, dominating the game with 49 rushing attempts, 81 offensive plays and timely defensive stops. The Commanders, now very much alive for an NFC Wild Card spot, have a difficult decision to make if Carson Wentz is healthy enough to play next week.

Next Week: Washington: at Houston, Philadelphia: at Indianapolis