The Eagles offense didn't play horribly, but they struggled to end drives with points, having just three points at halftime despite being in enemy territory three times. Granted, Jake Elliot missed two field goals in the first quarter. All three of the Birds' touchdowns came on the ground, two from Saquon Barkley. Barkley put the team on his back by using his explosive plays to get the Eagles' offense going, which was the primary reason Philly was putting points on the board. 20 of the team's 26 points came in the fourth quarter, which isn't all that surprising for a team that has struggled early in games for most of the season. This win extends the Birds' win streak to six in a row, and they've been DOMINANT during this run.
Missed Opportunities
Jake Elliot missed two field goals for the first time since 2019. Elliot missed two field goals all of last season, making 30. He was 7-8 from 50+ last year and has missed all four attempts over 50 yards this season. It's the first time in his career that he hasn't made a 50-yarder, but there are plenty of seasons left for him to turn it around. Jake's struggles could be one of two things: Sirianni's refusal to take points all season has messed with Jake's consistency due to his low number of opportunities to kick this season. Your coach seemingly not believing in you could also mess with a kicker's confidence and affect their on-field play. Or Elliot has struggled in practice and behind the scenes, so Sirianni has reason not to trust him. Regardless of what it is, the Birds need Jake to turn it around because, come playoff time, a missed FG could decide a game.
The Eagles offense had the ball on Washington's three-yard line just before the half and couldn't punch it in. So, in theory, Philly should've had anywhere from 9-13 points at halftime but finished the first half down 7-3. That's not the first time Philly has jeopardized a game by leaving points on the board. Philadelphia trailed the entire game until they took a 12-10 to start the fourth quarter. Thankfully, Saquon Barkley punched in two 20+ yard touchdowns in the fourth quarter to ensure an Eagles victory and extend their win streak to six straight.
Run Saquon Run
Speaking of Saquon Barkley, he had 198 total yards! He had 26 carries, averaging 5.6 YPC, and had 52 yards through the air. 43 of those 52 yards yards came in one play. Saquon had three explosive plays of 20+ yards, rushing in a 23-yard TD, 39-yard TD, and 43-yard reception. This isn't surprising, considering Barkley leads the NFL in scrimmage yards with 1,347 for an average of 134 a game. The most scrimmage yards he's had in a season was 2,028 during his rookie year in 2018; with six games left to play, he needs 682 yards to set a new career high. He has the third most rushing yards of his career in just 10 games, averaging 113.7 rush YPG. He's never finished a season rushing for 100+ YPG in his career, but that could change this year.
The Eagles have 150+ rushing yards and 2+ rushing touchdowns in five consecutive games; it's the second time in franchise history that's been done. The last time they did it? 1949, where they would go on to win the NFL Championship. Philly remains the second-best rushing offense in the league, just 13 yards behind the Baltimore Ravens, who the Birds face off against in two weeks. The Eagles are one of six teams in the league to average 5+ YPC and are tied for the most rushing TDs of any team.
Best Defense in the League?
This defense has officially cemented itself as one of the best in the league after holding the electric Commanders offense to just 18 points on 264 total yards. Eight of those points came in the last 30 seconds of the game when Eagles legend Zach Ertz caught a TD pass and reeled in an extremely impressive 2-point conversion. The Birds have held opponents to under 300 yards in their last six games, all of which they won. Over that stretch, they're allowing just 11 PPG and have the lowest YPG allowed of any defense this season, giving up just 273.1 a game. In three divisional games, two being on the road, Philadelphia's defense has allowed the three teams to combine for 27 points. They have been running the East, and the defense is the main reason.
Quinyon Mitchell has added another victim to his list of notable wide receivers he's locked up as a rookie. Mitchell was guarding Terry McLaurin on 20 of his 25 routes and was not targeted once. He had Terry in PRISON; this was his most impressive performance of the season. Daniels only tested Mitchell once during the entire game, and the pass was incomplete. The rookie has earned the nickname Quintanamo Bay, and for good reason. He has the highest forced incompletion percentage in the league and is one of 27 corners to play 325+ coverage snaps. Of those 27, he's the ONLY one not to allow a single touchdown.
The Eagles' defense held the third-best rushing offense in the league to just 93 yards on 28 attempts, allowing one rushing touchdown and giving up just 3.3 YPC. They held OROTY favorite Jayden Daniels, who passes for 212.5 yards per game and is 8th in passing yards, to just 191 passing yards, and Reed Blakenship picked him off late in the game for Daniels' third interception on the season. The Eagles are the second team to hold Daniels under 200 passing yards this season, the first being the Buccaneers, who did it in the first game.
Final Score: Eagles 26, Commanders 18
Dixon's Three Stars
1st Star- Saquon Barkley (26 Carries, 146 Rushing Yards, 2 Rushing TDs, 2 Receptions, 52 Receiving Yards)
2nd Star- Quinyon Mitchell (Covered Terry McLaurin on 80% of his routes, 1 Target, 0 Receptions Allowed)
3rd Star- Zach Baun (15 Tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PD)
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