Winners, losers as Eagles best Commanders 26-18 on Thursday Night Football originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The NFC East should now have a clear favorite.
Despite a positive start, the Washington Commanders completely unraveled in the fourth quarter as the Philadelphia Eagles dropped 20 points to secure a crucial 26-18 win on Thursday Night Football.
Washington led 10-3 in the third quarter before taking a 10-6 advantage into the fourth. But once Philadelphia got into the end zone for the first time, the points came in bunches.
Saquon Barkley led the fourth-quarter surge, propelling the Eagles atop the division with an 8-2 record while the Commanders dropped to 7-4 as questions will be asked.
Let’s analyze the game further with winners and losers:
WINNER: Saquon Barkley, Eagles
These games are exactly why the Eagles lured Barkley away from New York. When the Eagles needed someone to step up on offense to make a play, Barkley answered the call. Twice.
He ran in a 23-yard score to make it 19-10 before breaking out a 39-yarder afterward to seal the deal.
The star running back finished the game with 26 carries for 146 yards and two touchdowns. He nearly had a third before the two 20-plus-yard runs, but Jalen Hurts scored it instead from a “tush push.”
LOSER: QB play
Hurts versus Jayden Daniels was a highly anticipated quarterback matchup, but the quality on the night didn’t live up to the hype.
For Philadelphia, Hurts completed 18 of 28 passes for 221 yards, no touchdowns and no picks. He ran 10 times for 39 yards and the aforementioned score.
Washington’s Daniels struggled mostly until the final drive when the offense put up an eight-point drive. The rookie ended with 191 passing yards on 22-for-32 completions, one touchdown and one pick. He rushed seven times for 18 yards.
WINNER: Zack Baun, Eagles
Baun’s development from a special teamer to a reliable inside linebacker continues to be remarkable. The 27-year-old shined yet again down the middle for Philly, logging a game-high 15 tackles (nine solo) to go with a tackle for loss and pass defended.
Brandon Graham, Nolan Smith Jr., and Josh Sweat recorded the three sacks on Daniels, while Baun set the tone.
LOSER: Commanders in NFC East
Just how good the Commanders are will now be the primary question surrounding them. Of their seven wins, two came early in the season before the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals found form. Two are also against the New York Giants. The other three are against the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears, the latter of which needed a last-second miracle Hail Mary.
Their remaining schedule is still favorable to pad a good record entering the playoffs, with two games against the lowly Dallas Cowboys and the Tennessee Titans and New Orleans Saints also on deck. The other two are at home against the Eagles and Atlanta Falcons.
Washington can still win the division if Philadelphia coughs up enough losses, but its contending status has flaws.
WINNER: Frankie Luvu, Commanders
While the Commanders defense will be remembered for how it collapsed down the stretch, Luvu is one of the few players who could hold his head high. The 28-year-old linebacker was a force for Washington like Baun was for Philly on the night, recording 10 tackles (six solo), two sacks, two tackles for loss and three quarterback hits.
Those were the only sacks on Hurts in the game, while safety Jeremy Chinn led the team in tackling with 13 total (10 solo).
