Eagles' dominant run game, quarterback injuries, and a fourth-quarter brawl overshadowed the Washington Commanders' latest home defeat.
The Washington Commanders dropped to 4-11 on Saturday and 2-2 against the division following a 29-18 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles, making the Eagles the first back-to-back NFC East champions in over two decades. Takeaways from the loss:
Eagles Had Their Way Running the Ball
The Commanders had no answer for the ground game as the Eagles rushed for over 200 yards with six yards per carry. Saquon Barkley hit the 1000-yard mark on the season during his 132-yard, one-touchdown performance. In four games against Washington, including playoffs, since joining Philadelphia, Barkley has hit the century mark in every matchup and is responsible for two of his three 100-yard games in 2025.
Barkley’s final run in the game was also his best, reaching the 100-yard mark on a 48-yard attempt that got the Eagles inside the Commander 30. He then gave way to Tank Bigsby, who only needed two carries to put the game to bed with a 22-yard rush to the endzone.
Commanders Down to Their Third Quarterback:
Heading into the game, the Commanders’ roster had already been destroyed by injuries (66 starts missed by week one starters). Jayden Daniels was put on IR during the week with the expectation that Marcus Mariota would take over for the rest of the year. However, Mariota was knocked out of the game, being evaluated for a concussion, and might have had his hand stepped on (he was spotted with a wrapped hand afterward).
With Mariota out, journeyman Josh Johnson was put into the game, going five of nine for 43 yards and an interception. Now the question becomes, will Mariota be healthy enough to go next week? If he can’t go, Johnson will get his first start since 2021 with Baltimore.
Mariota was not the only Commander hurt as tackle Brandon Coleman, replacing Laremy Tunsil on the left side, while both offensive lineman Sam Cosmi and defensive lineman Johnny Newton had to be helped off the field in the fourth quarter.
Big Brawl in the Fourth Quarter:
Things got ugly following the Eagles’ two-point conversion after the Bigsby touchdown. Words exchanged led to a big brawl that saw punches thrown, three players ejected, and is likely to end in fines and possible suspensions. The players in question were Commanders’ defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw, safety Quan Martin, and Eagles’ offensive lineman Tyler Steen.
“I asked, you know, let's look. What did New York see on them? Who threw? How many got ejected? Imagine it’s a difficult thing for them to look at. Certainly felt like there were more than three people throwing [punches]," head coach Dan Quinn said postgame. "But I'll have to take a look. Certainly not something we want. But like by the same token, like they're gonna protect themselves too, so don't like it. Don't want it at all.”
Washington Defense Runs Out of Gas:
Washington’s defense did everything it could to keep them in the game, keeping the Eagles to seven points in the first half. It was a different game once the second half started, as Philadelphia scored on three of its four drives, not counting the final one to run out the clock.
Jalen Hurts had all day to throw, with the Commanders only having one sack and QB hit, both by linebacker Bobby Wagner. He finished with 185 yards and two touchdowns as nothing was working for the pass rush, leaving the depleted secondary exposed. Even blitzing did nothing against this offense. Eagles receiver AJ Brown took advantage of that, finishing with nine catches for 95 yards.
The Eagles had two drives extended on fourth down due to penalties on the Commanders, the second being their first drive in the second half. Later in that drive they got a first-and-goal at the one thanks to a pass interference call in the endzone. Another issue was tackling on the front of Washington, leading to many yards after first contact. None of them was more back-breaking than the final run by Barkley that put him over 100 for the game.
What’s Next?
The Commanders have a quick turnaround with a Christmas Day game against the Cowboys at home before finishing the season in Philadelphia. The quarterback situation going into the game will be something to keep an eye on, and so will the fallout from the brawl.