The Washington Football team did their homework and won the NFC East for the first time since 2015 with a 20:14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. In an always tough game, it was ultimately a quarterback change for the opponent that made the decision – and raised many questions. (You can find the highlights of the game here!
Washington started strong. After a quick defensive stop, they put down a 15-play drive. It ended with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Alex Smith to Terry McLaurin. Shortly thereafter, Safety Kamren Curl caught an interception from Jalen Hurts, whereupon the guests scored a field goal.
The Eagles then caught up and fought back with a 6-yard touchdown run by Hurts – after a run pass option, Hurts found no point in his rollout, but found a way into the end zone.
A little later, the Eagles even took the lead. Hurts found a gap in the middle this time for another 6 yard TD run. Washington struck back before the break. Smith threw a sharp 13-yard touchdown pass into the end zone to tight end Logan Thomas.
After the break, both defenses stabilized and took over the game. The Eagles then managed a big play with an interception from Marcus Epps – after a drop from JD McKissic. They were in the red zone immediately, but let that chance slip by. With a 4th and Goal at the 4 they played the attempt and Hurts missed an open Quez Watkins in the end zone.
Eagles surprisingly bring Nate Sudfeld in the final quarter
The football team then had to punt again. As a result, backup QB Nate Sudfeld surprisingly took over from the hosts, who threw an interception after a few plays and thus initiated a strange sequence. Because just three moves later Smith threw his second interception, this time to TJ Edwards. Philly didn’t care about that either – Sudfeld dropped a snap, Montez Sweat knocked the ball away from the quarterback and Chase Young grabbed the fumble, which he carried over 11 yards to the opposing 35-yard line. From there, however, it did not move forward significantly, so Washington had to be content with a 42-yard field goal from Dustin Hopkins.
However, that should be enough in the end, as Smith and Co. subsequently managed to downplay the clock and bring the result home.
Washington has won NFC East for the first time since 2015. The New York Giants, who had to hope for a victory for the Eagles, go away empty-handed. Fourth on the NFC seed list, Washington will now receive the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday.
Philadelphia Eagles (4-11-1) – Washington Football Team (7-9)
Result: 14:20 (0:10, 14: 7, 0: 0, 0: 3) BOXSCORE
Eagles vs. Football Team – the most important statistics
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In the Eagles, three players threw passes (Hurts, Sudfeld, Ward), but even all three together did not break the 100 passing yard limit (13/33, 97 YDS, 2 INT).
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Washington is the first division champion with a negative end-of-season record since the Seahawks in 2010, who were also 7-9 at the time. Then they still won their wildcard game against favored Saints.
The star of the game: Front Seven Washington
After this unit had even bigger problems getting Hurts under control at the beginning, the defense increased, played more disciplined on the line and didn’t let the mobile QB break out of pocket too often. When Sudfeld took over, Young, Sweat and Co. turned it up again.
Flop of the Match: Doug Pederson (Eagles)
What was the plan? Why did the so far rarely used Nate Sudfeld play in a phase when this game was still wide open? The head coach of the Eagles made an almost incomprehensible decision in a game that was at least once crucial for the opponent – and the New York Giants – and thus played into the opponent’s cards.
Analyse: Eagles vs. Football Team – die Taktiktafel
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Washington mainly relied on its 4-Men-Rush and Man Coverage behind it. In doing so, they also invited Hurts to run themselves, as this coverage tended to reveal gaps. In addition, there was no QB-Spy, which ultimately led to both touchdown runs of the QB before the break.
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When Sudfeld took over, the Eagles played the guests’ cards, so to speak. Sudfeld is nowhere near as good on foot, making it much more prone to Washington’s Pass Rush. Especially the right side of the O-Line turned out to be a weak point later in the game.
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The Eagles tried a similar approach defensively, but with the express goal of getting QB Smith out of the pocket. He was supposed to be made to move with his battered calf – accordingly speed cameras were sent through the middle more often. This often led to unwanted rollouts that were hardly profitable for Washington.
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While Washington is more conservative on the offense, the Eagles tried more often with creativity. In addition to the usual RPOs, they also used back passes to wide receivers like Greg Ward, who threw about a 15-yard pass at Fulgham. Later, Hightower was supposed to try, but couldn’t find an open receiver and then ran himself.
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