The Philadelphia Eagles have claimed their second consecutive NFC East title after defeating the Washington Commanders 29-18 on Saturday night. Although the game started poorly with a fumble on the opening kickoff, the Eagles rallied behind quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley.
In an eventful game that included a brawl after a late two-point conversion by Barkley, the Eagles demonstrated resilience despite a shaky start, including missed field goals and penalties. Hurts completed 22 of 30 passes for 185 yards, throwing two touchdowns without any turnovers. He connected with wide receiver DeVonta Smith for a 5-yard touchdown pass in the first half and later found tight end Dallas Goedert from 15 yards out, putting Philadelphia ahead 14-10 during a lengthy 17-play drive in the third quarter.
Hurts also contributed significantly on the ground, rushing for 40 yards on seven attempts. The Eagles improved their record to 10-5, bouncing back from a three-game losing streak with two consecutive victories. This marks the first time since 2004 that a team has won the NFC East in back-to-back seasons, breaking a long-standing drought for repeat champions in the division.
Barkley was instrumental in the win, adding a 12-yard touchdown run to his impressive performance of 132 rushing yards on 21 carries. With the Commanders now 4-11 and having lost nine of their last ten games, the atmosphere in the stadium was predominantly in favor of the Eagles, as chants of “E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles!” echoed throughout.
The game took a turn when Commanders” quarterback Marcus Mariota left the field with a right hand injury after leading his team to a 10-7 lead. He was replaced by third-string quarterback Josh Johnson, who struggled under pressure, culminating in an interception by Cooper DeJean.
Despite the Eagles” overall yardage advantage of 385 to 220, they faced challenges throughout the game. Kicker Jake Elliott had a rough outing, missing three field goals in the first half, which was uncharacteristic for him this season, having previously made 17 of 22 attempts.
In terms of injuries, the Eagles lost linebacker Nakobe Dean to a hamstring issue early in the game. The Commanders also faced setbacks with Mariota being evaluated for a concussion before being cleared, but his hand injury sidelined him for the remainder of the game.
Looking ahead, the Eagles will face the Buffalo Bills on December 28, while the Commanders will host the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night.
