Washington Football Team defensive end Ryan Kerrigan takes down Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (11) during Sunday’s game in Landover, Md.
AP photo
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz let’s go of pass agsint the Washington Football Team on Sunday in Landover, Md.
AP photo
Washington Football Team defensive end Chase Young (99) congratulates Washington Football Team center Chase Roullier (73) during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in Landover, Md.
AP photo
LANDOVER, Md. — Too many injuries, notably including Mile Sanders, lack of prep time, eerie quiet with no crowd — pick any excuse you want, none of them carried any weight Sunday afternoon when the stunned Eagles walked off the FedEx Field turf after a 27-17 loss to a Washington team that looked incapable of competing for almost the entire first half.
Carson Wentz looked like his 2017 near-MVP self until he threw an interception right before halftime, that led to a Washington touchdown, after the Eagles had built an effortless 17-0 lead.
After that, everything unraveled. Wentz got more careless with the ball. A shaky offensive line, without Lane Johnson (ankle), starting Nate Herbig at right guard and rookie Jack Driscoll at right tackle, fell completely apart, a process that accelerated when Driscoll limped off and was replaced by Jordan Mailata.
Wentz, 9 of 11 for 123 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter, finished 24 of 42 for 270 yards, two touchdowns, two awful interceptions, and a hideous 72.5 passer rating.
“I put our defense in a bad spot a couple occasions,” said Wentz. “I gotta be better. I’ll own that.”
The defense, down Derek Barnett going in, lost Vinny Curry to a hamstring injury and Brandon Graham to what seemed to be a concussion. Josh Sweat and Genard Avery became the defensive ends on a line that eventually seemed to run out of gas, a line that couldn’t force Washington Dwayne Haskins’ hand in the second half.
This was the first opening-day loss in Doug Pederson’s five seasons, and one of the worst of his tenure, up there with Miami last year or Cincinnati in 2016.
“We can’t have the mistakes, we can’t have the sacks, we can’t have the turnovers and expect to win, especially against a division opponent,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said.
The Eagles kept giving the home team short fields, and somehow by the time we got to the two-minute warning, what should have been an easy victory was out of reach.
The start was everything an Eagles fan could have wanted — Eagles won the toss, deferred, Washington lost two yards before punting, and Wentz led an effortless four-play, 62-yard touchdown drive. The only third down the Eagles faced, a Washington neutral zone infraction gave them first down without a snap. Wentz hit his favorite target, Zach Ertz, through traffic in the back of the end zone for a 7-0 lead that was 10-0 after Jalen Reagor’s first NFL catch, a 55-yarder, set up a 38-yard Jake Elliott field goal.
It was 17-0 on a lovely 34-yard rainbow of a throw to Dallas Goedert in the end zone, but then the visitors started to show the effects of the lack of a preseason, or the effects of boredom against a seemingly overmatched opponent in empty, nearly silent FedEx Field, or something.
When the Eagles got the ball at their 28 with a minute and 44 seconds left in the second quarter, it would have been nice to score even more points before halftime, but the main thing they had to do was not give Washington any hope. So Wentz’s first-down pass was a jump ball between Reagor and Washington corner Fabian Moreau, which Moreau won. The home team was in business, at the Eagles’ 45.
Suddenly second-year Washington quarterback Haskins, who was three-for-11 for 32 yards with three minutes to go to halftime, was hitting receivers all over the field. The Eagles neglected to cover tight end Logan Thomas on third-and-three from the 6, and it was 17-7 at halftime.
Halftime did not reawaken the Eagles’ offense. A listless three-and-out, then when they got the ball back, another Wentz pick, this time to corner Jimmy Moreland, who stepped inside rookie John Hightower and ran the interception down to the Eagles’ 20. Four plays later it was 17-14.
Wentz finally got another promising drive coming, but it died when he took an awful third-down coverage sack that caused Jake Elliott to have to try a 53-yard field goal that was a few yards short.
So you could argue that Wentz gave up 17 points, in addition to the 17 he helped his team score.
It just kept getting worse. Rookie tackle Driscoll left, replaced by former rugby player Mailata, who did not look ready for his long-awaited first action.
The long missed field goal turned into a tying Washington field goal. Then Haskins, confidence restored, ran his first real drive of the game, and unbelievably, when Peyton Barber bulled up the middle to the end zone from the Eagles’ 4, Washington had the lead.
On the Eagles’ last drive, Wentz fumbled while being sacked.
Stats and stuff
Wentz threw his first interceptions in 191 attempts, going back to last Dec. 1. … Eagles rookie WR Jalen Reagor made a 55-yard, over-the-shoulder catch for his first career reception on third-and-22… Eagles DT T.Y. McGill shared a sack with Vinny Curry. His last sack came in 2016 with the Colts. … Kerrigan set a franchise record with his 92nd career sack, passing Dexter Manley.
Social justice
Both teams lined up on the field and locked arms in a sign of unity about 30 minutes before kickoff while Alicia Keyes performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing” in a video designed to address racial inequality.
The Eagles left the field afterward while Washington players went to the sideline and took a knee for a moment of silence.
The Eagles were not on the field for “The Star-Spangled Banner” while Washington players stood on the sideline. A few players raised their fists.
Injuries
Eagles: Johnson (ankle), RB Miles Sanders (hamstring) DE Derek Barnett (hamstring) and DT Javon Hargrave (pectoral, hamstring) were among the inactive starters. … Curry (hamstring) left in the fourth quarter. … DE Brandon Graham was evaluated for a head injury. … Driscoll left in the fourth quarter.
Washington: LB Cole Holcomb (knee) left in the second quarter before returning in the second half.
Up next
The Eagles host the Los Angeles Rams and Washington visits Arizona.
– The Associated Press contributed to this report
The Link LonkSeptember 14, 2020 at 05:14AM
https://www.timesleader.com/sports/801746/eagles-turn-an-easy-win-into-a-horrifying-loss
Eagles turn an easy win into a horrifying loss - Wilkes Barre Times-Leader
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