LANDOVER, Md. — This was not a terrific efficiency by the Tremendous Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, from a fumble on the opening kickoff to a pair of penalties on the tush push to a few wide-left field-goal tries to a halftime deficit.
Nonetheless, Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and firm finally bought getting into the proper path and clinched a second consecutive NFC East title by beating the Washington Commanders 29-18 on Saturday night time.
The sport included a late brawl after Barkley tacked on a 2-point conversion to extend the Eagles’ result in 19 factors.
Beginning performs below heart much more continuously than he did earlier within the season, Hurts accomplished 22 of 30 throws — with 15 of these caught by A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith — for 185 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers.
He linked with Smith from 5 yards out within the first half and with tight finish Dallas Goedert from 15 to place Philadelphia forward 14-10 within the third quarter, capping a 17-play, 83-yard, 10 1/2-minute drive.
Hurts additionally did loads of injury on the bottom, gaining 40 yards on seven carries for the Eagles (10-5), who’ve adopted a three-game dropping streak by successful two in a row.
They’re the primary crew to high the NFC East in back-to-back seasons since Philadelphia did it yearly from 2001 to 2004; the hole since then was the longest drought and not using a repeat champ for any division in NFL historical past.
Barkley added a 12-yard TD run for the Eagles, a part of his 21-carry, 132-yard efficiency.
With the Commanders (4-11), now losers of 9 of their previous 10 contests, already eradicated from postseason rivalry, there was loads of inexperienced within the stands.
Chants of “E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles!” continuously rang out and cries of “Cooooop!” greeted Cooper DeJean’s interception of Josh Johnson, Washington’s third-string quarterback, who got here in when Marcus Mariota went out after the opening drive within the third quarter with an injured proper hand whereas Washington led 10-7.
Mariota began Saturday instead of Jayden Daniels, the reigning AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Yr who led the Commanders to the NFC title recreation final season — the place they misplaced 55-23 to Philadelphia — however has been shut down in 2025 after coping with a collection of accidents and showing in solely seven video games.
The chilly night began inauspiciously for the Eagles: Will Shipley coughed up the opening kickoff when he was hit by Mike Sainristil, and Washington recovered at Philadelphia’s 27, finally getting a subject aim.
The Eagles went up 7-3 on a drive that was practically all Hurts. He was 4 for five passing for 53 yards, together with a 6-yard TD toss to Smith, and added a 14-yard run, too.
That’s to not say Hurts was good. Hardly. He missed open receivers, together with one significantly egregious overthrow of Brown and one other miscommunication with Smith.
And the Eagles kicking recreation left so much to be desired.
The Eagles’ Jake Elliott managed to ship three field-goal makes an attempt vast left within the first half.
Elliott entered 17 for 22 on subject objectives this season and hadn’t missed a couple of in a recreation.
However he was off on a 43-yarder within the first quarter. Then, 13 seconds earlier than halftime, Elliott couldn’t get a 57-yarder to undergo the uprights — however that one didn’t depend, as a result of Washington’s Tyler Owens was flagged for being offsides.
Given one other probability, now from 52 yards, Elliott went vast left as soon as extra.
