On Saturday, the Eagles suffered a 27-24 loss to the Washington Redskins, who had a six-game losing streak heading into the contest. It wasn’t the performance Eagles faithful were hoping for heading into the holidays, and it could have been devastating for the Birds’ playoff hopes. Here are five thoughts from the game.
The Eagles Played Well Enough To Win
To some degree, this is an excuse. But the fact remains that had Cody Parkey made his two missed field goals, the Eagles would have come out on top. That certainly wasn’t the only factor, but Parkey’s own excellence has made him one of the most trustworthy kickers in the league in 2014, and his performance on Saturday was a letdown by comparison. Parkey had missed only two field goals this entire season before missing two in one game that was ultimately decided by three points. The missed kicks were from 34 and 46 yards out. While a 46-yard kick is by no means a sure thing, it would be fair to say the Eagles offense put itself in position to win. CBS Sports does note, however, that Parkey was nursing a right groin injury heading into Saturday’s game.
Don’t Blame Mark Sanchez
Mark Sanchez is an easy guy to make fun of, blame, and criticize. As long as footage of the infamous butt fumble exists, that will be the case. But on Saturday, for the most part, he played a good game: 374 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception should be more than enough to beat the 2014 Redskins. The problem was, the interception came at exactly the wrong time. In a Week 16 preview sheet that came out before Saturday’s games, Betfair’s analysis of the Eagles-Redskins game was almost prophetic in this sense. On Sanchez, the preview said he’s back to doing what he does best: “turning winning situations into head-scratching losses.” That’s just about what happened on Saturday, but don’t let it allow you to lose sight of a very strong overall performance. This one was as much on the defense and Parkey as on Sanchez’s late interception.
DeSean Jackson Was A Killer
When these two teams met back in September, DeSean Jackson burned the Eagles for an 81-yard TD catch and proceeded to give a mock wing-flapping celebration. It was a pretty predictable performance, as Jackson remains an elite receiver and is just the competitive type to thrive against his old team. And on Saturday he reminded us once more what we’re missing, enjoying another strong day. Jackson finished just shy of 150 yards and at one point brought in a 51-yard pass with ease.
The Defense Was Atrocious
Heading into Saturday’s game, the Redskins had been held below 20 points in four of their past five games. These previous results indicated a team that had begun to look overmatched against most of the NFL. Given that it was a virtual must-win for the Eagles, it should have been a nice opportunity for the defense to step up. Yet on Saturday, the Eagles’ D, which has been stellar most of the season, was nowhere to be found when it mattered most. Not only was Jackson impossible to cover, but Alfred Morris was a load, matching LeSean McCoy’s rushing production almost exactly on the night. As much attention as Chip Kelly’s offense receives, this has never been a team that tries to win shootouts. Defense has been crucial, and on Saturday it disappeared.
The Playoffs Are Out Of Reach
Saturday’s loss ended the Birds’ Wildcard hopes. While a shot remained that they could win the NFC East, that shot was erased when Dallas beat Indy. ESPN’s postgame recap on Saturday summed up the situation nicely: basically, the Eagles needed to win out while the Cowboys lose consecutive games to the Colts and Redskins. That was the only situation that could have led them to the playoffs.
(Photo Credits: Washington Times, Fast Philly Sports)