When Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell found Jahan Dotson in the end zone with one second remaining in regulation, fans wailed “Oh, nooooooo.”
This is how you know Eagles fans aren’t too concerned about their team’s early season perceived struggles: hundreds of them left the game before it was even decided by a 54-yard Jake Elliott field goal, heading to their cars or a post-game bar, when the Eagles were still gutting out an overtime victory to remain undefeated with a 34-31 win on Sunday.
In 2022, the Commanders gave the Eagles their first setback of the season, and the fact that they came so close again was scant comfort. Ron Rivera, nicknamed Riverboat for his tendency for high-risk plays, chose to kick the extra point to send the game to overtime rather than go for a two-point conversion that would have won the game outright. His side had just completed a flawless two-minute drill, tearing through the Eagles defence with one Sam Howell throw after another. The Eagles seemed to be tired. Why not go for two and win?
“They were gassed,” remarked Rivera of his own squad. “It was a long-ass drive.”
That was it. And the Commanders’ tenacity, particularly Howell, who had been beaten by nine sacks by the Buffalo Bills the week before, suggested that the NFC East may not be done with the Commanders, who are 2-2, quite so easily this season. Rivera said that the Commanders had several excellent drives this season, but doing it against the Eagles with the game on the line was noteworthy. Then he slammed his fist on the lectern.
“There are no moral victories,” Rivera said. “We’re going to learn from it and I think this is going to help us going forward.”
For the first month of the season, the Eagles have celebrated each win by emphasising that they are still a work in progress. This triumph will not affect that narrative, or the worry of Eagles supporters, or the – very probably true – belief among some that everything will be great, so wonderful that a traffic congestion is a viable option to waiting for the Eagles to win. Until Sunday, the main source of worry was Jalen Hurts and the stuttering start to the passing game. Hurts passed for 319 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Despite facing the greatest defensive front the Eagles have seen, they still managed to run for 104 yards. Even on Sunday, the Eagles had to wait for Hurts to open up the offence, with Hurts beginning the day with short throws on the first drive and then finding A.J. Brown on a 59-yard bomb and again for a 28-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
“I think pressure and tension build character,” Hurt stated after the game. “We needed a game like this.” A triumph like this does so much for a team’s morale since winning is not easy. Winning is difficult.”
The Eagles’ defence would most likely concur. They struggled to get home on the pass rush early on (Howell was sacked five times), enabling Howell to throw for 290 yards. This was the first time this season that they allowed more than 76 yards running (the Commanders had 107). Nonetheless, the Eagles kept the Commanders scoreless in the third quarter, when the Eagles started their comeback, and they got the final fortunate break when Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin appeared to catch a ball from Howell on third down on the opening drive of overtime. However, McLaurin fell on Reed Blankenship’s left forearm, as seen by the visible red markings around his elbow, preventing him from landing in bounds and prolonging the drive. Instead, the Commanders were forced to punt. And they never recovered the ball.
The Eagles’ first four weeks have not been easy. Hurts was flagged for intentional grounding on the game-winning drive, drawing another lengthy sigh from the crowd, one of 11 penalties that almost cost the Eagles the game. And it was a taunting penalty on Brown after his late-game score gave the Eagles a short lead, giving the Commanders favourable field position to begin their game-tying drive. However, the Eagles must be battle-tested for a hard sequence of games that starts in three weeks after winnable victories against the Rams and Jets. Then, beginning in mid-October and lasting almost two months, there are games versus the Dolphins, the Commanders again, the Cowboys, the Chiefs, the Bills, the 49ers, and the Cowboys again.
It’s telling that Brown said after the game that he can’t make errors like the taunting penalty. Hurts informed him on the sideline that he couldn’t do it. That fine-tuning of the intricacies is a kind of advancement that the Eagles are also working on. They are far from complete, but the finish line for one of the league’s most talented teams is not far away.
“I would love to blow a team out,” said centre Jason Kelce. “However, I’ll take it. A victory is a victory. We’re not playing our greatest basketball right now, but we’re still winning games.”
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