The Philadelphia Eagles lost last week, ending their 10-game winning streak. It took a series of unlikely scenarios for that to happen, though.
First, the Eagles had to face a playoff team in the Washington Commanders. Second, they had to be on the road. Third, Jalen Hurts had to get injured. Fourth, the defense had to have its worst game all season in terms of points against (36). Fifth, the special teams had to have its worst game of the season.
All of those five factors were enough for the Commanders to win by a whopping three points. Yes, a last-second touchdown and the biggest nightmare scenario possible were only enough to win by three.
That part should inspire the Eagles. And, if they can win or tie a game or have the Commanders lose or tie once in the final two weeks, the NFC’s second seed belongs to the Birds (which was probably the outcome even if they went undefeated).
But there was one big takeaway that reared its ugly head again. The fact that the team hasn’t learned from it suggests they never will. If that’s the case, it may cost them in the playoffs.
The Only Frightening Takeaway from the Eagles’ Loss
So, what am I talking about? On third down and five late in the game, the Eagles had a choice. The Commanders had one timeout to their name and there was 2:07 left in the contest at Washington’s 22-yard line. With the Eagles leading 30-28, they had the narrowest of leads.
A first down wouldn’t outright win the game, but it’d come oh-so-close to doing so. Theoretically, if they failed on third down but kept the clock rolling, that’d either force the two-minute warning or make Washington use their timeout.
In either of those two scenarios, the Eagles win the football game with a first down. It’d take three kneel-downs to get the clock to zero. So, you want to keep the clock rolling—don’t throw an incompletion.
Except, the Eagles threw an incompletion. To make this even worse, they kicked a field goal. A first down would’ve practically ended it, but Philadelphia chose martyr.
Can you do first-grade math? Well, apparently the Eagles can’t, so you’re one step ahead of them. Their two-point lead plus a field goal (worth three points) gave them a five-point lead with two minutes to go.
Unfortunately, a touchdown is worth six points. In case you didn’t know, six is more than five. So, the Eagles lost the game after their defense predictably allowed a clock-devouring touchdown drive.
“That’s not fair and also condescending,” you may be thinking. And sure, maybe you’re right. I mean, Kenny Pickett was under center and the defense forced a turnover about a minute prior.
But the Eagles did this exact same thing when Jalen Hurts was under center. and they did it when their defense had zero takeaways in the game. You remember it; let’s talk about the Atlanta Falcons game.
I repeated the exact same events from that game. As in, they lost two of their three games in the exact same way. DeVonta Smith drops a wide-open, game-sealing catch on third down versus Washington, while Saquon Barkley does the same thing against Atlanta.
Yeah, that’s bad. But at the same time, why make one problem exponentially worse?
In both the Commanders and Falcons games, the Eagles could’ve gone for it on fourth down and probably won both times—Philadelphia would potentially be 14-1 and have a first-round bye all but locked up. You know, if the fourth-down attempt fails, the worst-case scenario is that the other team gets the ball in a worse field position.
These are regular-season games, though. They’re not actually something to be upset about. However, they reveal the Eagles’ philosophy.
Here, picture it this way.
“The Eagles Have Just Lost in the Super Bowl”
The Eagles, after an unforgettable playoff run, are facing the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl (again). It’s an amazing game. Back-and-forth and down to the wire like any other between two evenly-matched rosters.
It’s fourth and four from the Chiefs’ 19-yard line, following a first-down drop. The Eagles, up 27-24, have the ball with 1:34 left in the game, while the Chiefs possess one timeout.
The Eagles line up to go for it, but it was an attempt to draw the Chiefs offside. The defense sees through it immediately. “Nice try, Nick [Sirianni], that’s not going to work,” Kansas City head coach Andy Reid thinks.
Timeout Philadelphia—it’s their last. They line up to kick a field goal. And… it’s good! Jake Elliott hits it, giving his team a 30-24 lead.
At home, millions of Eagles fans worldwide watch the agonizing drive that ensues. Patrick Mahomes throws for a first down immediately. The next pass is caught for a few yards and the receiver runs out of bounds. The next is a quick strike for a first down.
The clock winds down for what feels like an eternity, yet the Chiefs have gone from one side of the field to the other in less than two minutes of real-time—isn’t that ironic?
The Chiefs still have their timeout, but they’ve chewed the clock to have 16 seconds remaining. It’s at the Eagles’ eight-yard line (how did we get here?).
Mahomes throws over the middle to Travis Kelce for the touchdown. “Not… again,” all Eagles fans think to themselves. Children bawl their eyes out. The grown-ups want to. Harrison Butker kicks the extra point to make it 31-30.
With mere seconds to spare, the Eagles are left with a prayer.
They make nothing of it. The Eagles have just lost in the Super Bowl.
“The defense really let them down,” says one analyst. “If he had just caught that pass…” another begins.
But then it clicks for you.
The Eagles just kicked away the Super Bowl when all they needed was four yards. Just like they did against the Falcons. Just like they did against the Commanders. “Huh. Maybe that Washington game was important.”
When a first down would’ve put the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles in history, the coaching staff chose the “safe option.” That option puts them in infamy. It becomes the most heartbreaking loss in team history.
So, the question looms: Will the Eagles learn their lesson? Will going the field goal route in the playoffs be a genius move? Or will it cost them their season, exactly as this post foretold?
We’ll find out.
PHOTO: Sarah Stier/Getty Images
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