Washington Commanders Battling vs. Philadelphia Eagles in Competitive First Half

The Washington Commanders are giving the 6-1 Philadelphia Eagles some trouble in the first half.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 29, 2023

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders are heading to the locker room with a 17-10 lead against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoon at FedEx Field.

The Commanders struck first when quarterback Sam Howell found Terry McLaurin for a 26-yard touchdown. It was McLaurin's first score since Week 2 against the Denver Broncos.

The Eagles responded with a field goal from 51 yards out by Jake Elliott, giving Washington a 7-3 lead after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Commanders hit the score board first again with another Howell touchdown, this time to fellow 2022 draft classmate Jahan Dotson. It was Dotson's first touchdown since Week 4, the last time the Commanders and Eagles played.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) celebrates with Commanders tight end Logan Thomas (82) after catching a touchdown pass against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at FedExField / Geoff Burke-USA Today Sports

The Eagles nearly scored on the ensuing drive, getting all the way down to the red zone, but the Commanders forced a fumble and prevented a near-score from the Philadelphia offense.

Washington also turned the ball over on its next possession with a turnover on downs inside field goal range on a 4th-and-1 play.

From there, the Eagles ran a quick seven-play, 65-yard drive that ended in a 16-yard touchdown by quarterback Jalen Hurts to receiver A.J. Brown, who only used one hand to make the play.

The Commanders tried to convert a quick drive to get into field goal range at the end of the half, and they were able to get Joey Slye to connect on a 61-yard field goal to give the team a 17-10 lead. The field goal set a franchise record for longest field goal.

Howell has been extremely efficient in the first half, completing 24 of 26 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns.

The Eagles will receive the ball when the two teams come out for halftime.

Published Oct 29, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.