Washington Commanders' O-Line 'Played Their Butts Off!' vs. Philadelphia Eagles, Says Ron Rivera

Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell was the most sacked quarterback through seven games, and his offensive line protected him well against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell was the most sacked quarterback through seven games, but in the 38-31 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at FedEx Field, the young quarterback was kept relatively clean.

Howell, who had been sacked 40 times this season, was only taken down once against the Eagles, but it happened at the most inopportune time, late in the game.

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera was pleased with how the offensive line performed against the much-vaunted Eagles pass rush.

“I think we only gave up one sack,” Rivera said. “Unfortunately, it was at a critical point, but they battled their butts off, they did some great things. I thought getting the ball out of Sam’s [Howell] hand early set a good tone, good tempo. I thought taking the shots [downfield] were very well-timed. The protections, we max protect a couple of times, it gave him a chance to push the ball downfield, and we were that close, it's just unfortunate [to lose].”

The Commanders' offensive line protected Howell well in the loss to the Eagles / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

While the loss will no doubt sting, the Commanders have pushed the Eagles all the way in both games. The stats are rather eye-opening.

In their two games against the Eagles this season, the Commanders' offense has scored 62 points and had 837 total yards, while Sam Howell has thrown for 687 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception.

For Rivera, he's frustrated at being able to match it with one of the best teams in the NFL but ultimately losing the game. He adds that the team needs to play like that every week.

“Absolutely [frustrating],” Rivera said. “That’s one of the tough pills to swallow, is that if you can play that way against the elite [teams] three times in a row, then let’s do it all the time.”

The Commanders now slip to 3-5 on the season, with the New England Patriots up next.