Offensive Onslaught Buries Washington as Eagles Move to 7-7

Playing their first game in 16 days, Philadelphia shook off some early rust and a 10-0 deficit to even their record with two of their final three games at home

PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles arrived at the home-cooking portion of their schedule and set off some smoke alarms early in their game against Washington at Lincoln Financial Field on Tuesday night.

There were two turnovers and two costly holding penalties, one on Sua Opeta, filling in for Landon Dickerson who was placed on the COVID-19 list on Sunday, the other on Jordan Mailata that canceled a first-down run on fourth down and led to a punt.

There was a 10-0 deficit in the first quarter.

The Eagles, though, were eventually able to extinguish the fire before the season burned down, notching a 27-17 win over the Football Team in a game that had to wait two days before being played due to a COVID outbreak on the Washington roster.

The win pushed the Eagles to 7-7 with two of the final three games at home, where they have won two in a row and kept them well-positioned in the hunt for the final wildcard berth, now tied for seventh with Minnesota and New Orleans, each of whom is also 7-7.

The New York Giants visit on Sunday and the Eagles will look to avenge a 13-7 loss to them last month.

Head coach Nick Sirianni attributed the slow start to the team's 16-day layoff after a bye and the virus-related postponement that pushed this game from Sunday to Tuesday night.

"I think we just settled in," said the coach. "You never want to start like that. It was rusty. It was really rusty...I give the guys credit for having a Dawg mentality down 10-0 and they kept playing and they played a real good game the rest of the way out."

The WFT (6-8) were without several key players, including both starting quarterback Taylor Heinicke and backup Kyle Allen. That left Garrett Gilbert, signed from the New England Patriots practice squad just last week, to make his second straight start. The unsung QB nearly pulled off the unthinkable.

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The Eagles’ offense would not be denied though.

They put up 519 total yards and for a fifth time this season ran for more than 200 yards. 

The NFL’s top-ranked rushing offense popped for 238 yards against the fifth-ranked rushing defense in the league, averaging 5.8 yards per carry on 41 rushes. It was their second-highest rushing total of the season behind the 242 they had against the Saints.

The Eagles got a career-high 131 yards rushing on 18 carries from Miles Sanders.

"I just want to compliment my O-line...they're doing a heckuva job each and every week," said Sanders. "They're making it very easy for the running backs to run behind them."

Tight end Dallas Goedert had a career-high 135 yards receiving on seven catches from tight end Dallas Goedert, who was coming off a career-high in his previous game against the New York Jets when he had 105. Goedert also had a 45-yard catch in the first half, which is a career-high long.

"Coming off of a bye, it was a long time since we played, so you kind of got that itch to be back out there," said Goedert. "It was weird watching all those games on Sunday knowing we were supposed to be playing, but it was one of those things where we didn't really care when it was going to be, we just wanted to play."

Then there’s Greg Ward. The seldom-used receiver caught a touchdown with 7:46 to play, answering a Washington TD drive that had pulled the Football Team to within 20-17 with 11:44 to go in the game. 

Greg Ward celebrates in 19-yard TD in the fourth quarter that helped seal the win / USA Today

Ward had two catches in the game and has four on the season, three of those have gone for touchdowns.

“I just think we’re (he and QB Jalen Hurts) are doing a great job of connecting when my name is called and he trusts me," said Ward. "He throws the ball, so I’m going to do anything that I can to make the play.”

The TD drive was set up by a big catch-and-run from Jalen Reagor on third-and-six that set up the Eagles at the WFT 19. Reagor had three receptions for 54 yards.

“It’s within the offense – just being where I’m supposed to be and making the plays when my number is called,” said Reagor, who had three catches for 54 yards, but none bigger than that final catch to set up the final TD.

Of course, it was Hurts pulling the strings of this offensive outburst.

Playing his first game since spraining his left ankle and throwing three picks against the New York Giants on Nov. 28, Hurts shook off some rust that included a fumble inside the red zone, at the 16, in the first quarter.

He was also charged with an interception that wasn’t his fault on the team’s first possession of the game. The easy throw was dropped by Goedert his hands and clanked off the back of his foot, where an alert Landon Collins grabbed it and raced into the end zone.

The play was blown dead, so the TD didn’t count. It didn’t matter. Taking over at Philadelphia’s 26-yard line, Washington turned Antonio Gibson lose for six runs and a six-yard reception. One of those runs was a 1-yard TD plunge and the WFT led 7-0 with 8:15 to go in the first quarter.

"I think it was very fun being back on the field," said Hurts. "Being back on the field and getting a win, which we needed, first division win … Couldn’t come at a better time. I know we’re back at .500 for the first time this year. It’s a big deal. I know the job isn’t done."

Hurts, however, ran for two touchdowns and now has 10 this year. He has 14 in his short career, tying him for fourth on the all-time Eagles’ list with Norm Snead. Randall Cunningham sits atop the list with 32 followed by Donovan McNabb (28) and Michael Vick (15).

The QB passed for 296 yards. He was 20-for-26 and had a passer rating of 110.4.

Jalen Hurts sneaks for one of his two TDs on Tuesday night / USA Today

Gilbert finished 20-for-31 for 194 yards and a PR of 81.9.

But it was the ground game that kept right on humming for. the Eagles.

Hurts added to Sanders’ total with 38 of his own. Jordan Howard celebrated his return to the lineup after missing two games with a knee injury by putting up 69 yards on 15 runs.

“This is great," he said. "The offensive line does a great job. The tight ends, receivers, and coaches - they put us in a great position and Jalen makes the right checks. They all just make our jobs easier to run. 

"They [create] gigantic holes and it surprises you because it’s like there aren’t supposed to be holes that big in the NFL so it’s surprising but we’re not complaining about it. You just can’t have any hesitation, especially in the NFL because that hole will close up very fast. So you have to hit it as soon as you see it.”

Defensively, the Eagles doubled their sack output at home with two. Coming into the game, they had one at home and 21 overall. They held Washington to just 237 total yards.

Fletcher Cox had 1.5 and Javon Hargrave had a half-sack, giving him eight this season.

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Eagle Maven and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglemaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.