Eagles Redskins: Big plays, tweets and hot takes
First Quarter: Wentz strike to Matthews → first down
On 3rd-and-6, Carson Wentz scrambles a bit before throwing a dart to Jordan Matthews on the run for the first down.
Key because Wentz and the Eagles' beleaguered offense needed a positive start. Plus, Matthews made his return after missing last week with an ankle injury.
Caleb Sturgis capped the drive with a 45-yard field goal.
Caleb Sturgis, the Eagles' best player, makes a field goal to put them up 3-0.— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroCSN) December 11, 2016
First Quarter: Nelson Agholor draws the PI
The much-maligned Agholor, who last week took a baby step back from his benching with four receptions for 23 yards vs. Cincy, went deep and had a step on Quinton Dunbar, who tackled him before the ball arrived for a 44-yard gain.
Philadelphia Eagles
Complete coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles and their NFL rivals from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
That's as good as a catch for Agholor.— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroCSN) December 11, 2016
Later in the quarter, Agholor ran a nice double move and reached up to snag a 9-yard completion.
First Quarter: Error Matthews, bigger error Wentz
Two plays after Jordan Matthews spoiled a pretty TD pass by Wentz by failing to drag his right foot, Wentz looked for Zach Ertz in the end zone but was off-target and intercepted by safety Deshazor Everett.
Awful route by Ertz, shouldn't have been thrown by Wentz.— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) December 11, 2016
Wentz has 1 TD pass and 5 INTs in the first quarter this year.
Rest of game he has 11 TDs and 7 INTs.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) December 11, 2016
First quarter: Solid D from McKelvin
Much-maligned corner Leodis McKelvin twice broke up third-down passes to Jamison Crowder. After this one, which occurred on 3rd-and-8, Dustin Hopkins missed a 38-yard field goal, clanking it off the left upright.
Fade to Darren Sproles. That's a new one. Huge play. Wentz has been very sharp since the interception.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) December 11, 2016
Second quarter: Wentz audibles, hits Zach Ertz for 29, but no flag??
Wentz changed the play at the line and, as linebacker Trent Murphy hit his knees/ankles, threw a strike to a wide-open Ertz for 29.
Brandon Graham gets a personal foul for barely touching Dalton's shoelace. But that's not a penalty?— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) December 11, 2016
Remember the ridiculous call on Brandon Graham last week?
PLAY 1 resulted in a 15-yard penalty. PLAY 2 did not.
Can someone please explain that to me? pic.twitter.com/JRrMsR1Zmn— Matt Mullin (@matt_mullin) December 11, 2016
Second quarter: False start, Jason Peters
Doug Pederson wanted to go for it on 4th-and-3 from the Washington 18, but Peters was flagged for a false start. The Eagles, per FOX, lead the league with 45 pre-snap penalties, and they settled for Caleb Sturgis' second field goal, a 36-yarder, to take a 6-0 lead.
And that's just the ones they call. https://t.co/n7Cb4qgWot— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroCSN) December 11, 2016
Eagles had gone 3 hours, 52 minutes, 36 seconds since last sack for negative yardage.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) December 11, 2016
Eagles have had drives to the Washington 27, 3 and 13 and netted six points.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) December 11, 2016
Second quarter: Remember this: a sack by Fletcher Cox
Cox took down Cousins to record his first sack since Week 5 against Detroit and fifth of the year.
Eagles had gone 3 hours, 52 minutes, 36 seconds since last sack for negative yardage.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) December 11, 2016
Second quarter: Tough run by Robert Kelly for a TD
Kelly broke through the Birds' D and received some nice blocks for a 22-yard touchdown to cap a 10-play, 69-yard drive.
Robert Kelley runs hard. Eagles defenders bouncing off of him.— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroCSN) December 11, 2016
Two plays earlier, Doug Pederson could have challenged a 7-yard catch by Pierre Garcon, but Garcon appeared to just barely tap his right toe while making the catch and getting his lef foot down. Good call not to challenge — would have been tough to reverse the call on the field.
Not sure why Eagles didn't challenge that seven-yard pickup on second down. Was his right foot ever down?— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) December 11, 2016
Second quarter: One-hopper to Trey Burton
Wentz did a great job to dunk under and escape a sack and had Burton wide open inside the five but his pass bounced a few yards short.
Everything about that play by Wentz was awesome except the throw.— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) December 11, 2016
Two plays later, Wentz found Paul Turner for 16. And then ...
Second quarter: Finally, a TD
After Burton made a 7-yard catch on 3rd-and-1, Sproles beat Bashaud Breeland to the corner of the end zone four a 4-yard score and 13-7 halftime lead. The Eagles finished the half 1 for 3 in the red zone.
Fade to Darren Sproles. That's a new one. Huge play. Wentz has been very sharp since the interception.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) December 11, 2016
Third quarter: Illegal block in the back, No. 86
The penalty on Zach Ertz erased Darren Sproles' 72-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Ertz gets called for an illegal block to negate that touchdown. At least he blocked, right?
*ducks*— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroCSN) December 11, 2016
Third quarter: Bomb to DeSean
Just a great catch by Jackson, who hung with the ball as it sailed from his inside to his outside shoulder and beat McKelvin for an 80-yard touchdown.
That was the longest TD pass against the Eagles since Cousins to DeSean for 81 yards here in 2014.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) December 11, 2016
DeSean is the first player ever with two career TD catches of 80 or more years against the Eagles.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) December 11, 2016
Third quarter: Brent Celek, long-snapper
Jon Dorenbos hurt his right wrist, forcing Brent Celek to snap for a 50-yard field goal. Celek's snap is wobbly, Donnie Jones can't get it down, and the Eagles lose six yards on the play.
Tough position for Celek. He does practice those here and there but that was terrible.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) December 11, 2016
Dorenbos officially out, in the game in which he tied Harold Carmichael's record for consecutive Eagles starts at 162.— Les Bowen (@LesBowen) December 11, 2016
Third quarter: Pierre Garcon, 15-yard TD
Pretty touch pass by Kirk Cousins to Garcon, who beat Nolan Carroll to the corner of the end zone. Five plays earlier, Jackson made a nice toe-tapping 21-yard catch on the sideline.
BREAKING: #Eagles CBs still suck.— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) December 11, 2016
Not sure what happened, but Nolan Carroll has turned into Dimitri Patterson. Not so good...— Tommy Lawlor (@lawlornfl) December 11, 2016
Fourth quarter: Now Celek's hurt?
Celek got off a good long-snap on a punt ... and the got hurt. Hard to believe, Harry. Celek suffered a stinger.
Celek was able to get the snap off, but now he appears injured. Not sure who 3rd-string long snapper is.— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) December 11, 2016
Fourth quarter: McKelvin Pick-6
McKelvin cut in front of Jackson on an out-route to the sideline and returned 29 yards for a touchdown. Down two and without a long-snapper, the Eagles went for two, but Josh Norman made a beeline toward Jordan Matthews and broke up the conversion.
Eagles have two pick-6's this year -- both against the Redskins. Malcolm Jenkins brought one back against Cousins in the first game.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) December 11, 2016
Fourth quarter: After further review, Crowder was out
It's ruled a 30-yard completion on the field and at first appeared to be a great throw and catch to convert a 3rd-and-6, but replay showed Crowder got only one foot down, and the Redskins punted.
Doug Pederson uses final challenge on Crowder sideline grab. Looks like he only got one foot in. Guess it was good he didn't use it earlier.— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) December 11, 2016
And when they did ...
Fourth quarter: Sproles pummelled early
Deshazor Everett came in like a missle and drilled Sproles to the neck and head before the punt arrived, causing a fracus and earning a 15-yard penalty. Sproles remained down for several minutes before leaving the field under his own power.
That Deshazor Everett dude should be ejected, suspended, fine and thrown out of the league.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) December 11, 2016
Brent Celek (stinger) return questionable. Sproles is being evaluated for a concussion.— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroCSN) December 11, 2016
Fourth quarter: Burton to Jones to Sturgis
The Eagles held long-snapper tryouts on the sideline, and Trey Burton beat out Mychal Kendricks.
The Eagles were going to go for a second 4th-and-1 on the drive, but after a timeout, Pederson went with Burton, whose snap was high, but Jones caught it, and Sturgis knocked through an ugly 41-yard field goal to give the Eagles a 22-21 lead.
Donnie Jones just saved the game.— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroCSN) December 11, 2016
Nice job by Donnie Jones getting that high snap down. Sturgis stutter-stepped & then nailed it. Sturgis has been money. 28-33 this year now.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) December 11, 2016
Fourth quarter: Chris Thompson go-ahead, 25-yard touchdown run
Two key plays set up this one. An incompletion to Crowder was reversed and called a 33-yard catch and fumble, which Crowder recovered.
Then, instead of attempting a go-ahead 53-yard field goal, Washington converted a 4th-and-1 when Cousins hit Garcon for six.
Two plays later, Cousins faked an end-around to Jackson and flipped the ball to Thompson, who had an easy path to the end zone to give Washington a five-point lead.
Fourth quarter: Wentz sacked and fumbled, game over
The Eagles moved to the Washington 14 with 21 seconds left, but Ryan Kerrigan flies by right tackle Matt Tobin, who was in for the injured Allen Barbre (who was in for Halapoulivaati Vaitai, who was in for Lane Johnson) and sacked Wentz, forcing a fumble. Trent Murphy recovered to seal it for Washington.
46 pass attempts by Wentz today. On pace for 613 on the season. Rookie record is 627 by Andrew Luck. Wentz would be 2nd.— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) December 11, 2016
That's 10 straight games without more than two touchdowns for the Eagles. Longest streak in 18 years, second-longest streak in 40 years.— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) December 11, 2016