Was there ever any doubt the Eagles were going to the playoffs? Not as far as their performance was concerned.
They may have needed a little help elsewhere, but at FedEx Field, the Eagles were as convincing as they've looked all season long while beating Washington soundly, 24-0. They ran at will, threw at will, and completely shut down their opponent. Almost nothing went wrong.
Sure, Washington isn't very good, but this is exactly the type of game the Eagles wanted and needed heading back to the postseason. Straight A's for sure.
Quarterbacks
Nick Foles: 28/33, 221 YDS, 2 TDS, 1 INT
Foles got his one bad pass for the game out of his system on the Eagles' opening possession, then proceeded to tie an NFL record with 25 consecutive completions. Nate Sudfeld entered in the fourth quarter, throwing his first career touchdown.
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Grade: A
Running backs
Wendell Smallwood: 12 ATT, 53 YDS
The three-headed monster of Smallwood, Josh Adams and Darren Sproles kept the chains moving, combining for 39 touches, 196 total yards of offense and zero turnovers. Solid, if unspectacular.
Grade: A
Wide receivers/tight ends
Alshon Jeffery: 5 REC, 49 YDS, 1 TD
Jeffery made the tough catches, including fighting off a Washington defender while tiptoeing the sideline for a two-yard score. Nelson Agholor also found the end zone twice, as five players finished with at least three receptions.
Grade: A
Offensive line
Eagles running backs averaged 4.2 yards per carry - good, not great - and the line paved the way for two successful quarterback sneaks, too. Six quarterback hits in 37 dropbacks is a bit much, though.
Grade: A-
Defensive line
Michael Bennett: 3 TFL, 2 QH, 1.0 SK
Fletcher Cox also registered three sacks, as the Eagles' front took control of a patchwork O-line and dominated the point of attack. Washington averaged 1.8 per rush, including quarterback scrambles.
Grade: A+
Linebackers
Nigel Bradham: 4 TKL, 2 PD
Small gripe: Jordan Hicks was invisible, but Bradham more than made up for it. He maintained gap responsibility, which helped keep the quarterback in the pocket, plus he made some nice plays in coverage.
Grade: A
Secondary
Rasul Douglas: 1 interception, 6 tackles, 1 TFL
Douglas set the tone with an interception on the first play from scrimmage, one of the unit's three pass breakups. Washington completed only 44.4 percent of attempts for a 3.4 average - much of that "damage" done in garbage time.
Grade: A+
Special teams
Jake Elliott: 1/1 FG, 3/3 XP
Elliott was perfect, though Washington ran a successful fake punt and a couple of decent returns.
Grade: A-
Coaching
Eagles' record: 9-7
No surprise, the Eagles looked motivated and fresh after a week of dialed-down practices. Doug Pederson and Jim Schwartz didn't game-plan as if the season was on the line, either, keeping the schemes simple against an outmanned opponent. Pederson stuck with the run and intermediate passing game, Schwartz his four-man pressures, and both strategies were more than enough.
Grade: A
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