After taking a lead into the locker room at halftime, the third quarter did not go well for the Commanders.
Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota exited with a right hand injury, and backup Josh Johnson threw an interception after replacing him.
Meanwhile, the Eagles got a big play on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts to Dallas Goedert, and Philadelphia leads 14-10 at the start of the fourth quarter.
The Commanders have played hard despite having nothing to play for, but the Eagles are playing to clinch the NFC East, and they look like they’re poised to wrap it up in the final 15 minutes.
The Eagles have a problem with their kicker.
Jake Elliott has missed repeatedly in the first half today in Washington, and as a result the Commanders have a 10-7 lead in a game the Eagles should be leading.
Officially, Elliott is 0-for-2 on field goals today. But he also missed another one, which got wiped off because a Commanders player lined up offside.
Elliott also missed field goals in all three games of the Eagles’ recent three-game losing streak, and he missed an extra point in one of those games as well.
Win or lose today, the Eagles can’t be confident in Elliott’s ability to make a big-time kick with a big game on the line.
Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt kept getting the ball in the red zone. Eventually, he scored.
Starting with a first-and-10 play from the Eagles’ 11-yard line, Croskey-Merritt ran the ball five times, slowly but surely getting closer to the end zone and eventually plunging in.
On the touchdown run, Croskey-Merritt’s forward progress appeared to be stopped, but the officials didn’t blow their whistles until after he had powered into the end zone, and forward progress isn’t reviewable on replay.
One play that was reviewable saw Croskey-Merritt originally ruled to have picked up the first down. Then replay assist changed the on-field officials’ ruling and said Croskey-Merritt was short of the line to gain. Then Commanders coach Dan Quinn challenged that ruling, but it was upheld.
The officiating will be scrutinized, but the end result was a Commanders 10-7 lead in the second quarter.
The Eagles often false start on the tush push. Sometimes, the officials flag it. Today was one of those times. But it didn’t cost the Eagles.
With the Eagles facing second-and-goal inside the 1-yard line, Fred Johnson was flagged for a false start, moving the Eagles back five yards.
No matter: On the next play, Jalen Hurts hit DeVonta Smith for a touchdown pass that put the Eagles up 7-3.
Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean and Commanders punt returner Jaylin Lane have both exited today’s game with injuries, and both were designated as questionable to return.
If the Eagles win this game, they win the NFC East. Late in the first quarter, they’re on their way.
The Commanders are big underdogs today in Washington, but they’re off to a promising start.
Eagles return man Will Shipley fumbled the opening kickoff, and Washington’s Mike Sainristil recovered, to set up the Commanders in good field position to start the game.
From there, Washington drove down to the 2-yard line, but threw incomplete on second down and third down before settling for a field goal to take a 3-0 lead.
The Eagles caught a break when Cooper DeJean committed pass interference in the end zone on the third down incompletion, but the officials missed it.
Now the Eagles will try to hold onto the ball and get their offense going.
