Eagles backups fall short against Commanders, squander chance to collect NFC’s No. 2 seed

The No. 3 seed will have to do for the reigning Super Bowl champions.

With Nick Sirianni opting to rest most of the starters, the Eagles fell, 24-17, to the Washington Commanders on Sunday night. After the Los Angeles Rams’ victory over the Arizona Cardinals, the Eagles will draw the No. 6-seeded San Francisco 49ers in the wild-card round of the playoffs.

Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions defeated the Chicago Bears, 19-16, on Sunday. Because of the Eagles’ loss, the Bears clinched the NFC’s No. 2 seed.

The Eagles backups couldn’t pull off the win. Tanner McKee and the offense got out to an early 7-0 lead over the Commanders, who came out on top after three lead changes throughout the game.

The Eagles had multiple opportunities to even the score late in the fourth quarter but turned it over on downs twice. With 1 minute, 21 seconds remaining, McKee threw incomplete to Kylen Granson on fourth-and-3 from the Commanders’ 31.

The Eagles got the ball back with 53 seconds left at their own 28, but McKee couldn’t make anything happen (three incompletions, one sack).

Here’s our instant analysis from the Eagles’ regular-season finale:

In the most meaningful game of his NFL career to date, McKee made big plays and big mistakes.

He was efficient in the passing game to start. Through his first two possessions, McKee went 5-for-7 for 82 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown pass to Grant Calcaterra that put the Eagles up, 7-0.

He also had DeVonta Smith at his disposal for those first two possessions, as the 27-year-old receiver sought to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards for the season. He needed just 44 yards to hit the milestone and he quickly earned them. McKee opened the game with a 17-yard completion to Smith in the flat.

Smith caught two more passes on the ensuing possession, an 8-yarder and a leaping 27-yard grab over Commanders cornerback Jonathan Jones. His three catches for 52 yards brought him to 1,008 on the season, prompting Sirianni to pull him from the game.

McKee and the Eagles offense faltered in the red zone on the next two possessions. In the second quarter, they marched 54 yards down the field to the Commanders’ 6-yard line, but Washington stopped the Eagles on fourth-and-2. McKee had pressure in his face from defensive end Jacob Martin, fled the pocket to his right, and threw the ball away.

Later in the second quarter following an interception from Jalyx Hunt, Darius Cooper caught a 17-yard, in-breaking pass to the Commanders’ 5. However, the rookie receiver spun the ball at Jones in celebration and was flagged for taunting.

The Eagles couldn’t overcome the 15-yard penalty. On third-and-10 from the Commanders’ 20 with 59 seconds left in the first half, McKee threw an interception to safety Jeremy Reaves in the end zone on a pass intended for Jahan Dotson.

“Just me trying to force it,” McKee said of his interception after the game. “Felt like I tried to get too much back in one play. I saw the coverage, I knew what it was, knew it was going to be a tight throw, tried to fit a really tight ball in. Just dumb, trying to force it. Obviously that was one of the big things that I can learn from.”

The Commanders moved into field goal range on the brief possession that followed the pick, setting up Jake Moody for a 56-yard field goal to pull Washington ahead, 10-7.

In the third quarter, McKee turned down an opportunity to scramble for a first down on second-and-1, instead throwing an incomplete pass intended for Cooper. Tank Bigsby couldn’t pick up the requisite yard on third down, forcing the Eagles to punt from their own 29.

McKee’s performance continued to slide on the final drive of the game. He threw a pair of incomplete passes on first and second downs, took a sack on third down, then tossed another out of bounds on fourth.

He finished the night going 21-for-40 for 241 yards with a touchdown, and an interception.

A handful of key Eagles defensive players earned significant snaps against the Commanders, including Hunt, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo.

Hunt, the 2024 third-rounder out of Houston Christian, was clutch against the Commanders with his pair of takeaways. In the second quarter, as the Commanders sought to break a 7-7 tie, Hunt dove to undercut a pass intended for Deebo Samuel and picked off Josh Johnson deep in Eagles territory.

He had an assist from Joshua Uche, who generated the initial pressure on Johnson that forced him to make an ill-advised throw.

Hunt also scooped up a botched snap in the third quarter, giving McKee and the offense prime field position at the Commanders’ 28. The fumble recovery set up Bigsby’s 2-yard touchdown run.

But the second-year edge rusher’s heroics were overshadowed by a shaky showing from the Eagles’ depth cornerbacks. Jakorian Bennett, Kelee Ringo, and Mac McWilliams combined for six defensive pass interference or holding penalties (three on Bennett, two on Ringo, one on McWilliams).

In the fourth quarter, Bennett’s pass interference penalty in the end zone gave the Commanders a fresh set of downs. The Commanders capitalized with a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end John Bates, tying the score at 17.

“It is what it is, I guess,” Bennett said. “I’m going to try and clean up on film and whatnot. But I’m just out there trying to play my game.”

Ringo’s pass interference call, which Terry McLaurin drew halfway through the fourth quarter, took the Commanders from their own 23 to the Eagles’ 45. The Commanders eventually took advantage of the field position when Johnson scrambled for the game-winning 1-yard touchdown run to put his team up, 24-17.

With Saquon Barkley resting, Bigsby earned his most extended look of the season since the Eagles acquired him from the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 9.

He rose to the occasion. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound running back collected a season-high 75 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. He also snagged a catch for a career-long 31 yards in the second quarter, turning a dump-off into a long gain while breaking a tackle from Jordan Magee.

In the third quarter, Bigsby scored his second career touchdown as an Eagle. After Hunt recovered a Johnson fumble in the red zone, Bigsby had five straight carries, starting at the Commanders’ 18-yard line. His 2-yard punch-in on third-and-goal allowed the Eagles to regain the lead, 14-10.

“My confidence has been there,” Bigsby said. “When I get the opportunity, be the best player I can be for my teammates and be the best player I can be for this team.”

Brandon Johnson, who started at safety alongside Sydney Brown, injured his ankle while attempting to pick off a deflected pass in the second quarter.

With Johnson out, Michael Carter moved from nickel cornerback to safety. McWilliams, the fifth-round rookie out of Central Florida, slotted in at nickel corner.

Calcaterra hurt his ankle and knee on a hip-drop tackle from Reaves in the third quarter.

Brett Toth was evaluated for a concussion in the fourth quarter and did not return to action.