Don’t panic. The Eagles will be fine ... as long as Jalen Hurts is.
A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Saquon Barkley, the offensive line, and the defense that has been so good for so long: All of those strengths are still in place. No reason to fret yet.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is tackled by Washington's Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu. Hurts left the game after this play.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
LANDOVER, Md. — For all the reverberations from the substance of some of his recent words, A.J. Brown rarely raises his voice above a whisper when he’s speaking.
Sunday was the same, even if everything for the Eagles wasn’t. They had tried with all their might to cost themselves a victory here against the Washington Commanders, to end their 10-game winning streak and put off clinching the NFC East championship, and they had succeeded. Dropped passes, silly penalties, confusion on defense, a key player ejected for taunting an opponent: The Eagles deserved to go down, and they did, 36-33, and Brown seemed reluctant to pierce the silence of a losing locker room as he balanced the outcome’s short- and long-term implications.
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The short-term: They lost. They were sloppy. It happens. Move on.
The long-term: Jalen Hurts suffered a concussion. They could have and should have won the game anyway, but everything else related to his status for the rest of the season is for now a mystery.
“You just fix the things,” said Brown, who had eight catches for 97 yards and a touchdown and who was, one could argue, the only Eagles player who didn’t make a crippling mistake. “You get in the lab, and you try to fix them. That’s it, man. Nobody in this locker room’s perfect. Yeah, we want to win them all. Absolutely. But you’ve got to give yourself some grace. You make mistakes. They made plays. And you’ve got to take your hats off to them.
“We’re all going to be accountable. We’re going to hold each other accountable. That’s what it’s about.”
Good. They can start with two of their best defensive players. With Jalen Carter, who committed an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty and spent so much time jawing with the Commanders that he appeared determined to get himself thrown out of the game. And with C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who did get himself thrown out early in the third quarter, for taunting.
Three Jayden Daniels passing touchdowns later, Carter was insisting, “I ain’t frustrated at all. I’m moving on to next week.” And Gardner-Johnson was taking to X/Twitter to claim that he “got kicked out for nothing, I play with passion and fire!! Guys was chirping all day what u expect !!” And Brown was still at his locker, making a compelling case that the Eagles can get past one messy day.
“Even in a win, you’re still going to come in and hold each other accountable,” Brown said. “I try to remove the emotion of it. Did we win? Did we lose? None of that means anything. It’s either good or bad. Regardless of whether we win or not, I have to come back Monday critical and accountable and do my job — regardless of the emotion, whether I’m on top of the world or below the world.
“Nobody in here had better lose no confidence.”
Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers wears a pair of Grinch themed cleats during warm-ups before playing the Commanders. The cleats were made by Rodney Jackson.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis prepares to warm up before the game against the Commanders.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown warms up next to sideline heater before they play the Commanders.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown was gifted a mat by a fan that read “1K Always Open” before they play the Commanders at Northwest Stadium.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles safety Sydney Brown warms up shirtless before the game against the Commanders.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown warms up before facing the Commanders.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley protects the football as running backs coach Jemal Singleton tries to punch the ball away wearing a boxing glove.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson reaches for the football while warming up.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles linebacker Zack Baun stops Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr., in the first quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles linebacker Josh Sweat and defensive tackle Jordan Davis stop Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr., on a fourth down in the first quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni points after a first down against the the Commanders during the first quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts runs with the football against the the Commanders during the first quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley scores a first quarter touchdown against the Commanders.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley celebrates his first quarter touchdown with offensive tackle Mekhi Becton with quarterback Jalen Hurts.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts looks for a receiver in the first quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels gets rid of the football against Eagles linebacker Nolan Smith Jr., in the first quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts runs with football in the first quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts runs with the football in the first quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts runs with football in the first quarter past Commanders defensive tackle Sheldon Day (left) and defensive end Clelin Ferrell.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne and linebacker Frankie Luvu tackle Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts during the first quarter. Hurts left the game after the play.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts lays on the field in the first quarter against the Commanders. Hurts left the game after the play.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett looks for a receiver during the first quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown scores a first quarter touchdown past Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown catches a first quarter touchdown past Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett celebrates a first quarter touchdown pass to wide receiver A.J. Brown with wide receiver DeVonta Smith.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell runs with the football against Commanders cornerback Mike Sainristil in the first quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett looks for receiver against the Commanders in the first quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles cornerback Darius Slay Jr., stops Commanders wide receiver Dyami Brown in the first quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley runs for a first quarter 68-yard touchdown against the Washington Commanders.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley runs for a first quarter 68-yard touchdown against the Commanders.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley celebrates with fans after he scores in the first quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels runs with the football in the second quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean celebrates a fumble recovery with teammate cornerback Darius Slay Jr., in the second quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown catches the football against Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore in the second quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith runs with the football against Commanders safety Jeremy Chinn in the second quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter goes after Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., in the second quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson intercepts the football against Commanders wide receiver Luke McCaffrey in the second quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown gets hit by Washington Commanders safety Quan Martin in the third quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles linebacker Nolan Smith Jr., holds the up the football after recovering a third quarter fumble with defensive tackle Jalen Carter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles linebacker Nolan Smith Jr., celebrates his fumble recover with teammate linebacker Jalyx Hunt in the third quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels runs with the football past Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean in the third quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles kicker Jake Elliott kicks a fourth quarter 50-yard field goal.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles kicker Jake Elliott celebrates his fourth quarter 50-yard field goal with teammate Jordan Mailata.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett runs with the football against Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner in the third quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley runs with the football against the Commanders in the fourth quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett throws an incomplete pass against Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner in the fourth quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley gets stopped by Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne in the fourth quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
The Eagles defense celebrates after safety Reed Blankenship’s interception in the fourth quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Commanders wide receiver Jamison Crowder scores a touchdown during the fourth quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown leaves after the game against the Commanders beat the Eagles.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Commanders tight end Zach Ertz confronts Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni after the game.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles chief security officer Dom DiSandro (left) holds Commanders tight end Zach Ertz back after he confronted Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni after the game.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Brown’s not wrong to trust so much in his teammates. Yes, Hurts staggered off the field less than five minutes into the game after taking that hit from linebackers Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu. It’s true, the offense never looked so steady again with Kenny Pickett at the controls. Yes, DeVonta Smith let the kind of pass that he catches during REM sleep fall through his hands. Yes, if Gardner-Johnson ever departs a game again for any reason — and he departed Sunday’s for the dumbest and most selfish of reasons — Tristin McCollum is likely to be a poor substitute for him. Which he was.
But even without Hurts, the Eagles had to play their sloppiest game of the season to lose in the closing seconds to the second-best team in their division. They have the two bottom-feeders ahead next, the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants, and can and should beat those teams with either Pickett or Tanner McKee (there’s no law that says the skittish Pickett has to start every game in Hurts’ absence) running the show.
The Eagles are still staring down a 14-3 season and the possibility of hosting the NFC championship game, depending on how the conference playoff bracket shakes out. Everything they’ve been chasing all season is still within their reach.
Until everyone has a clearer understanding of whether Hurts will return and when, there’s no cause to believe the Eagles’ season is ruined yet. Brown, Smith, Saquon Barkley, the offensive line, that defense that has been so good for so long: All of those strengths are still in place. All of what happened here Sunday is fixable. All of it except, perhaps, the quarterback. Save the panic until no one has a choice.