The Washington Commanders showed something Sunday in Philadelphia. A young team went toe to toe with the defending NFC Champions, taking the Eagles into overtime before ultimately losing on a Jake Elliot 54-yard field goal.
Washington (2-2) looked like a different team than the one that lost to the Buffalo Bills 37-3 last week.
Quarterback Sam Howell took the offense on a 14-play, seven-and-a-half-minute drive that resulted in a Curtis Samuel touchdown run on a jet sweep from the one-yard line.
Howell finished the game 29 of 41 for 290 yards and a touchdown. While he was sacked five times, he did not throw an interception, after throwing four last week.
Philadelphia responded with a long scoring drive of its own with D’Andre Swift scoring on a four-yard touchdown run to tie the score at seven at the end of the
first quarter.
The Commanders got some luck on their second drive. Howell threw as he was hit on the Eagles four-yard line, the ball hung in the air in the endzone but Philadelphia was not able to make the interception. On the next play, Brian Robinson dragged several defenders toward the goal line. He fumbled into the endzone but Terry McLaurin recovered for the touchdown to put
Washington ahead 14-7.
The second half saw the Eagles offense exploit Washington rookie cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. Jalen Hurts completed two touchdown passes to A.J. Brown. The first one, a 59-yard strike put Philly ahead 21-17. The second, a 28-yard pass with 1:43 left in the game seemingly gave the Eagles the lead for good, 31-24.
At that point, The Commanders would have lamented squandering an effort that saw them tie the game at 24 only to lose on a mistake late in the game.
Sam Howell was not done, however. Showing poise under an Eagle rush trying to put the game away, Howell marched the offense 64 yards on 10 plays connecting with Jahon Dotson in the endzone with no time left in regulation. Joey Sly’s extra point tied the score at 31.
Washington would not get a first down in its only overtime possession and Elliott’s field goal would win the game for the Eagles.
The Commanders will have to put the loss behind them quickly. The winless Chicago Bears come to FedEx Field on Thursday night. Washington has demonstrated it can play with the leagues’ better teams, Thursday night, it will have to beat one that is clearly inferior, but do it on a short week.