The Washington Commanders are back to .500 after Monday’s shocking 32-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Many felt last week’s game against the Vikings was so critical because going to Philly was a guaranteed loss.
Quarterback Taylor Heinicke made enough plays, while Washington’s ground game churned out 152 tough rushing yards. Defensively, the Commanders forced four turnovers — a season-high for the Eagles.
The Commanders have a chance to go over .500 next week against the Houston Texans, but first, here are our five takeaways from Washington’s win over the Eagles.
Taylor Heinicke won the job for the remainder of the season
We asked the question over the weekend if this game would determine Washington’s quarterback position for the remainder of the season. While we still don’t know what head coach Ron Rivera will do once Carson Wentz is healthy and ready to go, it’s clear this is Heinicke’s team for the rest of the season. His teammates believe in him. There’s no way Rivera can turn back to Wentz after Heinicke went 3-1 as the starter. And it’s not as if Wentz had shown enough to be considered Washington’s quarterback in 2023.
The running game was efficient
A look at the final numbers, and you see that the Commanders rushed for 152 yards. They didn’t break many long runs and earned every yard. Even when it looked like offensive coordinator Scott Turner should pass the ball; he stuck with Brian Robinson Jr. and Antonio Gibson. Robinson and Griffin ran hard against a good defensive front. They kept the chains moving.
Washington’s strategy was to keep Philadelphia’s offense off the field. And it worked. When the Eagles would get the ball in the second half, quarterback Jalen Hurts was off, or one of his receivers would fail to make a play.
That's why they paid Terry McLaurin
Terry McLaurin caught eight passes for 128 yards. McLaurin did everything. He caught balls close to the line of scrimmage, and he even caught a deep ball. He worked Eagles cornerback Darius Slay all night. When McLaurin is receiving good quarterback play, he is a top-10 NFL wide receiver. Washington’s offense is just better when it feeds McLaurin. It opens up opportunities for others.
Commanders don't win that game without Joey Slye
Anytime a kicker comes onto the field, unless you’re a Ravens’ fan and have Justin Tucker, teams get nervous. There is no guarantee for kickers. even PATs are an adventure these days.
Washington’s kicker, Joey Slye, signed late last season, kicked well, and won the job. In the upset over the Eagles, Slye made all four of his field-goal attempts, including one from 58 yards and another from 55 yards. All of Slye’s kicks were important, and he delivered. The Commanders do not win that game without him.
The coaching staff had this team ready
Ron Rivera and his coaches had a specific plan for this game. And for this game, Rivera and his staff pushed all the right buttons. Washington punched the Eagles in the mouth. And they kept punching. When it appeared that momentum was slipping away in the fourth quarter, the defense rose to the occasion.
This was a masterful coaching job by Rivera and his coaching staff,
