Disappointingly, the Philadelphia Eagles suffered their first defeat this season on Monday night at the hands of the Washington Commanders.
Washington pulled off an 11-point win in Philadelphia, moving to 5-5 on the season behind a strong rushing performance from rookie running back Brian Robinson.
The 8-1 Eagles turned the ball over a season-high four times and allowed Terry McLaurin to post a monster performance in front of a national television audience.
Here are the takeaways and observations from Monday’s win.
Avonte Maddox was missed
With Avonte Maddox on injured reserve, Philadelphia was forced to adjust coverages and schemes, including playing C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the slot at times.
The results were mixed, as the Commanders could exploit the mismatches.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson played slot CB for three seasons with the Saints, but this was an #Eagles scheme/personnel thing the Commanders exploited with empty sets. McLaurin caught two big third down passes vs. that matchup. https://t.co/klFc5bYPcb
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) November 15, 2022
Eagles unable to pressure Taylor Heinicke
Heinicke was 17-29 passing for 211 yards and one interception, and although the Eagles sacked the Commanders’ quarterback three times on the night, they could not deliver pressure when it mattered the most.
#Eagles blitzed Commanders QB Taylor Heinicke on 6 of 33 drops (18.2 percent), per PFF. He completed 4 of 5 throws for 29 yards and was sacked once when facing extra rushers.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) November 15, 2022
Eagles must improve their tackling
Even with Jordan Davis returning to the lineup in two weeks, Philadelphia will have to improve their tackling as a unit or risk an early postseason loss.
Commanders rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr. logged 26 attempts on the ground, rushing for 87 yards and a touchdown, with 62 yards coming after contact.
A.J. Brown dealing with an ankle injury
Brown suffered an ankle injury on the Eagles’ first drive and was a nonfactor on the night, logging one catch for seven yards on four targets.
Terry McLaurin topped Slay
Darius Slay didn’t have his best night, which was a significant reason for the Eagles’ inability to get off the field.
Terry McLaurin faced Darius Slay on 19 of his 29 routes (66% shadow).
McLaurin caught 5 of 7 targets for 90 yards with Slay as the nearest defender, the most yards given up to a receiver by Slay since Week 15, 2021 (51 yards, also against McLaurin).#WASvsPHI | #HTTC pic.twitter.com/9JHEhBsgjC
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) November 15, 2022
