It was an ugly affair for the Philadelphia Eagles as they suffered a 27-20 defeat at the hands of the Washington Redskins to fall to 3-2 on the season.
It was a defensive battle on both sides of the ball to start the game with all but one possession ending in a punt. The Eagles specifically struggled to get established on offense as the Redskins brought pressure on quarterback Carson Wentz early.
Wentz was sacked twice by defensive end Ryan Kerrigan on the Eagles opening drive, including one against new starter Halapoulivaati Vaitai, and was held for just 2-of-6 passing in the first quarter.
The Redskins would be first to get on the board with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins to receiver Jamison Crowder later in the first quarter.
The Eagles defense began to show difficulty in stopping the run in the second quarter. The Redskins marched down the field with a huge 45-yard run by running back Robert Kelley. The drive was capped off with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Cousins to tight end Vernon Davis to put the Redskins up by two scores.
Although the offense showed its struggles, it was the Eagles’ special teams and defense that helped them get right back in the game. First, running back Wendell Smallwood returned a Redskins’ kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown. Then on Washington’s next drive, safety Malcolm Jenkins picked off Cousins, and returned the interception 64 yards for a touchdown.
Washington would get on the board later in the second quarter with a one-yard touchdown run by running back Matt Jones after a costly late hit committed by defensive tackle Fletcher Cox.
The Redskins would go on to control the time of possession heading into the third quarter, keeping Wentz and the Eagles offense off the field for well over 15 minutes of play.
Much of the remainder of the second half saw the Eagles and Redskins trade field goals.
After coming back to be within a touchdown, Wentz and the offense had a chance to put together a late drive to tie the game. However, pressure from the Redskins defense stalled the Eagles’ chances of putting together a winning drive, handing the Birds their second straight loss on the year.
Next week, the Eagles will host their former starter Sam Bradford and the undefeated Minnesota Vikings. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
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