Washington gets second chance to win NFC East at Philadelphia
The last time Washington faced Philadelphia, the starting quarterbacks were Dwayne Haskins and Carson Wentz, and the Eagles were the team with playoff expectations.
“It feels like five years ago,” Washington offensive coordinator Scott Turner said.
Week 1 was 3½ months ago, but everything has changed for the longtime
division rivals going into the regular-season finale. Haskins has been released; Wentz was benched for Jalen Hurts; Philadelphia is eliminated from playoff contention; and Washington will win the NFC East if it beats the Eagles on the road tonight.
“We understand the situation,” running back J.D. McKissic said. “You can just tell guys are laser-focused out there (at practice). There’s not much talking, and when there is, it’s about football. Guys are just ready to play.”
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported Saturday that Washington plans to start Alex Smith, 36, at quarterback. Washington is 4-1 this season with him starting.
December practice-squad pickup Taylor Heinicke, the Old Dominion legend who was taking online college classes when he got the call from Washington, threw a touchdown pass in relief a week ago after replacing Haskins. Top receiver Terry McLaurin is a question mark with an ankle injury that kept him out of Washington’s first chance to clinch the division, a 20-13 home loss to Carolina last week.
The challenge remains
the same, only against an opponent motivated to play spoiler at Lincoln Financial Field.
“We’ve got to have a no-hat rule this week,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said. “We can’t let opponents put division win hats on at the Linc.”
Washington coach Ron Rivera has envisioned putting on NFC East champions garb since October, when he benched Haskins — whom he has since released — to hand the No. 1 QB job to Kyle Allen. After Allen got hurt, the job fell to Smith, who hadn’t started an NFL game since 2018 when he
“A lot of people depend on you to go out there and make good decisions and be accurate with the football.”
— Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith
broke his right leg.
If Smith can play well after missing the past two games with a strained calf in a leg that has a titanium rod in it, it’s a huge advantage for Washington.
“We all depend on each other,” Smith said. “Obviously, the quarterback touching the ball every play carries a lot of responsibility. A lot of people depend on you to go out there and make good decisions and be accurate with the football. That’s not something that I take lightly at all. For me, it’s a great responsibility and a great challenge.”
Washington (6-9) would be the third division champion with a losing record since realignment in 2002. The same goes for the Dallas Cowboys (6-9) or New York Giants (5-10), who play this afternoon, with the winner only capturing the NFC East if the Eagles ruin Washington’s night.
Gibson the key
Rookie running back Antonio Gibson was a revelation for Washington with 11 touchdowns until a turf toe derailed his season. He missed two games before returning against Carolina and is questionable again, but is expected to play.
“Hopefully, we’ll get him rolling and he’ll be good to go (today) and he’ll give us everything he’s got,” Turner said.
Losing feeling
Eagles running back Miles Sanders didn’t go through a losing season in high school in Pittsburgh or college at Penn State or his rookie year in the NFL, so this “super-disappointed” feeling is a first for him.
“I believe that we’re a great football team,” said Sanders, one of nine players the Eagles ruled out with injury. “We just have to play smarter and that’s all around, pre-snap penalties, situational penalties, everything. But I do believe this is a great team and I do believe better days are coming.”
Philadelphia won’t make the playoffs for the first time since Pederson’s first season in 2016. The Eagles won the 2017 NFL championship.
500 club
The Eagles have allowed more than 500 total yards in consecutive losses to Arizona and Dallas. Kyler Murray threw for a careerbest 406 yards and three TDs against a secondary missing three starters.
Andy Dalton had 377 yards and three TDs, even though Darius Slay returned to help the depleted secondary.
Whoever starts for Washington should have an opportunity to air it out against Philadelphia.
“We’ve never really concerned ourselves too much with yards. It’s always been about points and things that affect points, third down and red zone and things like that,” defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said. “We have to figure out a way to figure it out.”