Improbable division champs
Washington goes through crazy season but will host playoff game
PHILADELPHIA — Just call the Washington Football Team division champs.
Alex Smith threw two touchdown passes and Washington beat the Philadelphia Eagles 20-14 Sunday night to capture the lowly NFC East.
“This one’s special just because of how hard it was,” said Washington coach Ron Rivera, who overcame a form of skin cancer during the season. “How tough everything was, how it’s been on the guys, the organization. There’s a great group of young men in there and we’re trying to do things the right way. It’s really a cool thing to come out and get the division.”
The Washington franchise, which changed its nickname in July after years of protests about it, became the first team in the Super Bowl era to reach the playoffs following a 2-7 start. Washington earned the NFC’S No. 4 seed and will host Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5) in a wild-card game next Saturday night. A loss would’ve given the New York Giants (6-10) the division title.
It didn’t hurt the visitors that Eagles coach Doug Pederson switched to third-string quarterback Nate Sudfeld early in the fourth quarter, which didn’t go over well with Giants players posting their reaction on Twitter. Sudfeld hadn’t thrown a pass since 2018 and was picked on his second attempt. He also lost a fumble.
Hurts’ passer rating of 25.4
was the lowest by an Eagles starting quarterback since Nick Foles posted a 9.3 rating in the final regular-season game in 2017. Foles ended that season as the Super Bowl MVP.
“Yes, I was coaching to win,” Pederson said. “Yes, that was my decision solely. Nate has been here four years and I felt he deserved an opportunity to get some snaps.”
Led by Smith and Rivera, Washington (7-9) is the third team to win a division title with a losing record during a full 16-game season. Seattle (2010) and Carolina (2014) previously did it and each
won a playoff game.
Smith threw a 13-yard TD pass to Logan Thomas in the second quarter to give Washington a 17-14 lead it never relinquished after Jalen Hurts scored on a pair of 6-yard TD runs for Philadelphia (4-111).
The 36-year-old Smith began the season as the No. 3 quarterback, a remarkable comeback following 17 surgeries on his leg and a life-threatening infection put his career in jeopardy. He led Washington’s turnaround, going 4-1 before missing the previous two games with a calf strain.
“A lot to be grateful for, starting with the guys in the locker room,” Smith said. “Excited for them. We had some bumps early, kept fighting and here we are.”
Smith tossed a 5-yard pass to Terry Mclaurin to give Washington a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. After Kamren Curl intercepted Hurts’ pass, Dustin Hopkins kicked a 42-yard field goal to make it 10-0.
Smith finished 22 of 32 for 162 yards and two picks with the two TDS.
■ Next: Buccaneers at Washington, 5:15 p.m. Saturday. Eagles, season over.