PHILADELPHIA -- Jake Elliott hit a game-winning 54-yard field goal to give the Philadelphia Eagles a thrilling 34-31 overtime victory over the Washington Commanders in Week 4 at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday.
D'Andre Swift caught an 11-yard pass to set up Elliott's eventual game winner. Jalen Hurts almost cost the Eagles with an intentional grounding penalty, but Elliott bailed out the offense with the game-winning kick.
Sam Howell forced overtime with a 10-yard pass to Jahon Dotson just as time expired, leading the Commanders on a 10-play, 64-yard drive in the final 1:43 to shock the home crowd. The Commanders could have won it to start overtime, but went three-and-out on their opening drive. Howell finished with 290 yards passing and a score (90.6 rating).
Brown had one of his best games in an Eagles uniform, catching eight passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns -- including the go-ahead 28-yard haul with 1:43 left. He beat Emmanuel Forbes to give the Eagles the lead on a 28-yard toss from Hurts, who finished with 319 yards and two pass touchdowns (112.3 rating). The pass was part of a highlight day for Brown, who had his second-most receiving yards in a game with the Eagles. On the go-ahead drive, Olamide Zaccheaus corralled Hurts' pass on a third-and-8 for an 11-yard gain heading into the two-minute warning. Brown followed with a 10-yard catch to get them into Elliott's range, but that wasn't needed as Brown scored the go-ahead touchdown two plays later.
Haason Reddick had the biggest defensive stop of the quarter for the Eagles when Washington was trying to take the lead, sacking Howell with 4:24 left to put the Commanders in a third-and-long. Reddick's first sack of the year forced the Commanders to punt and set the Eagles up for the go-ahead score.
Washington tied up the game on a Brian Robinson touchdown run with 8:01 left. The Commanders were trailing 24-17 and facing a third-and-4 at their own 46, but Terrell Edmunds' unnecessary roughness penalty on a Howell run extended the drive. Washington scored five plays later on the 15-yard run by Robinson for the tie.
A.J. Brown gave the Eagles their first lead of the game on a 59-yard touchdown pass from Hurts midway through the third quarter. Brown caught a Hurts deep ball and eluded three defenders after the catch to put Philadelphia up 21-17 (Kenneth Gainwell scored a two-point conversion).
This back-and-forth affair was one of the top games on the NFL calendar -- and certainly one to remember. Below are the key takeaways from the NFC East showdown.
Why the Eagles won
The Eagles started out slow, but the offense got going in the second half -- thanks to Brown. A 59-yard touchdown by Brown in the third quarter gave the Eagles their first lead of the game, and a 28-yard score with 1:43 left in regulation put the Eagles ahead 31-24. Brown finished with nine catches for 175 yards and two scores, becoming the fifth Eagles player since the 1970 merger to have 130-plus receiving yards in back-to-back games.
Jalen Hurts also threw for 203 yards in the second half and averaged 9.7 yards per attempt as a result of getting the ball to Brown. The passing game clicked this week because of the Hurts-Brown connection.
Why the Commanders lost
Washington played well enough to win the game, but Ron Rivera deciding not to go for two and the win instead of forcing overtime was a bit of a head scratcher. Even though Rivera didn't go for two and kicked the extra point with no time left to force overtime, the Commanders still had an opportunity to win the game by scoring a touchdown in the extra period by having the ball first. Washington instead went three-and-out and gave the ball right back to Philadelphia.
Rivera's reasoning for not going for two? "They [the offense] were gassed. They really were. It was a long drive." The irony is -- the Eagles defense may have been more gassed. Rivera had his team ready to play, but he couldn't finish on a strong performance by his football team.
Turning point
Reed Blankenship stopping Terry McLaurin from getting both feet in bounds on a third-and-5 play on the Commanders' first possession in overtime was the difference. McLaurin appeared to get both feet in, but he stepped on Blankenship's arm (his arm blocked the out of bounds line), preventing the first down and extending the drive. After official review, it was determined the pass was incomplete and McLaurin didn't get both feet in. That forced the Commanders to punt, meaning all the Eagles needed as a field goal on their first overtime possession to win.
Play of the game
Elliott drilled a 54-yard field goal to win the game in overtime, his fifth game-winner with the Eagles. The Eagles kicker is 4 of 5 on kicks from 50-plus yards this season and 11 of 12 overall, a conversion rate of 91.7%. The Eagles won their first overtime game against Washington since 1995.
The quote
"We just all gotta put it together, because we know what we're capable of doing. We just gotta keep doing it consistently. You know, we have sparks, we make plays -- but we gotta start fast like that." -- Darius Slay on what the Eagles need to improve upon after starting 4-0.
Up next
The Eagles (4-0) head to Los Angeles to take on the Rams (2-2) next week while the Commanders (2-2) have a short week and face the Bears (0-4) at home on Thursday night.