A dramatic end to the Eagles’ campaign for a Super Bowl repeat could bring some dramatic changes to the team in the coming days, weeks, and months.
But less than 24 hours after the 23-19 wild-card loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Jalen Hurts said he wasn’t ready to declare whether he hoped to see offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo return for a second season.
“It’s too soon to think about that,” Hurts said Monday afternoon during the Eagles’ locker cleanout. “I put my trust in Howie [Roseman], Nick [Sirianni], and Mr. [Jeffrey] Lurie.”
The offense’s shortcomings, fresh off the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning season, reflected poorly on Patullo, the 44-year-old, first-time offensive coordinator. He had a wealth of talent at his disposal on the most expensive offense in the league that returned 10 of 11 starters from the championship run.
Yet the group underperformed and often collapsed in the second halves of games, the latest example coming Sunday night against the 49ers. The offense finished the regular season ranked No. 19 in the league in scoring, No. 24 in total yards, and No. 13 in expected points added per play, which measures the average points added by the offense on each play.
The Eagles fared worse in each category compared to last season. Still, Hurts said that any discussion about impending changes to the Eagles’ offensive coaching staff or personnel would not occur in his parting meeting with team officials on Monday.
“No, I’d speak more so on just having a home base of what we do, who we are, and obviously we really made an effort to establish an identity along the way,” Hurts said. “Ultimately, it was a bit too late. Always got a lot of confidence when we step out on that field with this group, with this team. It just wasn’t our turn this time around.”
Hurts used “home base” as another way to say “identity,” something that the Eagles struggled to establish throughout the season. He said the team needed to find its “comfort zone of where you lay your head,” the go-to concepts that the Eagles could execute at a high level, no matter the caliber of defense they faced.
Where is the Eagles’ home base going forward? Hurts said the team has time to figure it out. Ultimately, though, the quarterback emphasized that he just wants to win.
Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo and quarterback Jalen Hurts never seemed to get into a rhythm this season.
“You play the game to play for championships and put yourself in those opportunities to win championships,” Hurts said. “And so, obviously, that starts with having cohesiveness and great sequencing and having a flow where everyone’s on the same page and going out there and doing that.”
Hurts is no stranger to change. He has had six offensive play-callers in his NFL career, including Doug Pederson, Sirianni, Shane Steichen, Brian Johnson, Kellen Moore, and now Patullo. In the aftermath of Johnson’s 2024 firing, Hurts said that he longed for continuity at the position.
But he acknowledged Monday that he has embraced the revolving door of offensive coordinators and translated those changes into postseason appearances. After all, the Eagles won a Super Bowl in Moore’s lone year as the offensive coordinator.
“The changes have not prevented us from having an opportunity to go on championship runs, and so with all the changes and with all the things that have gone and have changed over time, we still found ourselves in the playoffs, and we still found ourselves in positions to be in the tournament and play in the tournament,” Hurts said. “I don’t like the trend of wild-card [loss], big-time [Super Bowl appearance], wild-card [loss], big-time [Super Bowl win], and wild-card [loss]. … So competitively as a quarterback, as a leader, that’s a big focus of mine, trying to break that.”
Hurts will look to return the Eagles to their winning ways next season, when he embarks upon his sixth year as the full-time starting quarterback. Given his track record and his importance to the team, he said he has a degree of influence in important matters concerning the offense.
“I think overall, my line is always open, and so however involved or whatever level inquiry I am, I’ll definitely be available,” Hurts said.
Those important matters include the roster. While 10 of the 11 starters on offense are under contract for next season (tight end Dallas Goedert is a pending unrestricted free agent), Roseman may opt to make some changes to its core.
Could A.J. Brown’s future in Philadelphia come into question? The 28-year-old receiver is under contract through 2029. He had expressed his dissatisfaction with the offense earlier in the season, but he has not spoken publicly since the Dec. 8 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Hurts did not directly answer a question about whether he wants Brown back in 2026.
Jalen Hurts says that he and wide receiver A.J. Brown are in a “great place.”
“A. J. and I will talk,” Hurts said. “We’re in a good, great place.”
Many of the team’s prospective changes are out of his hands. Repeatedly, Hurts acknowledged that he must focus on the details within his control, especially his own performance. While he seeks a “home base” for the offense, he said he has never run away from the growth that comes with embracing the responsibilities he finds uncomfortable as a quarterback.
With the extra time that comes with an abrupt playoff exit, Hurts said he will do a “deep dive” on how he can improve as a player and as a leader before the Eagles restart once more next season.
“Obviously, every year is different,” Hurts said. “Changes are inevitable in a number of ways, but my focus is on growth. My focus is on improvement, and my focus is on embracing the challenges that come with where I am in my career.”
In the end, the Eagles offense couldn’t rise to the occasion, a shortcoming it had all season long.
With under a minute remaining in the wild-card round Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, Jalen Hurts was tasked with driving down the field and leading a touchdown drive to erase the Eagles’ 23-19 deficit. Upon reaching the 49ers’ 20-yard line, Hurts was sacked and threw three straight incompletions, ending the Eagles’ aspirations of repeating as Super Bowl champions.
There were three lead changes in the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. The 49ers managed to pull off the win without injured inside linebacker Fred Warner, defensive end Nick Bosa, and tight end George Kittle, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the second quarter.
Here’s our instant analysis from the Eagles’ loss to the 49ers:
Nick Sirianni’s first home playoff loss was a story of missed opportunities.
Tale of two halves, again
The Eagles offense followed an all-too-familiar script — it came out strong in the first half, only to disappear at times in the second.
In the first half, Kevin Patullo and Nick Sirianni opted to run early and often to great success. On the second play of the Eagles’ opening drive, Saquon Barkley took a handoff from Hurts in the shotgun, bounced to his right, and scampered upfield for a gain of 29 yards. His run helped set up the Eagles’ first touchdown of the day, a 1-yard run by Dallas Goedert to make it 7-6, 49ers, after a missed Jake Elliott point-after.
Barkley finished the first quarter with nine carries for 48 yards (5.3 yards per carry).
Barkley had an up-and-down showing in the passing game. First, the good. In the second quarter, Hurts had an unblocked defender in his face on second-and-6 from midfield, and dumped the ball off to Barkley, who turned a routine checkdown into a 20-yard gain.
His play eventually led to Goedert’s second touchdown of the game, a 9-yard catch that made it 13-7, Eagles.
Then, the not-so-good. On third-and-3 from the Eagles’ 37-yard line early in the third quarter, Barkley dropped a pass in the open field, causing the Eagles to go three-and-out for a second straight possession.
His woes continued in the second half. After averaging 4.7 yards per carry (71 yards on 15 carries) in the first, Barkley went for 0.8 yards per carry (six carries for 5 yards) in the third quarter.
Patullo and Sirianni seemed to lean conservative in their play calls in the third quarter as they clung to their 13-10 lead. Three plays after Quinyon Mitchell’s first interception of the night in the third quarter, Barkley was stuffed for a loss of a yard by 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir on a second-and-18 zone run.
The Eagles lost nine yards on the four-play drive and punted. On the following possession, still up by three, the Eagles settled for a 41-yard field goal. They had seemingly waved the white flag on third-and-13 with a Hurts 4-yard keeper, appearing content to take the points. However, Sirianni pushed back on the notion that he had grown conservative in the second half.
“I think that’s always the go-to [perception] if it [doesn’t] go the way you want,” Sirianni said. “If it goes the way you want it to go in the first half and then not the second half, I think that’s the go-to of people [thinking] you take your foot off the gas, but we were playing more balanced, got the run game going a little bit, trying to mix our play actions in, trying to get our passes in to create explosives. At the end of the day, we didn’t create enough explosives.”
Barkley was slightly more effective in the fourth quarter, and was able to return after being hobbled by a leg injury after a hard hit that caused him to miss snaps. But at that point, the Eagles were often in catch-up mode due to the 49ers scoring a pair of touchdowns.
Rare drops plagued A.J. Brown. The 28-year-old receiver had three receptions on seven targets for 25 yards. On the Eagles’ final possession, he dropped a third-down pass over the middle of the field, only to be bailed out by Goedert’s conversion on the ensuing fourth down. With the season on the line, Goedert was targeted later in the drive on fourth-and-11 from the 49ers’ 21, but linebacker Eric Kendricks broke up Hurts’ pass.
As a passer, Hurts went 20-for-35 (57.1%) for 168 yards and one touchdown. While the Eagles won the turnover battle, they didn’t win the explosive play battle. Hurts’ longest pass went for 20 yards and Barkley’s longest run was 29, marking the Eagles’ only plays of 20-plus yards.
“I take ownership for not being able to put points on the board,” Hurts said postgame. “It all starts with me and ends with me. And so there’s a sense of a lot there that you can learn from. I think as a team, as a collective group and personally for me as a quarterback, how you see the game, how you feel the game, and ultimately just, ‘OK, how can I find a way to win?’ We weren’t able to do that today.”
Quinyon Mitchell logged two interceptions in a losing effort for the Eagles.
Mitchell’s two picks for naught
Quinyon Mitchell, named to his first All-Pro team on Saturday, stepped up in the second half in an attempt to reinvigorate the Eagles offense.
The 24-year-old cornerback contributed a pair of interceptions, keeping the surging 49ers offense off the field and giving Hurts & Co. an opportunity to put points on the board.
However, the Eagles only mustered a field goal off his picks. On his first interception in the third quarter, Mitchell undercut an erratic play-action pass intended for Skyy Moore, giving the Eagles offense prime field position at their own 48.
They punted after four plays, one of which was a Cam Jurgens holding call on second-and-10.
One series after the 49ers took a 17-16 lead on a fourth-quarter trick play — a 29-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver Jauan Jennings to Christian McCaffrey — Mitchell struck again. Again, he undercut Brock Purdy’s pass, this time intended for 49ers tight end Jake Tonges.
The Eagles began the series at their own 38 and managed to move the ball 32 yards on eight plays. But the wind proved problematic in the passing game. Late in the drive, a deep pass intended for Jahan Dotson in the end zone died in the wind, eventually leading the Eagles to settle for a field goal. Elliott made the 33-yard attempt, putting the Eagles up, 19-17, with eight minutes remaining.
Ultimately, Mitchell’s interceptions proved to be missed opportunities for the Eagles offense.
The Eagles defense made some big plays but also had key miscues and allowed Christian McCaffery to get into the end zone twice.
Mistakes haunt Eagles
A litany of mistakes crippled the Eagles on both sides of the ball. The Eagles lacked detail, one of Sirianni’s core values, reflected by their seven penalties for 48 yards. The 49ers, conversely, were flagged once for 15 yards.
The Eagles’ mistakes led to 49ers points. Late in the fourth quarter, the Eagles up 19-17, Reed Blankenship was flagged for holding Tonges on second-and-6 just outside the red zone. His transgression wiped away a Jalen Carter sack and gave the 49ers a fresh set of downs at the 20.
The 49ers took advantage of his mistake, as Purdy connected with McCaffrey on a 4-yard touchdown pass to regain the lead, 23-19.
“I should have never held him,” Blankenship said. “I thought I was pretty late. But at the end of the day, I’ve just got to be better doing that and be better doing my job.”
The defense also had breakdowns in coverage. Wide receiver Demarcus Robinson’s 61-yard reception against Mitchell on the second play of the game brought the 49ers into the red zone. Robinson caught a 2-yard play-action pass for a touchdown, also against Mitchell, putting the 49ers up, 7-0.
In the second quarter, Jennings had a 45-yard reception while aligned in the slot, slipping past Cooper DeJean to make the grab. His big play eventually led to points, too, in the form of a 36-yard field goal.
Elliott’s missed extra point was also costly. Had he made it, the Eagles could have played to tie the game with a field goal on their final possession.
Eagles cornerbacks Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell entered the league together, and they’ve earned their first Associated Press first-team All-Pro nods together.
DeJean, the Eagles’ 2024 second-round pick out of Iowa, and Mitchell, the No. 22 overall pick in the same draft out of Toledo, were the only Eagles players to garner All-Pro designations on Saturday morning. Both players were named to their first Pro Bowl in December.
DeJean was named to this year’s team in the “slot cornerback” position introduced to All-Pro voting in 2023. Since the AP began to separate cornerbacks from the broader “defensive backs” category in 1962, this is the first time two corners from one team have been named first-team All-Pros. The Houston Texans’ Derek Stingley Jr. was the third cornerback named to the first team.
According to the Eagles’ communications department, this is the seventh time an NFL club has had its top two draft picks from the same class earn first-team All-Pro honors in their first two seasons. The Eagles had already been among those teams. In 1989, Eagles tight end Keith Jackson and cornerback Eric Allen, both members of the 1988 draft class, were voted first-team All-Pro.
The last Eagles cornerback to earn first-team All-Pro honors was Lito Sheppard in 2004.
DeJean, 22, has made an impact at multiple positions this season, playing 63.3% of his snaps at slot corner and 21.8% at outside cornerback. Last season, only eight of DeJean’s 881 defensive snaps came on the outside.
Still, his most impressive play has come in the slot. From that alignment this season, DeJean has allowed a 57.4% completion percentage and 5.9 yards per target, ranking below the league averages of 69.5% and 6.8, respectively, according to Next Gen Stats.
DeJean has allowed just one touchdown in coverage in his career, per Next Gen Stats, which occurred against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12, when he was lined up on the outside in base defense.
The Odebolt, Iowa, native earned NFC defensive player of the week honors for his Week 16 performance in the Eagles’ win over the Washington Commanders. He notched a career-high four pass breakups and an interception.
DeJean is tied for 10th in the NFL with 16 pass breakups and is second on the Eagles behind Mitchell (17), who is tied for sixth.
Mitchell began the season moving around the formation and often shadowing opposing teams’ top receivers. But since the Week 9 bye, according to Next Gen Stats, Mitchell has aligned as the boundary cornerback on 74.1% of his snaps.
In that span, he has registered more passes defended (nine) than receptions allowed (six) on 26 targets and 233 coverage snaps from the boundary. He has a 20.7% completion rate allowed, which is three times lower than the season-long NFL average from the boundary (65.5%).
Mitchell, a Williston, Fla., native, earned NFC defensive player of the week honors in the Eagles’ Week 4 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In that performance, he had a career-best five pass breakups, making him one of two NFL players to record five pass breakups in a single game.
Since they were drafted in 2024, DeJean and Mitchell have helped drastically improve the Eagles defense. In the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning season last year, Vic Fangio’s defense conceded the fewest passing yards in the NFL and the sixth-fewest touchdowns. This year, the Eagles’ secondary has allowed the fewest passing touchdowns and the eighth-fewest yards.
The Eagles have listed Lane Johnson, who suffered a Lisfranc foot injury in Week 11, as questionable to play in Sunday’s wild-card game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Johnson, the 35-year-old right tackle, was a limited participant in all three practices this week. He hadn’t practiced since mid-November, as he missed the last seven games of the regular season after his injury against the Detroit Lions.
“Obviously, Lane’s a phenomenal football player, so anytime he’s on the field, you are pumped about that,” Nick Sirianni said of Johnson’s participation in practice. “He’s continuing to grind through and he’s a warrior. He does everything he can possibly do to be out there with us. It’s always good to have him back on the field.”
Johnson’s potential return could provide a boost to an Eagles offense that has been plagued by inconsistency this season. In his seven-game absence, the Eagles went 3-4. The team has a 18-28 record in games in which Johnson does not play during his 13 seasons with the team.
Johnson has missed just one career playoff game, that coming as a result of a high-ankle sprain in the Eagles’ 2019 wild-card loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Otherwise, the two-time All-Pro right tackle has suited up for 15 postseason games.
If Johnson plays, the Eagles could have 21 of their 22 starters active against the 49ers. The lone player missing is rookie safety Drew Mukuba, who injured his ankle in the Week 12 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
In addition to Johnson, the Eagles listed Brett Toth (concussion) and Azeez Ojulari (hamstring; injured reserve) as questionable to play against the 49ers. Toth was a limited participant in Friday’s practice after sitting out on Wednesday and Thursday.
Everyone else on the Eagles’ active roster is available to play, including Grant Calcaterra (ankle), Jalen Carter (hip), Nakobe Dean (hamstring), Landon Dickerson (rest), Marcus Epps (concussion), Dallas Goedert (knee), and Jaelan Phillips (ankle).
Dean, the 25-year-old inside linebacker, is set to suit up for his first game in three weeks. He was sidelined for the final two games of the season with a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 16 against the Washington Commanders.
Dean revealed his intention to play against the 49ers earlier in the week. Dean last appeared in the postseason last season in the wild-card round win over the Green Bay Packers, when he tore the patellar tendon in his knee.
“I never lost faith in [the fact that] everything would be great,” Dean said of his yearlong journey on Wednesday. “My prayer, everything, I never lost faith. I never lost confidence in myself. I knew I put in the work and just take it a day at a time.”
The 49ers are listing five starters as questionable, including left tackle Trent Williams (hamstring), wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee/ankle), inside linebacker Dee Winters (ankle), outside linebacker Luke Gifford (quadricep), and cornerback Renardo Green (foot).
Williams, the three-time All-Pro tackle, was a limited participant in practice all week. Pearsall did not practice, but head coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday that he could still play. Green had not been listed on the injury report going into Friday’s practice.
Depth players defensive lineman Keion White (groin/hamstring) and Jacob Cowing (hamstring; injured reserve)are also questionable to play.
Heading into the Eagles’ wild-card matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, fans have plenty of questions surrounding the team’s offense, adjustments they could make in the playoffs, and players who may step up in the postseason.
Before Sunday’s game at Lincoln Financial Field, The Inquirer’s Olivia Reiner took to Reddit for an AMA — or “Ask Me Anything” — to answer reader questions about the team … and the future of its offensive coordinator.
The following has been edited for length and clarity.
Despite the 11-win season, the offense has felt ‘enigmatic’ (and at times dysfunctional) compared to the defense this year. In your opinion, is the disconnect primarily viewed as a play-calling issue with Kevin Patullo, or are there deeper issues with the offensive players this year?
Reiner: It would be very easy to chalk all of the offense’s dysfunction up to one thing, but I don’t think that’s fair. The blame deserves to be spread around. But just anecdotally speaking, I feel like there have been too many instances this year where Hurts doesn’t have anywhere to go with the ball. He’s been forced to make plays out of structure, whether he’s scrambling for yardage or extending the play.
I think we saw in the season finale with Tanner McKee and the backups what happens when the Eagles don’t have a quarterback who can do those things. Re: the lack of answers, how much is that on Patullo for the play call? How much is that on Hurts for not changing the play if he has the freedom to do so based on what the defense presents before the snap? Or on the offense for not getting to the line fast enough for Hurts to make a change? Only the Eagles really know.
Jalen Hurts’ designed runs have been more frequent during the second half of the season.
What adjustments could we hope to see for the offense to finally get going in the playoffs
Reiner: I’m curious to see if Kevin Patullo calls more designed runs for Jalen Hurts now that the team is in the playoffs and they could be a little less concerned with the self-preservation aspect of it. Hurts has insisted throughout the season that his designed rushes being down are more of a product of the offense, not so much an issue of keeping him healthy, though, although Nick Sirianni has acknowledged the health aspect of it.
I wrote about Hurts’ designed rushes being down this year last month. His rushing ability has the power to help keep defenses honest and open up opportunities for his teammates. That could be the most logical tweak to the offense this late in the game. I wouldn’t expect wholesale changes at this point.
Do you think the eagles offense will be able to get it done if they don’t put together four solid quarters in four straight games?
Reiner: Well, that’s how they’ve won most games this season! Many games have come down to Vic Fangio’s defense playing nearly flawless to bail out an inconsistent offense. A.J. Brown referred to it earlier in the season as the defense putting a “Band-Aid” over the offense’s inability to produce over a full four quarters.
I’m not sure if that method will fly in the playoffs. The competition, of course, gets better in the postseason. But can the Eagles offense suddenly become this consistent, well-oiled machine after sputtering so many times throughout the regular season? I think they’re still going to need the defense to bail them out, and that doesn’t sound like a recipe for success going forward.
Jahan Dotson has just 18 catches on the season. Could he be more impactful in the postseason?
If you had to pick a player likely to take a big step forward in production in the playoffs, who would it be? Is anyone unexpected going to break out?
Reiner: Jahan Dotson was kind of that player last postseason, especially in the Super Bowl. I’m more surprised that he hasn’t been more of a factor in the passing game during the regular season given his contributions in February. Maybe he comes down with a couple of key catches in the postseason. Even if it’s just a couple, that would be notable, given that he has just 18 catches on the season (one fewer than 2024).
Regardless of Sunday’s outcome, do you expect major changes to the coordinator staff this offseason? Hopefully that change involves Kevin Patullo.
Reiner: This is pure speculation and not reporting: I would think that Sunday’s outcome has to be taken into consideration regarding any changes at the offensive coordinator position, and the outcome of any additional playoff games. A wild-card exit wouldn’t reflect well on anybody. Another Super Bowl win would. This postseason run is important for Kevin Patullo, as my colleague David Murphy wrote about this morning.
To check out the rest of Olivia’s AMA, click here.
Eagles tight end Kylen Granson says he is still wrapping his head around the dichotomy of Dallas Goedert, nine months into their time as teammates.
Goedert’s reputation as a tight end preceded him, long before he set the franchise record in single-season touchdowns at his position this year. Granson was already familiar with Goedert’s greatness on the gridiron when they first met at Tight End University, the offseason summit for the do-it-all offensive skill players organized by George Kittle, Travis Kelce, and Greg Olsen.
It wasn’t until they became teammates this season when Granson got to see the other side of the 31-year-old tight end. Goedert, he says, is a “big goofball.”
Players across the locker room corroborate that stance. Their examples are endless. Jordan Mailata says he cherishes Goedert’s “ah-ha-ha” awkward laugh that slices through uncomfortable conversations and gets his teammates giggling again.
EJ Jenkins, the practice squad tight end, is always on his toes around Goedert, bracing himself for “I-got-you” tricks, when he points at Jenkins’ shirt as if there’s something on it only to swipe up at his nose when he looks down.
Goedert’s pièce de résistance is his pregame breakdown of the tight end huddle. Instead of a “hoorah” message, he explained, he tries to lighten the mood. His quote before the 2024 season-opener in São Paulo, Brazil against the Green Bay Packers — “You know why they made sidewalks? ‘Cause the streets aren’t for everybody.” — remains a crowd favorite.
“It’s kind of funny, seeing the offset between the two,” Granson said. “It’s like, this goofball and this competitor are the same person?”
The affable Dallas Goedert has been a popular teammate throughout his eight years in Philly.
But one doesn’t exist without the other, Goedert says.
“I think it’s important for me to be loose when I play the game,” Goedert said. “When we’re going out for pregame, I just kind of want to be able to make people smile. Be able to make people laugh, ‘cause that’s when I feel like I play the best.”
Goedert must be earning a few extra chuckles in the huddle this year. After an offseason of uncertainty, the veteran tight end is having a career year, scoring a personal-best 11 touchdowns through 15 starts, the most he’s had in the regular season in his eight years with the Eagles.
That touchdown total is tied for the league lead among tight ends and is more than double his previous career high (five touchdowns in 2019). Ten of those touchdowns have come in the red zone.
More uncertainty looms, as Goedert is nearing the end of his one-year, $10 million deal. But for now, Goedert is focused on the playoffs, with another milestone within reach — he’s two scores away from tying the franchise record for career postseason touchdowns (six, held by Harold Carmichael).
As much as Goedert tries to keep things light, there’s no joking about his ascent in Year 8.
“He’s been able to take advantage of the opportunities he’s had, and it’s awesome to see a guy like him who means so much in the room, to the offense, to this team,” said Jason Michael, the Eagles tight ends coach. “I don’t think there’s any question that his leadership shows who he is every day, and it’s cool to see that he’s been able to be rewarded for that.”
Dallas Goedert has been a touchdown machine for a team that has struggled in multiple aspects of offense this season.
The play that once worked “92% of the time,” according to former Eagles center Jason Kelce, isn’t the short-yardage juggernaut it was four years ago. Hurts has converted or scored on 77.8% of his quarterback sneak attempts this season, per Pro Football Focus, down from the 83% success rate the Eagles had achieved going into the year since 2021.
“The quarterback sneak hasn’t been working as good for us this year,” Goedert said. “So I feel like the next option [in the red zone] was me down there.”
The Tush Push was Goedert’s entry point to his red-zone scoring surge this season, beginning in the first quarter of the Eagles’ Week 4 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On first-and-goal from the 2, Hurts lined up under center in his typical quarterback sneak position — a staggered stance with his left leg forward and his right leg back.
He had no pushers behind him, though, giving the illusion that he was running a traditional quarterback sneak. Instead, Hurts shoveled the ball to Goedert, who was aligned tight to the formation in the back of a bunch set to the quarterback’s right. Goedert followed a trio of blockers into the end zone for his first red-zone touchdown of the season.
That touchdown gave way to nine more in the red zone over the next 12 games. Goedert has accounted for 58.8% of the Eagles’ red-zone receiving touchdowns, according to Next Gen Stats, which is the greatest share for any NFL player in 2025.
“We’ve just kind of been running with it and I’m going to keep trying to make them work,” Goedert said. “But until they don’t work, I see us still trying to find different ways to give me the ball in that situation.”
Dallas Goedert has proven easy for Jalen Hurts to find in the red zone this season.
Why is Goedert the most logical red-zone target in the Eagles passing offense? To Granson, the answer is simple.
“Big body, big body, big body,” Granson said.
At 6-foot-5, 256 pounds, Goedert is a big, strong target primed for physical catch-and-runs in the most crowded area of the field. Five of his touchdowns came on catches made behind the line of scrimmage, requiring him to run with a sense of “anger,” as Nick Sirianni puts it, to overpower defenders on his way to the end zone.
Size isn’t the only factor that makes Goedert a go-to target. To get vertical quickly and have success running after the catch, Michael said that the veteran tight end has to be able to trust his hands to secure those passes in traffic.
Michael asserted that Goedert catches more balls in practice than anybody on the team. He isn’t involved in the special teams periods, a time when Goedert can typically be found going through a catch circuit. Together, Michael and Goedert work on a plethora of catches, from one-handed to contested.
Goedert’s ability as a run blocker gets him on the field in the red zone, too. Four of Goedert’s red-zone touchdowns this season have had some sort of run-action component, including three scores on run-pass options and one on a play-action pass. The tight end credits Hurts and Saquon Barkley for forcing defenses to respect them as run threats, thus allowing Goedert to get a step on the defense before making a play.
“The more you can do as a player, the more opportunities you’re going to open for yourself,” Michael said. “The fact that Dallas is a player that can stay on the field every down as a run blocker, as a pass protector, and be able to do those things, when you can do that, it allows you as an offense to use those things to your advantage in certain situations.”
Dallas Goedert’s contract situation threatened his status as a member of the Eagles in 2025.
Uncertainty leads to opportunity
Guard Matt Pryor, a member of the same 2018 draft class that brought Goedert and Mailata to Philadelphia, has a preferred nickname for the tight end.
“I call him ‘Philly,’” Pryor said. “Yeah, ‘Philly Goedert.’ ‘Cause Dallas wanted him, but we drafted him.”
The Eagles ensured that the Dallas Cowboys, bracing for the retirement of tight end Jason Witten, wouldn’t have a chance to select Goedert. Howie Roseman moved up to select him out of South Dakota State with the No. 49 overall pick in the second round, hurdling the Cowboys at No. 50.
Philly and its offense have become synonymous with Goedert. The Britton, S.D., native is the longest-tenured member of the Eagles’ passing game and one of the most productive tight ends in franchise history. With his goal-line touchdown against the Buffalo Bills two weeks ago, Goedert broke Pete Retzlaff’s 1965 record for single-season touchdowns by an Eagles tight end.
Tush Push inefficiency aside, that feat wouldn’t have been possible a year ago. Goedert missed seven games due to injury, including three games with a hamstring injury and a four-game stint on injured reserve with a knee issue.
Even after the Super Bowl, Goedert’s odds of setting a franchise record this season — or suiting up for another game as an Eagle — would have seemed long. At the start of the new league year, Goedert’s future in Philadelphia hung in the balance entering the final year of his contract, which contained no guaranteed money. Grant Calcaterra said he didn’t expect Goedert to come back to the team this year as negotiations carried on into May.
Initially, Goedert didn’t return, missing the beginning of the offseason program. But the two sides eventually agreed to a restructured deal, bringing Goedert back into the fold for one more season at $10 million.
Dallas Goedert made up for lost time after returning to the Eagles before camp.
Between the injuries and uncertainty that characterized last year for Goedert, Calcaterra said their leader in the tight ends room never lost his sparkle.
“He’s definitely had a lot of ups and downs,” Calcaterra said. “I feel like, especially last year, he’s always been a really consistent guy, on and off the field. He’s never too high, never too low. He always stays really consistent. I think that’s really important as a football player, and then also just in general, especially as a guy who is one of our best players. Just to be the same guy all the time. And I feel like it’s really easier said than done, and he always has done a really good job of that.”
Goedert said he never lost belief in his abilities, even when “really unfortunate” injuries prevented him from getting on the field. Neither did Hurts, who reached out to Goedert last offseason to lend his support amid contract negotiations.
In June, Goedert explained that while Hurts didn’t recruit him back to the team, he made him feel like he was an important piece of the group. Seven months after Goedert’s return, few players have been more integral to the Eagles’ top-ranked red-zone offense this season. That success, Hurts said, is a result of the time they invested in the work.
“No one knows necessarily what the offseason looks like or what the future looks like in the offseason,” Hurts said. “But I know he’s working and I know we’re spending that time together to improve. So just to see all of that play out the way it has and knowing that everything has been earned … it’s been good to be able to get that quality work in and then see it come out and shine and just build upon it.”
Goedert will have at least one more opportunity to shine when the Eagles face the San Francisco 49ers in the wild-card round on Sunday. The 49ers defense and its banged-up inside linebacker corps have given up the fourth-most touchdowns in the league to tight ends this season.
Dallas Goedert’s touchdown-making has been a constant for the Eagles in an uneven 2025.
The veteran Goedert ought to know a thing or two about getting into the end zone. He said he also knows he plays his best when he’s feeling loose and cracking jokes before the game with his teammates.
“I think you’ve just got to be yourself out there,” Goedert said. “You’ve got to have fun. I’m really close with all the guys in the tight end room. They understand who I am from the time we’ve spent together. And if I get nervous, if I’m worried about something, if I’m scared, I feel like that will just pass on to them. So I keep it lighthearted knowing that you’ve just got to play the next play and play as hard as you can.”
More uncertainty lies ahead for Goedert, who is set to become a free agent this offseason. But Goedert ought to know that uncertainty can lead to opportunity, as evidenced by his whirlwind of a year.
“I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Goedert said. “I’m glad it worked out the way it did. I’m glad I’m back here.
“And hopefully, we can continue this year and go down the road and look back and maybe appreciate it a little bit more.”
As Champagne showered behind him in the Eagles’ postgame locker room following their Super Bowl LIX victory, Jeffrey Lurie raved to reporters about Jalen Hurts’ “clutch gene.”
Hurts, then 26, dazzled under the bright lights of the Superdome, earning Super Bowl MVP honors after he totaled 293 yards (221 passing, 72 rushing) and three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). Lurie, the Eagles’ owner, noted that his quarterback seemed to amp up his play when the stakes were the highest.
That so-called clutch gene, according to Hurts, is truly inherent.
“Some things are in you,“ Hurts explained Wednesday.
Hurts will have an opportunity to flaunt that trait again on Sunday when the Eagles return to the playoffs after last year’s Super Bowl win. They will start from the beginning once more in the wild-card round against the San Francisco 49ers, a team they have not faced since 2023.
The opponent may be relatively unfamiliar, but the postseason is a familiar stage to Hurts. In his fifth season as the Eagles’ starter, he is tied for the best playoff win percentage (6-3; 66.7%) among postseason quarterbacks with the 49ers’ Brock Purdy (4-2; 66.7%).
Hurts has more overall playoff experience than Purdy and a Lombardi Trophy to his name. That experience, Hurts said, informs his approach to the postseason.
“I think experience is the biggest teacher,” Hurts said. “So a lot of moments you can lean on experience in itself. So just being able to reflect on, not always someone else’s opinions but your own experiences, that’s valuable.”
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles last played the Niners in 2023.
Hurts has experience playing against the Kyle Shanahan-led 49ers, too. Hurts has started at quarterback against San Francisco three times in his career from 2021-23, including the NFC championship victory that punched their ticket to Super Bowl LVII in the 2022-23 season.
Shanahan isn’t calling the defense, though. Hurts has yet to face a 49ers defense led by Robert Saleh, who rejoined the staff as defensive coordinator this year. Despite his lack of direct experience with Saleh’s 49ers, he is familiar with their physical brand of football.
“I think any time we’ve matched up against this team, it’s been a very physical, fast, and intense game,” Hurts said. “So we’ve got a lot of respect for this opponent and how they play ball and the mentality that they have. That’s something that we have a lot of respect for.”
But the 49ers defense of late isn’t the same group that throttled the Eagles, 42-19, two seasons ago. For one, Dre Greenlaw, who got into it with Eagles security chief Dom DiSandro on the sideline in that game, is no longer on the team.
That isn’t the only difference, nor the most notable. Injuries have ravaged Saleh’s unit this season, with inside linebacker Fred Warner and defensive ends Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams sustaining long-term injuries that will prevent them from suiting up on Sunday.
The San Francisco inside linebacker corps has experienced the most turnover of any position. All five linebackers who made the 49ers’ initial 53-man roster out of training camp are injured, including projected starter Dee Winters, who did not practice on Wednesday due to an ankle ailment.
The 49ers will be missing defensive end Nick Bosa (center) and linebacker Fred Warner (right) for Sunday’s wild-card matchup.
The Eagles, meanwhile, are potentially getting healthier. Lane Johnson returned to practice on Wednesday for the first time since he sustained a Lisfranc foot injury in the Nov. 16 win over the Detroit Lions. His status for Sunday’s game remains in question, as he was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice.
Hurts is healthy, too, and fresh off a week of rest, luxuries the Eagles haven’t always had in the postseason. His good health seemingly correlates with his career-low as a starter in rushing attempts this season (105). But Hurts pushed back on the notion that the decrease in carries was intended to keep him out of harm’s way.
“I think the season just kind of going the way it has, the approach this year and how the games have been called with this coordinator, with coach KP [Kevin Patullo],” Hurts said. “It’s just kind of going that way. Just kind of taking it in stride and tried to give my best, whatever position I’ve been put in.”
Hurts has been put in all kinds of positions this season, whether he handed the ball off to Saquon Barkley or dropped back more to pass. The Eagles have shown flashes of an identity at times throughout the season, especially when to establish the run game and build passing concepts off those looks. But their overall performance as a group has been characterized by inconsistency.
Still, winning in multiple ways, according to Hurts, isn’t necessarily bad.
“I think it depends on what perspective you look at, half empty or half full,” Hurts said. “I think being able to evolve and change as much as we have and still find ways to win, maybe gives off this perspective of, ‘Well, what are they going to do? Who are they?’ I do definitely think that is a way that you can look at it.
“Also, at the end of the day, we’re not going to be judged off how it got done. We’re going to be judged off if we did it or not. So my focus is on doing it.”
Hurts and his clutch gene have done it before in the playoffs. Doing it again hinges on whether he can help the offense, as listless as it has been at times this season, find a new gear.
The Eagles are likely to get back one of their key defensive players just in time for the playoffs.
Linebacker Nakobe Dean is expected to return to action on Sunday for the Eagles’ wild-card game against the San Francisco 49ers, Vic Fangio said on Tuesday. Dean, 25, has been inactive for the last two weeks while recovering from a hamstring injury sustained in the Week 16 win over the Washington Commanders.
He is set to enter the lineup at a critical time, with the stakes higher entering the postseason and the competition ramping up against a strong 49ers offense.
The group’s top weapons put the greatest stress on opposing inside linebackers. Christian McCaffrey, the two-time first-team All-Pro running back, is the most productive player in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. McCaffrey is second in the NFL with 2,126 scrimmage yards on a career-high 413 touches (1,202 rushing yards on 311 carries and 924 receiving yards on 102 catches).
“He’s a very good runner when they hand it off to him,” Fangio said. “And obviously, he is a very good receiver … he’s got over 100 receptions this year. And he’s always a threat that way. They do like to scheme plays for him in the passing game.”
George Kittle, the two-time first-team All-Pro tight end, missed six games this season due to hamstring and ankle injuries. Still, he’s the third-most targeted player in the 49ers offense behind McCaffrey and wide receiver Jauan Jennings, posting 628 yards and seven touchdowns on 57 receptions.
Dean will be tasked with helping keep Kittle and McCaffrey in check. He ought to be up for the challenge, especially on the ground. Since coming off the physically unable to perform list and returning to Fangio’s defense in Week 7, Dean has mustered stops on 6.5% of his run defense snaps, the third-highest rate on the team among players with at least 100 such snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
“It’s a big game for everybody,” Fangio said. “You play an offense this good and this diverse, all 11 got to be cooking.”
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan and Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio have a great deal of familiarity.
Fangio’s Shana-history
In an alternate universe, Fangio is preparing to face the Eagles as Shanahan’s defensive coordinator.
That hire could have happened in 2017, when Shanahan left the Atlanta Falcons to become the head coach in San Francisco. At the time, Fangio was the Chicago Bears’ defensive coordinator. However, the Bears reportedly blocked the 49ers’ attempt to speak with Fangio, so he stayed in Chicago for two more seasons before he left for the Denver Broncos’ head coaching gig.
Even though they never served on the same staff, Fangio said he maintains a relationship with Shanahan.
“We don’t talk often, put it that way,” Fangio said. “But if there’s a reason to, we do talk or text with each other.”
Vic Fangio last faced Kyle Shanahan in 2018 when he was defensive coordinator with the Bears.
He hasn’t faced Shanahan often either, at least recently. The two coaches have gone head-to-head four times as coordinators or head coaches throughout their careers, twice while Fangio was the 49ers’ defensive coordinator under Jim Harbaugh and Shanahan was the offensive coordinator for Washington in 2011 and 2013. The other two occasions occurred when Fangio was with the Bears and Shanahan was with the 49ers in 2017 and 2018.
Fangio has a 3-1 all-time lead, with his lone loss coming by one point in the 2017 matchup. In those four meetings, Shanahan’s offenses have never scored a meaningful touchdown against Fangio’s defenses.
In 2011, Washington receiver Jabar Gaffney snagged a garbage-time touchdown pass in the 19-11 loss to the 49ers. Kickers on Shanahan’s teams have combined for 11 field goals in those games.
Fangio downplayed his success in their head-to-head matchups, emphasizing that it’s been “almost 10 years” since they last faced each other. He said he holds Shanahan — who has led the 49ers to three NFC West division titles, four NFC championship games, and two Super Bowl showings — in high regard as an offensive play-caller.
“Everything’s packaged well together,” Fangio said. “And he’s a good play-caller during the game. You always know that. Everything they do has a purpose and a reason.”
Lane Johnson has appeared in 10 games this season, his fewest since 2020.
Johnson set to jump back in
The Eagles offensive line could be poised to welcome back Lane Johnson, who has missed the last seven games with a Lisfranc foot injury.
Johnson, the 35-year-old right tackle, is expected to practice on Wednesday for the first time since getting hurt against the Detroit Lions in mid-November, league sources told The Inquirer. In the absence of the two-time first-team All-Pro right tackle, the Eagles have gone 3-4, bringing them to 18-28 in the games Johnson has missed throughout his 13-year career.
Kevin Patullo stressed the impact Johnson would have on the offense if he is available to play against the 49ers.
“Lane’s the best right tackle in the game,” the Eagles offensive coordinator said. “So if we get him back, it’s tremendous. He’ll add so much to everything. Even his leadership, his play-style ability, run-pass, doesn’t matter. It’ll be a tremendous lift for the whole entire offense and I think you’ll feel the energy if he’s out there.”
Now that the regular season has concluded, the real fun can begin.
The No. 3-seeded Eagles are set to host the San Francisco 49ers at 4:30 p.m. Sunday in the wild-card round. The No. 2 seed was up for grabs with the Chicago Bears’ loss to the Detroit Lions, but the Eagles couldn’t win the regular-season finale against the Washington Commanders with their backups.
That loss, and Nick Sirianni’s decision to rest the starters in Week 18, is in the past now. After finishing the regular season 11-6, the Eagles get to start anew in the postseason.
Here’s what we know (and what we don’t) about the Eagles going into Sunday’s wild-card game:
Can offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo dial up the plays that can take advantage of the 49ers’ shortcomings?
An ideal matchup?
For all of the discussion leading up to the season finale about whether to rest or play the starters with the hopes of facing the No. 7-seeded Green Bay Packers, the Eagles might have drawn an ideal opponent in the wild-card round.
The 49ers have one of the weaker defenses among the NFC’s playoff teams, which could be a gift to a shaky Eagles offense. San Francisco’s defense has suffered significant injury-related attrition this season. Inside linebacker Fred Warner and edge rushers Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams suffered season-ending injuries earlier in the year, which have proved to be significant losses for defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s group.
Their pass rush is practically nonexistent. The 49ers rank second-to-last in the league in quarterback pressure rate (26.7%), according to Next Gen Stats. Bryce Huff — remember him? — is tied for the team lead with four sacks. Bosa, who suffered a torn ACL in Week 3, still ranks third on the team with two sacks.
Their inside linebacker corps is suspect in coverage. In the Week 18 loss to the Seahawks, 49ers inside linebackers conceded 126 of Sam Darnold’s 198 passing yards, according to Pro Football Focus. Darnold picked on Tatum Bethune, who left the game injured and was ruled out for the postseason on Monday, the most (six receptions allowed on seven targets for 78 yards).
The 49ers should provide a welcome first-round matchup for the Eagles offense. After all, if we’ve learned anything this season, it’s that Kevin Patullo’s play-calling has been generally lackluster.
His shortcomings took center stage Sunday in the loss to the Commanders in various situations, especially toward the end of the game when the Eagles abandoned the efficient, Tank Bigsby-led running game and put the contest on Tanner McKee’s arm to no avail. McKee’s inability to make plays out of structure served as a reminder that Jalen Hurts has often put a Band-Aid over otherwise dead plays with his knack for extending them.
Can the Eagles offense, with or without the help of Patullo, take advantage of the 49ers’ weaknesses?
Saquon Barkley has seen an uptick in production over the past month.
On the run
The good news for the Eagles offense doesn’t end there — the 49ers have been porous against the run, too.
The Seahawks, led by the tailback duo of Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet, combined for 180 yards and a touchdown on 39 carries against the 49ers on Saturday, marking San Francisco’s worst performance against the run this season. According to Next Gen Stats, Walker and Charbonnet combined for 141 yards and a touchdown on under-center runs.
Over the last two weeks, opposing teams have been generating plays of at least 20 yards against the 49ers at will. In Week 17, the Bears had seven plays of at least 20 yards, six of which were passing plays. The Seahawks had four, two of which came on the ground. Missed tackles plagued the 49ers — according to Next Gen Stats, Walker and Charbonnet each forced seven missed tackles.
That ought to be Saquon Barkley’s music. The 28-year-old running back has been making the most of an increased workload lately. In December, Barkley averaged 4.88 yards per carry and 100 yards per game, the latter being his best clip on a monthly basis this season. He also had 20.5 carries per game, his greatest share on a monthly basis, too.
Could the Eagles lean into the under-center running game against the 49ers? When they have, Barkley has been successful. He has averaged 4.9 yards per carry (531 yards on 108 attempts) on under-center runs this season, compared to 3.6 yards per carry (489 yards on 134 carries) on shotgun runs and 3.2 yards per carry (120 yards on 38 attempts) on rare runs out of pistol.
After a week off, and with the potential of getting Lane Johnson back into the mix for the first time since November, the entire Eagles rushing unit should have no excuses against a struggling 49ers defense.
The dangerous Christian McCaffrey will be a challenge for Vic Fangio and the Eagles defense.
McCaffrey mania
Brock Purdy has fared well since his Week 11 return from injury, racking up 1,581 passing yards (No. 12 in the NFL among quarterbacks with at least 100 attempts) and 16 touchdowns (No. 3) while completing 70.6% of his attempts (No. 2) in that span.
But he isn’t the star of the 49ers offense. Christian McCaffrey is the 49ers’ greatest weapon, both in the running game and in the passing game. He has shouldered a staggering workload this season, with a league-high (and a single-season career-high) 413 touches through 17 starts.
He’s made the most of those touches. McCaffrey has 2,126 all-purpose yards, which ranks fourth in the NFL. That total is the second-greatest of his career, only behind his output in 2019 (2,392) as a member of the Carolina Panthers.
Even at age 29 and coming off a lost 2024 season due to injury, McCaffrey remains one of the most elusive players in the league. Going into Week 18, McCaffrey had forced a league-high 112 missed tackles across his touches, according to Next Gen Stats.
Still, he didn’t generate a single missed tackle against the Seahawks, who boast one of the best run defenses in the league. His fourth-quarter red-zone drop, which led to a Seahawks interception, also helped quash the 49ers’ attempt at a comeback on Saturday.
Keeping McCaffrey at bay will be the key to an Eagles victory. He has 10 games with at least 115 yards from scrimmage, the most of any player this season. The 49ers are 9-1 in those games. Reinforcements are on the way for the Eagles, with Nakobe Dean — one of their best defenders against the run — likely to return from a two-week injury layoff.
Skyy Moore (9) has helped the 49ers win the field-position game throughout the 2025 season.
Special-teams stars
The 49ers’ best phase is arguably their special-teams unit.
Yes, the unit that muffed a punt and missed an extra point in the 49ers’ Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs two seasons ago is now one of the strongest in the NFL.
Kicker Eddy Piñeiro is at the center of that turnaround. Piñeiro, whom the 49ers signed after Jake Moody struggled in the season opener, has been practically flawless on field goals this year. He has made 28 of 29 attempts (96.6% made, tied for the league lead among kickers with at least 20 attempts). His lone miss came on a 64-yard attempt three weeks ago.
The Niners have thrived in the return game, too. Skyy Moore ranks 10th in the NFL in yards per kick return (27.5; the league average is 25.9) and No. 9 in yards per punt return (11.6; the average is 10.2). The 49ers are tied for second in the NFL in average starting field position (their own 32.5).
The Eagles can’t afford to make mistakes on special teams because the 49ers have been so sound. Jake Elliott has been the most inconsistent piece of the group, as he has made just 74.1% of his field-goal attempts, which is the second-worst rate among kickers with at least 20 attempts this season.
The No. 3 seed will have to do for the reigning Super Bowl champions.
With Nick Sirianni opting to rest most of the starters, the Eagles fell, 24-17, to the Washington Commanders on Sunday night. After the Los Angeles Rams’ victory over the Arizona Cardinals, the Eagles will draw the No. 6-seeded San Francisco 49ers in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions defeated the Chicago Bears, 19-16, on Sunday. Because of the Eagles’ loss, the Bears clinched the NFC’s No. 2 seed.
The Eagles backups couldn’t pull off the win. Tanner McKee and the offense got out to an early 7-0 lead over the Commanders, who came out on top after three lead changes throughout the game.
The Eagles had multiple opportunities to even the score late in the fourth quarter but turned it over on downs twice. With 1 minute, 21 seconds remaining, McKee threw incomplete to Kylen Granson on fourth-and-3 from the Commanders’ 31.
The Eagles got the ball back with 53 seconds left at their own 28, but McKee couldn’t make anything happen (three incompletions, one sack).
Here’s our instant analysis from the Eagles’ regular-season finale:
In the most meaningful game of his NFL career to date, McKee made big plays and big mistakes.
He was efficient in the passing game to start. Through his first two possessions, McKee went 5-for-7 for 82 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown pass to Grant Calcaterra that put the Eagles up, 7-0.
He also had DeVonta Smith at his disposal for those first two possessions, as the 27-year-old receiver sought to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards for the season. He needed just 44 yards to hit the milestone and he quickly earned them. McKee opened the game with a 17-yard completion to Smith in the flat.
Smith caught two more passes on the ensuing possession, an 8-yarder and a leaping 27-yard grab over Commanders cornerback Jonathan Jones. His three catches for 52 yards brought him to 1,008 on the season, prompting Sirianni to pull him from the game.
McKee and the Eagles offense faltered in the red zone on the next two possessions. In the second quarter, they marched 54 yards down the field to the Commanders’ 6-yard line, but Washington stopped the Eagles on fourth-and-2. McKee had pressure in his face from defensive end Jacob Martin, fled the pocket to his right, and threw the ball away.
Later in the second quarter following an interception from Jalyx Hunt, Darius Cooper caught a 17-yard, in-breaking pass to the Commanders’ 5. However, the rookie receiver spun the ball at Jones in celebration and was flagged for taunting.
The Eagles couldn’t overcome the 15-yard penalty. On third-and-10 from the Commanders’ 20 with 59 seconds left in the first half, McKee threw an interception to safety Jeremy Reaves in the end zone on a pass intended for Jahan Dotson.
“Just me trying to force it,” McKee said of his interception after the game. “Felt like I tried to get too much back in one play. I saw the coverage, I knew what it was, knew it was going to be a tight throw, tried to fit a really tight ball in. Just dumb, trying to force it. Obviously that was one of the big things that I can learn from.”
The Commanders moved into field goal range on the brief possession that followed the pick, setting up Jake Moody for a 56-yard field goal to pull Washington ahead, 10-7.
In the third quarter, McKee turned down an opportunity to scramble for a first down on second-and-1, instead throwing an incomplete pass intended for Cooper. Tank Bigsby couldn’t pick up the requisite yard on third down, forcing the Eagles to punt from their own 29.
McKee’s performance continued to slide on the final drive of the game. He threw a pair of incomplete passes on first and second downs, took a sack on third down, then tossed another out of bounds on fourth.
He finished the night going 21-for-40 for 241 yards with a touchdown, and an interception.
Jalyx Hunt made an impact, but the defense faltered late.
Hunt’s surge overshadowed
A handful of key Eagles defensive players earned significant snaps against the Commanders, including Hunt, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo.
Hunt, the 2024 third-rounder out of Houston Christian, was clutch against the Commanders with his pair of takeaways. In the second quarter, as the Commanders sought to break a 7-7 tie, Hunt dove to undercut a pass intended for Deebo Samuel and picked off Josh Johnson deep in Eagles territory.
He had an assist from Joshua Uche, who generated the initial pressure on Johnson that forced him to make an ill-advised throw.
Hunt also scooped up a botched snap in the third quarter, giving McKee and the offense prime field position at the Commanders’ 28. The fumble recovery set up Bigsby’s 2-yard touchdown run.
But the second-year edge rusher’s heroics were overshadowed by a shaky showing from the Eagles’ depth cornerbacks. Jakorian Bennett, Kelee Ringo, and Mac McWilliams combined for six defensive pass interference or holding penalties (three on Bennett, two on Ringo, one on McWilliams).
In the fourth quarter, Bennett’s pass interference penalty in the end zone gave the Commanders a fresh set of downs. The Commanders capitalized with a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end John Bates, tying the score at 17.
“It is what it is, I guess,” Bennett said. “I’m going to try and clean up on film and whatnot. But I’m just out there trying to play my game.”
Ringo’s pass interference call, which Terry McLaurin drew halfway through the fourth quarter, took the Commanders from their own 23 to the Eagles’ 45. The Commanders eventually took advantage of the field position when Johnson scrambled for the game-winning 1-yard touchdown run to put his team up, 24-17.
Tank Bigsby got some time in the rushing spotlight in Week 18.
Big Tank
With Saquon Barkley resting, Bigsby earned his most extended look of the season since the Eagles acquired him from the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 9.
He rose to the occasion. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound running back collected a season-high 75 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. He also snagged a catch for a career-long 31 yards in the second quarter, turning a dump-off into a long gain while breaking a tackle from Jordan Magee.
In the third quarter, Bigsby scored his second career touchdown as an Eagle. After Hunt recovered a Johnson fumble in the red zone, Bigsby had five straight carries, starting at the Commanders’ 18-yard line. His 2-yard punch-in on third-and-goal allowed the Eagles to regain the lead, 14-10.
“My confidence has been there,” Bigsby said. “When I get the opportunity, be the best player I can be for my teammates and be the best player I can be for this team.”
Injury report
Brandon Johnson, who started at safety alongside Sydney Brown, injured his ankle while attempting to pick off a deflected pass in the second quarter.
With Johnson out, Michael Carter moved from nickel cornerback to safety. McWilliams, the fifth-round rookie out of Central Florida, slotted in at nickel corner.
Calcaterra hurt his ankle and knee on a hip-drop tackle from Reaves in the third quarter.
Brett Toth was evaluated for a concussion in the fourth quarter and did not return to action.
