Observations: Eagles 24, Redskins 16


Here’s what we saw during today’s Eagles-Redskins game.

OFFENSE

* Nick Foles played well once again, completing 17 of 26 passes for 298 yards. Foles did not have a turnover and averaged 11.5 yards per attempt. He also ran eight times for 48 yards and a touchdown.

* On the Eagles’ second offensive drive, they got LeSean McCoy matched up with outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, and Foles delivered a beautiful pass down the sideline for a 49-yard gain. He then capped off the drive by keeping the ball on a zone-read play from 4 yards out. Kerrigan crashed in on McCoy, and the safety scraped down, but Foles was able to reach over the goal line.

* Later in the first half, Foles found Brent Celek for a 42-yard gain. The Eagles motioned Bryce Brown to the right and then came back to Celek on the left. Celek looked as fast as he ever has, sprinting all the way to the 1-yard-line before being tackled. McCoy then found the end zone for the score.

* In the second quarter, Foles got hit from behind, but stayed in the game.

* McCoy had 150 rushing/receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. He carried 20 times for 77 yards and had four grabs for 73.  McCoy suffered an injury in the second quarter, but came back into the game in the third.

* Protection was pretty good for the most part, but London Fletcher came on a delayed blitz and crushed Foles in the second. Foles was sacked three times overall.

* He hit DeSean Jackson for a 26-yard catch and run in the second. He also found Brown for a 24-yard pickup on a screen. And Riley Cooper had a 23-yard grab. Overall, five different Eagles had catches of 20+ yards.

* On third down in the second, it looked like Chris Polk might have made a mistake. Foles ended up keeping the ball, and the Eagles kicked a field goal. It looked like Kelly had some words for Polk as he came off the field.

* Brad Smith was active. He played on special teams and even got on the field on offense.

* Foles looked for Cooper deep on the first drive. It looked like the officials missed a pass interference (or holding) penalty.

* Jackson had four catches for 82 yards. Cooper had three receptions for 37.

* The Eagles failed on short yardage twice in the second half. On one possession, Brown got the handoff on 3rd-and-1 but failed to pick up the first. And in the fourth, Chip Kelly went for it on 4th-and-1, but Brown was stopped again.

DEFENSE

* The Eagles’ defense shut the Redskins out for three quarters, but things got dicey in the fourth. Robert Griffin III hit Darrel Young for a 62-yard score down the sideline. Patrick Chung and Trent Cole collided on the play, and Young scampered all the way to the end zone. Later in the quarter, Griffin hit Aldrick Robinson for a 41-yard TD. Roc Carmichael had pretty good coverage, but Robinson made a nice play on the ball.

* The Redskins took over at their own 4 with 3:26 left, down 24-16, and drove all the way to the Eagles’ 18. But Fletcher Cox pressured Griffin on 3rd-and-1, and he lobbed one up in the end back of the end zone. Brandon Boykin came down with the interception to seal the win for the Eagles

* Griffin was 4-for-7 for 26 yards in the first half. He finished with 265 yards (17-for-35).

* Connor Barwin came up with the biggest defensive play of the first half. He rushed off the left side and crushed Griffin, forcing a fumble in the red zone in the second. Cox recovered the ball for the turnover. Barwin finished with six tackles, a sack and a batted pass. The Eagles had four sacks as a team. Najee Goode and Cole (twice) also brought Griffin down.

* The Redskins had some success running the ball. Alfred Morris had 18 carries for 86 yards in the first half. He finished with 93 yards on 22 carries. Griffin ran 10 times for 44 yards.

* The Eagles seemed to rotate a little more than usual. Brandon Graham had a tackle-for-loss on a run play in the first half, replacing Cole. And Casey Matthews saw time at LOLB for Barwin.

* Cedric Thornton had a pair of tackles-for-loss. And Bennie Logan had one too.

* Carmichael filled in for an injured Bradley Fletcher and broke up an early third-down pass to force a punt.

* The Eagles had lost 10 in a row at home coming in. They have now won three in a row for the first time this season, and at 6-5, are in first place in the NFC East.

Follow Sheil Kapadia on Twitter and e-mail him at skapadia@phillymag.com.
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