Philadelphia Eagles pull away in the fourth to defeat Washington Commanders, extend win streak to six
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The Philadelphia Eagles cruised to a 26-18 victory over the Washington Commanders on Thursday night, scoring three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away and secure their sixth consecutive win. Star running back Saquon Barkley played a pivotal role, rushing for 146 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Eagles extend their lead atop the NFC East to 1.5 games over Washington.
Washington struck first in the opening quarter, with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels leading a quick four-play, 58-yard drive. The drive featured a key 34-yard screen pass to running back Austin Ekeler, who made a defender miss before being brought down. Running back Brian Robinson added an 18-yard rush before finishing the drive with a short touchdown run to give the Commanders a 7-0 lead.
The Eagles responded but struggled to find their rhythm early. Philadelphia’s offense was stymied in the first half, and quarterback Jalen Hurts was forced to leave the game briefly in the second quarter after a hard hit from defensive back Quan Martin. Hurts was tackled from behind and slammed into the turf, prompting an evaluation for a concussion. He was cleared by the medical staff, however, and returned after halftime.
At the time of Hurts’ exit, the Eagles were trailing 7-3. Hurts completed 18 of 28 passes for 221 yards, adding 39 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. Despite the rough start, Hurts and the Eagles offense remained resilient.
“What we talked about at halftime was that this was going to be a grimy and gritty game,” said Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni. “We just kept going, that was the talk at halftime, like, ‘Hey, this is a street fight. It’s not about who’s tougher, but who is tougher longer.’”
The pivotal moment in the game came early in the fourth quarter. Trailing 12-10, the Commanders faced a critical fourth-and-two situation in field goal range. Instead of opting for the field goal, Washington chose to go for the first down. However, Daniels bobbled the snap and, attempting to scramble, was tackled short of the line to gain, turning the ball over on downs.
“That was huge. That’s huge. That’s a turnover in our eyes,” said Sirianni of the stop. “Jayden Daniels is obviously a really good athlete, a really good football player. It was good to be able to string that thing out and get the stop. It was huge because we went down and made it a two-score game.”
Following the turnover, Barkley took advantage of the field position and capped a quick drive with a 23-yard touchdown run, putting the Eagles up 19-10. On the very next possession, the Eagles defense intercepted a pass from Daniels on the first play, giving Philadelphia excellent field position at Washington’s 46-yard line.
Barkley then delivered his second touchdown of the game, sprinting for a 39-yard score to extend the Eagles’ lead to 26-10 with 4:38 remaining. The touchdown, which showcased Barkley’s explosive speed, effectively sealed the game for Philadelphia. In doing so, Barkley surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the season, marking the fourth time in his career he has hit that milestone, and the fastest he’s ever reached the mark—just 10 games into the season.
The Commanders managed to score once more late in the game, with Daniels finding tight end Zach Ertz for a five-yard touchdown pass. However, it was too little, too late, as the Eagles’ defense held firm and secured the win.
Daniels finished the game with 191 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the loss. The Commanders, now 7-4, are on a two-game losing streak after a strong start to the season.
For the Eagles (8-2), the win keeps them firmly in control of the NFC East. Next, they will face the Los Angeles Rams (4-5) on November 24. The Commanders will look to bounce back as they travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys (3-6).
Barkley’s strong performance was the highlight of the night for the Eagles, but the team’s resilience and defensive stops were key factors in their victory. With their six-game win streak intact, Philadelphia continues to assert itself as one of the NFL’s top teams, while Washington will need to regroup quickly as their playoff hopes face a tough test.
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