Eagles grades by position after loss to Commanders

LANDOVER, Md. — The Eagles lost Jalen Hurts in the first half to a concussion and then they ended up losing the game to the Commanders on Sunday afternoon.

The Eagles were close to winning their 11th straight but faltered and lost 36-33 to the Commanders at Northwest Stadium.

Let’s get into the grades by position:

Quarterback

Kenny Pickett: 14/24, 143 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 3 sacks

Jalen Hurts had to leave the game in the first quarter with a concussion he suffered on the tail end of a run. It looked like Hurts was going to re-enter the game but was eventually ruled out and replaced by Kenny Pickett. Hurts completed 1 of 4 passes for 11 yards and rushed for 41 before his exit.

Pickett did some good things in this game, specifically when targeting A.J. Brown but he also made some mistakes. His interception was a nice play by Frankie Luvu to drop into a zone. Pickett got lucky that he didn’t get charged with a fumble on a play ruled to be an incompletion. Even with all that, if Pickett’s pass in the fourth quarter is caught by DeVonta Smith, the Eagles probably win the game. Pickett had X-rays after the game on his ribs and needs further testing but isn’t worried about his status this week. With Hurts in the concussion protocol, they might need him.

Grade: C

Running back

Saquon Barkley: 29 carries, 150 yards, 2 TDs

Barkley had another monster game in the stat sheet and if he does it two more times, he’ll be the NFL’s all-time single-season rushing record holder. Barkley wasn’t as effective in the second half but a lot of that had to do with the absence of Jalen Hurts and the way the Commanders were able to change their defensive attack. Barkley now has four runs of 65+ yards this season. His drop on a wheel route in the fourth quarter hurt. It was a tough catch but one you’d like to see him make.

Grade: B+

Receiver

A.J. Brown: 8 catches on 15 targets, 97 yards, 1 TD

Not only did Brown have 97 receiving yards but the Eagles got another 68 penalty yards on defensive pass interference calls on Marshon Lattimore in coverage on Brown. DeVonta Smith chipped in 6 catches for 51 yards but his drop in the fourth quarter was a killer and reminiscent of the Barkley drop in the Falcons game earlier this season.

Grade: B+

Tight end

Grant Calcaterra: 0 targets

The tight ends weren’t targeted at all in this game. Calcaterra had some rough moments as an inline blocker but C.J. Uzomah was able to spring a few runs. Dallas Goedert won’t be eligible to return off IR until Week 18.

Grade: C-

Offensive line

While Pickett was sacked three times in this game, some of that was on him, especially one on third down where he let a free rusher take him down. As well as the Eagles ran the ball early, the Washington front was able to thwart the run in the second half. We’re used to the Eagles’ being able to impose their will down the stretch in games but they couldn’t do that in this one, not without Hurts in the game.

Grade: B-

Defensive line

Nolan Smith: 3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 QB hits, 2 FR

The Eagles gave up 113 yards on the ground but most of that was to Jayden Daniels, who had 81 rushing yards. The Eagles’ front did a good job against the running backs. Brian Robinson had 10 carries for 24 yards and also lost two fumbles. Daniels was sacked just one time and the Eagles weren’t able to get consistent pressure. And it seemed like when they did get pressure, Daniels was able to take off.

Grade: C+

Linebacker

Zack Baun: 11 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 FF

The Eagles’ linebackers, all things considered, played well. Baun continues to make impact plays and his two TFLs and the forced fumble in this game certainly count toward that. Nakobe Dean also had an active game, leading the team with 12 total tackles. He had to leave briefly and was replaced by Oren Burks but did return. When Dean was out of the game, Baun got the helmet with the green dot.

Grade: B+

Secondary

Reed Blankenship: 5 tackle, 1 INT, 1 PBU

The Eagles’ defense has been so good for so long but this wasn’t their best effort. Daniels threw for 258 yards with 5 touchdowns. The Eagles did pick him off twice but that wasn’t enough either. Daniels threw four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to cap long drives. There’s no doubt the Eagles missed C.J. Gardner-Johnson after he was ejected from this game. Tristin McCollum struggled in his place. The Eagles gave up some big downfield passes and also struggled with communication. They have some stuff to clean up on the back end.

Grade: D+

Special teams

Jake Elliott: 4/5 on FGs

While Elliott missed a 56-yarder short at the end of the first half, he did eventually make a 50-yarder and the rest of his kicks. Braden Mann pinned a punt deep and did a nice job holding on a low snap for one of the field goals. But Mann struggled kicking the ball off and gave the Commanders good field position far too often. He even missed the landing zone on one. Sydney Brown also got called for leaving early on one of those kickoffs.

Grade: C-

Coaching

Record: 12-3

The Eagles’ coaching staff deserved a ton of credit last week for how they handled the Steelers game but this wasn’t great. The Eagles looked undisciplined at times and shot themselves in the foot. That has to fall on coaching. There was also the 12-men on the field penalty that still resulted in a long touchdown pass. And Nick Sirianni got a bit conservative with a lead and without Hurts in the second half. It’s probably difficult to make those decisions without your starting quarterback but the Eagles were trading FGs for TDs and ended up losing.

Grade: D

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