LANDOVER, Md. -- A few thoughts on the Philadelphia Eagles’ 27-24 loss to the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field.
What it means: The Eagles’ 2014 season is officially falling apart, and playoff talk is now just wishful thinking. It was one thing to lose to the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks two weeks ago. It was another to lose to Dallas, a division opponent the Eagles had beaten decisively on Thanksgiving Day. But it was unthinkable for this Eagles team to turn in a flat, uninspired performance against a 3-11 Washington team -- not with its postseason hanging in the balance. That’s what happened, though. Fans of poetic justice can savor the two 50-plus-yard catches by DeSean Jackson, who burned cornerback Bradley Fletcher for both. In March, coach Chip Kelly shocked Eagles fans by releasing Jackson. In December, Jackson got his revenge. Advantage: Jackson.
Stock watch: It is dropping for the Eagles across the board. A couple of months ago, it seemed obvious they were heading for a second consecutive NFC East title and a trip to the playoffs. Even a few weeks ago, the Eagles seemed postseason-bound. With three consecutive losses, they now are 9-6 and need a win against the Giants next week just to equal last year’s record.
No Parkey zone: Cody Parkey, the Eagles’ rookie kicker, had missed just two field goal attempts all season. Parkey missed two consecutive attempts in the third quarter. His 34-yard attempt went just wide right. A few minutes later, Parkey was way wide to the right on a 46-yard attempt. Parkey made a chip-shot field goal to tie the game at 24-24 in the fourth quarter, but six points would have made a difference in this game.
Game ball: Before his inevitable fourth-quarter interception, Mark Sanchez was playing his best game of the season. But it was hard to miss tight end Zach Ertz on the other end of many of Sanchez's throws. Ertz caught a career-high 15 passes for 115 yards. Throw the game ball to him. He'll catch it.
What’s next: The Eagles close out their regular season next Sunday against the New York Giants at the Meadowlands. It will be an anticlimactic game, but it will be interesting to see how Kelly gets his players to react in such a situation. The Eagles can’t salvage their season, probably, but they can salvage a little bit of pride after three consecutive losses.
