Commanders Stun Philly 32-21 as Eagles Fumble Away NFL's Last Unbeaten Record

Plenty imagined the Philadelphia Eagles would at some point endure their first loss of the 2022 season. But few imagined it would come under the circumstances that it did. Led by physicality on both sides of the ball and a couple key fumble recoveries late, the Washington Commanders brought their rivals back down to Earth with a 32-21 win.

When the Eagles and Commanders met in Week 3, Philadelphia tripled up their division opponent in a 24-8 win, throwing a season-high 328 yards passing and almost holding Washington to a season low in total yardage. The Eagles were inclined to attempt a repeat of that game seven weeks later, but the Commanders changed up their gameplan.

Washington, held to just 87 yards rushing in that first loss, had more than that in just the first half, which the team controlled nearly the entirety of. Behind Brian Robinson Jr. (84 yards, one touchdown) and Antonio Gibson (44 yards, touchdown), Washington ran it 47 times in the game. Those runs comprised much of four straight scoring drives to end the half, three of which went 12-plus plays and lasted 6:30 or longer. Washington took a 20-14 lead after the last of those scoring drives, and the Eagles spent the rest of the game scrambling in catch-up mode.

The win wouldn't become possible without a pair of key fumble recoveries late, though, as Washington's defense finished what its ground game had started. With the Eagles back in the game and marching to the end zone on a pair of drives, Washington forced back-to-back fumbles and recovered both. The first, on tight end Dallas Goedert and recovered by John Ridgeway, led to a field goal and 26-21 lead for Washington. The second, on receiver Quiz Watkins that was both forced and recovered by Benjamin St-Juste, took away possession just 27 yards from a Philadelphia touchdown.

There came a little controversy, however, with the first of those two turnovers. On Goedert's fumble, a facemark penalty on Washington's Jamin Davis was missed, which would have negated the fumble and allowed the Eagles' drive to continue, with momentum on their side.

Despite that detail added to one of the turnovers, Washington's defense still forced uncharacteristic mistakes out of one of the league's most prolific offenses. The Commanders also picked off Jalen Hurts once in the game, and the four turnovers they forced in the game were more than the Eagles had through their first eight games.

As bad as the turnovers was a mistake by the Eagles' Brandon Graham that ended the game. Graham hit Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke after he had taken a knee, which gave Washington a first down. The Eagles had forced a fourth down, and used two of their three timeouts to do so. The Commanders ran the clock down, and Philadelphia had only five seconds left when they got it back for the final time. Their last-ditch effort, fittingly, ended in a fumbled toss backward that the Washington defense recovered and took in for a touchdown.

The victory evens out the Commanders' record at 5-5, keeping them firmly in the NFC Wild Card race, but still last in the NFC East. It also muddies the quarterback picture for the franchise, with Taylor Heinicke (211 yards) now 3-1 this season, but starter Carson Wentz returning soon from injury.

Even with the loss, the Eagles remain tied as the top team in the NFC at 8-1, leading the division. But Washington held the team to a season-low 263 yards, star receiver A.J. Brown to just one catch, and the electric Jalen Hurts to only 202 total yards, his second-fewest in a game this season.