Redskins vs. Eagles: Full Report Card Grades for Philadelphia

In one of the more intense games in recent memory, the Philadelphia Eagles held off the Washington Redskins by a 37-34 score. The win puts Chip Kelly’s Eagles at 3-0 and has to have Eagles fans thinking seriously about making a deep postseason run.

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The last time the Eagles went 3-0, they went to the Super Bowl.

— Bryn Swartz (@eaglescentral) September 21, 2014"

The Eagles didn’t win this one easily. Amid fights, injuries and ejections, Philadelphia emerged as a three-point winner in what can only be classified as a character win.

Nick Foles hung in under an excruciating amount of adversity, taking hit after hit and playing behind a much-maligned offensive line. LeSean McCoy and the running game struggled to find a rhythm, but the Eagles still put up 37 points behind breakout performances from Jeremy Maclin and Jordan Matthews.

The defense allowed Kirk Cousins to pass for over 425 yards, but a gutsy late stand preserved a three-point Eagles win. It’s the fifth straight time the Eagles have won a regular-season contest decided by one score or fewer, and it sets the stage for a tough Week 4 matchup between the high-flying Eagles offense and the stingy San Francisco 49ers defense.

Here are complete game grades for each of the positional units in the Eagles’ 37-34 win over the Redskins.

Quarterback

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What a tremendous performance by third-year quarterback Nick Foles. With all due respect to the seven-touchdown shellacking of the Oakland Raiders, this may have been Foles’ finest game.

Foles completed 28 of 42 passes for 325 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, putting him in a special class of Eagles quarterbacks. Foles led the Eagles to 37 points, doing so with almost no help from the running game and behind an offensive line that was absolutely decimated with injuries.

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The Eagles are 11-1 in regular season games started and finished by Nick Foles under Chip Kelly. At least 24 points in every game.

— Bryn Swartz (@eaglescentral) September 21, 2014"

Foles found Jeremy Maclin for a 17-yard reception on a key third-down conversion late in the fourth quarter, and his 24-yard score to Maclin proved to be the game-winner.

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Per @FO_ScottKacsmar, Nick Foles is fourth QB since 1960 to lead game-winning drive in fourth quarter in season's first three games.

— Bryn Swartz (@eaglescentral) September 21, 2014 "

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Foles did all this in obvious pain, as he kept holding his shoulder. At one point, it even appeared as if Mark Sanchez was going to come in and take over at quarterback.

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Chip Kelly says Nick Foles is a "tough sucker"

— Jeff Skversky (@JeffSkversky) September 21, 2014

 Nick Foles has been knocked around all game, keeps coming back. Showing incredible toughness.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 21, 2014

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Any questions about Foles’ ability to run this offense should be squelched at this point. He picked apart the Redskins, and he’s now put up terrific numbers in three straight games this season. Foles even ran for 12 yards, picking up a few first downs.

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Foles is 6th QB in NFL history to throw for 320 or more yards in each of first there games. Also: Brady, Bledsoe, Brees, RG3, Warner.

— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) September 21, 2014"

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Grade: A

Running Backs

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Fortunately for the Philadelphia Eagles, Nick Foles was as good as he was, because the running game was almost nonexistent.

To be fair, the offensive line was down to its last legs, with every single spot on the offensive line manned by either a backup or a starter (Todd Herremans) who moved. But still, LeSean McCoy mustered just 22 rushing yards on 19 carries. That’s an average of 1.2 yards per rush, and it’s the second-fewest rushing yards ever on at least 19 rushing attempts.

Darren Sproles had a nice 18-yard punt return, and he added 20 rushing yards (on just two carries) and 30 receiving yards. That’s 68 all-purpose yards for a player who really didn’t play a huge factor.

As a unit, the running game combined for just 54 yards on 25 carries. That’s only the third time in the last 25 years Philadelphia ran the ball at least that many times without breaking 60 yards.

Grade: D-

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

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The Philadelphia Eagles needed one of their Big Three wide receivers (Jeremy Maclin, Jordan Matthews or Riley Cooper) to step up and try to be the deep threat that DeSean Jackson was.

Fortunately, both Maclin and Matthews came through with strong performances.

Maclin caught eight passes for 154 yards and a touchdown. It was the fifth consecutive game he’s played that he scored a touchdown, and he’s in special company this season.

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Eagles WR Jeremy Maclin is (so far) the only player in the NFL with a receiving TD in each of the first 3 weeks of the season.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 21, 2014"

Maclin’s touchdown gave the Eagles a 37-27 lead late in the fourth quarter, and Maclin also came up with a big 17-yard reception on third down to keep the chains moving. And don’t forget that he had an 80-yard screen pass that was negated by a Jason Kelce penalty.

Meanwhile, rookie second-rounder Jordan Matthews broke out with by far his best game as a pro; Matthews totaled eight receptions for 59 yards and two touchdowns—this after he entered the contest with just three total catches.

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Eagles WRs had 17 catches the first two weeks and 21 today.

— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) September 21, 2014 "

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Riley Cooper again didn’t separate well from press coverage, although he had a fine 21-yard catch on the sidelines. Still, four grabs for 34 yards is a disappointing performance for a newly extended receiver on a $25 million contract.

Zach Ertz and Brent Celek had just two combined catches for 14 yards (both coming from Ertz), although third tight end James Casey did record the game-sealing 15-yard grab late in the fourth quarter.

Grade: A-

Offensive Line

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When is the last time a football team has had as many injuries to its offensive line as the Philadelphia Eagles have through just three weeks?

To recap, right tackle Lane Johnson is suspended for four games, and backup Allen Barbre (a tackle/guard) is on season-ending injured reserve. Backup tackle Matt Tobin was questionable but didn’t dress, meaning the Eagles entered the game with the following offensive line (left to right): Jason Peters, Dennis Kelly, Jason Kelce, Todd Herremans and Andrew Gardner.

Peters ended up getting ejected, which shifted Gardner to left tackle. Kelce left early, meaning David Molk took the snaps at center. Herremans moved to right tackle, Kelly to right guard and Wade Smith went in at left guard. The Eagles were one injury away from having to play Brent Celek on the offensive line.

As a team, it was a shaky performance from the offensive line, but then again, what would you expect?

The Eagles’ rushing attack was bottled up by a tough Washington defensive line, gaining just 54 yards. Nick Foles wasn’t sacked at all though, although he did get beat up a lot behind poor pass protection. Kelce’s penalty on Jeremy Maclin’s long touchdown was costly, although the Eagles did end up scoring on that drive still.

Grade: C+

Defensive Line

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Fletcher Cox continues to emerge as a monster at right defensive end, as he’s living up to his billing as a former first-round pick. Cox scored a touchdown in Week 1 and forced a fumble in Week 2. This game, he had just two tackles but seemed to have a much bigger impact on the Washington offensive line than what he registered on the stat sheet.

Second-year nose tackle Bennie Logan led all defensive linemen with seven tackles, including one for a loss. As a team, the Eagles held Alfred Morris to just 77 yards and no touchdowns on 23 carries.

Grade: B

Linebackers

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Given that it is a 3-4 defense, the Philadelphia Eagles need constant pressure from their outside linebackers, and they haven’t been getting it. In the first two weeks, coordinator Billy Davis’ defense had just three sacks, and it couldn’t get to Kirk Cousins once.

Trent Cole led the linebackers with four tackles. Mychal Kendricks’ position was handled by a combination of Emmanuel Acho and Casey Matthews; fortunately the Eagles weren’t totally exposed without Kendricks, but Acho and Matthews combined for just four tackles and no impact plays.

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Absence of Kendricks is killing Eagles in a lot of ways. Marcus Smith was late sliding over to help on that slant TD pass to Garcon.

— Paul Domowitch (@pdomo) September 21, 2014"

First-round pass-rusher Marcus Smith made his NFL debut, although it took injuries to Kendricks and Najee Goode and a suspension to Jake Knott for Smith to even see the field. Smith had no tackles, although he did register a quarterback hurry.

Grade: D+

Secondary

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It was not a good day for the Philadelphia Eagles secondary, and Chip Kelly has to be looking cornerback when the 2015 draft rolls around.

Cornerback Cary Williams and safety Nate Allen were beat badly on DeSean Jackson’s 81-yard touchdown pass. Bradley Fletcher was targeted in pass coverage all game, as he spent much of his time lining up against 2013 receptions leader Pierre Garcon.

The Eagles allowed Kirk Cousins to throw for 427 yards and three touchdowns; that’s the third-highest single-game passing total ever permitted by any Philadelphia team.

New Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins made the play of the day though when he intercepted Cousins midway through the fourth quarter; it’s the second time in as many weeks that Jenkins recorded a pick in the fourth quarter of a close game.

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Malcolm Jenkins: Second fourth-quarter INT in as many games. Looked like Barwin pressured. Good coverage by Ryans on TE.

— Sheil Kapadia (@SheilKapadia) September 21, 2014"

Nickel cornerback Brandon Boykin also made a huge knockdown of a fourth-down pass to save the game; that makes two consecutive games against the Redskins (dating back to last year) that Boykin made a pivotal defensive play to preserve a one-score win.

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Brandon Boykin CLUTCH break up on a Cousins pass there.

— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) September 21, 2014"

The Eagles won’t continue to win football games when they allow a passer rating over at least 100 and three touchdowns; in fact, it’s the first time Philadelphia allowed that and still won the game since the famous Miracle at the Meadowlands II contest against the New York Giants in 2010.

Grade: C-

Special Teams

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The Philadelphia Eagles’ special teams unit has quietly been phenomenal this season. Cody Parkey converted all three of his field goals, including a 51-yarder late in the game. His kickoffs also traveled deep, and Washington averaged just 15.3 yards on its three kick returns.

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Parkey kills another kickoff. What a weapon.

— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) September 21, 2014"

Punter Donnie Jones was disappointing, averaging just 37.3 yards on his four punts. But the play of the day was Chris Polk’s 102-yard kick return in the first quarter. Not only was it Polk’s first touch of the NFL season, but it came immediately following a long Redskins drive that gave them an early 7-0 lead.

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Chris Polk now has 15 career touches and four touchdowns.

— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) September 21, 2014"

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Polk followed that up with a 35-yard return later on.

As usual, long snapper Jon Dorenbos was a magician when it came to snapping the football.

Grade: A