Jake Elliott's Late FG Lifts Eagles Past Raiders to Clinch Home-Field Advantage
December 26, 2017
A 48-yard Jake Elliott field goal in the final minute helped the Eagles secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs on Christmas Day.
On a night when the offense struggled behind backup quarterback Nick Foles, Philadelphia's defense forced five turnovers to survive a 19-10 win over the Raiders on Monday night. A defensive touchdown on the final play helped seal the win despite just 216 yards of total offense.
The Eagles (13-2) now own the No. 1 seed in the NFC and can rest players in Week 17 while the Raiders fell to 6-9 with their third straight loss.
It was an ugly game throughout for both teams, featuring a combined seven turnovers, 13 punts and two missed field goals.
The fourth quarter was especially embarrassing, as the score remained tied at 10-10 until the final minute:
Fortunately for Philadelphia, the team turned a late interception into a go-ahead field goal. Derek Barnett then capped the scoring by scooping a dropped lateral and returning it all the way for a touchdown.
While the defense played well for the Eagles, especially after allowing 64 points over the previous two games, there are serious question marks about the offense going forward.
Carson Wentz's season-ending knee injury has forced Foles to lead the team with the NFL's best record, but there is not a lot of confidence based on the way he performed Monday:
He finished 19-of-38 for 163 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The team was just 1-of-14 on third downs.
The Eagles relied on the running backs at the start of the game, using nine runs and two short passes on an 11-play touchdown in the first quarter. Jay Ajayi ended it with an impressive catch-and-run for 17 yards:
However, a lack of success on the ground beyond that point led to a stalled offense for much of the final three quarters. They only scored on two more offensive drives, both coming off turnovers leading to short fields.
Still, it was enough to beat a reeling Raiders team that couldn't stop shooting itself in the foot.
There were a few highlights for Oakland, including Marshawn Lynch tallying 95 rushing yards on 25 carries. Amari Cooper also burned Jalen Mills for a 63-yard score to create a 7-7 tie at halftime:
Derek Carr couldn't do much beyond that play, though, with the Philadelphia defense keeping the pressure on all night long.
The Eagles will now host the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17, although they have an opportunity to rest their key players and avoid any more major injuries that could derail their potential Super Bowl run.
Oakland will end the season on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers with the division rivals still playing for a wild-card spot in the AFC.