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The Philadelphia Eagles were victorious over the Washington Football Team in Week 15 by a score of 27-17, evening their record at 7-7. The game was not without its pregame week headlines, as Washington's roster was depleted due to a COVID-19 outbreak, causing the matchup with the Eagles to be pushed back to Tuesday night. For all of the initial complaining from the Philadelphia side, the postponement to the game didn't affect them that much, as they emerged with an impressive victory complete with (yet) another successful challenge by head coach Nick Sirianni, a strong overall effort by the offense led by quarterback Jalen Hurts and a complete game played by the defense. There are some interesting Eagles Week 15 takeaways after the big win.
Hurts looked healthy and as good as ever in an excellent bounce-back performance, leading the offense to another 200-yard rushing day, as Siranni and the Eagles continued to play to their strengths with physical, clock-controlling football. The defense limited Washington's depleted offense to just 17 points while holding them to just 4.4 yards per play and just 237 yards of total offense.
The Eagles greatly improved their playoff chances with the big divisional victory. Here are three Eagles Week 15 takeaways from their win over Washington.
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Eagles Week 15 Takeaways
3. Jalen Hurts is healthy and proved he's the guy
This is perhaps the biggest Eagles Week 15 takeaway. Yes, Hurts and the Eagles were playing against a depleted, Washington team. Still, this was a tremendous performance from the second year-pro for several reasons. One, Hurts was under a ton of pressure from the media and fans, as there was speculation that if he didn't perform, he would be benched for Gardner Minshew. Hurts then got off to a rough start, turning the ball over twice and stalling two Eagles' drives. But after some tough love from Sirianni, Hurts played excellent football the rest of the way, showing Philadelphia what he's made of in bouncing back from a tough performance in his last game against the New York Giants. There should be no doubt that Hurts is the guy now. Oh, and he broke Michael Vick's franchise record. Most importantly, he looked healthy again, which is great news for Philadelphia as they push for a playoff spot.
2. The Eagles' offensive philosophy makes them a tough potential playoff opponent
Not only do the Eagles put points up on the board- they've scored 27-plus points in five of their last seven games- but they do it with a physical, imposing style of football. Philadelphia owns the NFL's number-one rushing attack, led by five different players who have at least 200 rushing yards this season. Their offensive line has the fifth-best run blocking grade in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. In plain terms, every team knows that the Eagles want to punch them in the mouth and run the ball down their throats but they still can't stop Philadelphia from doing it. Sure, there are better teams than the Eagles in the NFL, but no team is going to enjoy having to play this version of the 2021 Eagles if they manage to sneak into the playoffs.
1. Don't sleep on the Eagles defense
The Eagles defense has the right pieces in place. They have a true shutdown corner in Darius Slay, one who leads the team with nine passes defended and three interceptions, including two defensive touchdowns. When Philadelphia has needed a big play, Slay has provided one. The Eagles have a difference-maker on the defensive line in Javon Hargrave, who has a team-leading eight sacks and ranks among the most disruptive pass rushers in the NFL. The unit is balanced, ranking 11th against the pass and 10th against the run while allowing 22 points per game. Even when the Eagles were struggling on offense earlier in the year, the defense seemingly was always there to back them up. Now, the unit is getting more credit because of the offense's improvement and ability to take some pressure off of the defense. The Eagles can run the ball, control the clock and let their defense limit the opposing team's offense. That will be a tough combination to beat come playoff time.
