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After a strong start to the 2022 NFL season with eight straight wins, the Philadelphia Eagles’ hot streak has finally ended at the hands of the Washington Commanders. This was a hard-fought victory for Washington as they proved the Eagles can be beaten.
Most fans and pundits concluded that the Eagles were the favourite after the first eight weeks but the Commanders have cemented that the NFL title race is still wide open. This has led pundits to change their tone as the Eagles do not look as strong as they once predicted.
Washington’s winning game plan
The Commanders saw that the Eagles were thriving because of how they loved to play with pace and aggression. The overall goal was to prevent the Eagles from playing offence which worked well for Washington as they dominated the time of possession. They had the ball for 40 minutes and 24 seconds in the match while the Eagles only had 19 minutes and 36 seconds of possession.
Before the season, most people would’ve said that this was a level matchup but the Eagles surprised everyone, even the NFL’s outrights on Sportsbet_io because they went on that hot streak. However, it ended because of the game plan laid out by the Commanders.
Setting their own pace
During the third quarter, the Commanders had quadrupled the time of possession which could be seen in the final score. The Eagles only scored two quick touchdowns but their high-powered offence was not given the proper time to set themselves up for offensive conversions.
While they won with a strong lead, it was still a rough match for Washington because the Eagles’ defence did their best to stop them. They scored just two touchdowns on scoring drives but with their stingy defence, they kept hold of the ball for a long time.
Setting a slower pace was the key to victory for the Commanders as they slowed down Philly’s offence to a crawl. That was a strong game plan for Washington which led them to the massive upset.
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Philadelphia was hesitant on defence
The Eagles were used to dominating possession for the first eight games of the year which led them to be uncomfortable on defence. They had to play a scrappy style which was meant to bother Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke and force him to make mistakes but that did not work out well for Philly. They gave Taylor enough space to look over the defence and make some pinpoint passes to open targets.
This was a stellar run for Washington as they were not seen as a top team heading into this match. While they still have a middle-of-the-road record, they proved they belonged in the NFL’s upper echelon with that game.
Standouts for the Commanders
Washington had a sterling match not only because of coach Ron Rivera’s tactics but certain players too. Heinicke is already one of the biggest stars of the match as the QB and he has made it a challenging choice to make between him and the set-to-return Carson Wentz.
On the other hand, players like Terry McLaurin and Brian Robinson Jr. were the perfect partners for Taylor in this match as they knew where to run to catch the pinpoint passes. They found gaps in the defence and they kept running through them to break away and it led to touchdowns and the win.
Rivera was emotional after the match as he spoke about what this win meant for him and his family during a tough time. He said, ‘In a situation like this, I’ve always thought that we’ve got the kind of guys in that locker room that can do things, and we’re starting to see it come together’.
The NFL race is wide open again
For those who made bets on the Eagles before the season in the NFL’s outrights on Sportsbet_io, they should still be confident because the Eagles have shown some signs of being a contender. There is still a long season ahead but this is a great win for the Commanders and a lesson for the Eagles for the rest of the year.
