Dan Quinn’s Washington Commanders showed more fight after a late 2-point conversion by the Philadelphia Eagles than they have during many plays and games in this 4-11 season filled with lopsided losses.
All of those punches, and all of that pushing and shoving, did nothing to change the result Saturday night — Washington allowed Philadelphia to win 29-18 and clinch a second consecutive NFC East title — but could make things interesting when these division rivals meet again in Week 18.
“If that’s how they want to get down, all good,” Quinn said when asked whether Eagles coach Nick Sirianni's choice to try to add on those two points instead of kicking for one was disrespectful. “We’ll play them again in two weeks.”
Well, then.
Far too often, that sort of attitude has been missing from Washington's on-field makeup. Sure, injury after injury has taken a toll on the roster — and no health issues have been more disruptive or concerning than those that limited star quarterback Jayden Daniels to seven games before he was shut down for the season — but too often, the Commanders have failed to even be competitive.
Whether falling behind by 18 or 19 on Saturday with about 4 1/2 minutes left would have made a difference, a lot of the same themes arise week after week in lopsided games, particularly when it comes to a defense that can't really seem to stop anyone.
Washington actually was in this one for a half and led 10-7 at the break.
“The energy was there today. The focus was there. The preparation was there,” Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin said. “We liked where we were going into halftime.”
But as Quinn noted, that sort of energy “has to be for the whole time.”
Instead, Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the rest of the Eagles took over in the second half.
The last time these two teams played, a berth in the Super Bowl was at stake in the NFC title game. The Eagles, of course, won that one, too, on their way to becoming NFL champions.
This Commanders squad is a far cry from last season's.
CB Mike Sainristil is a turnover machine. Washington only has nine takeaways all season — only the New York Jets, with three, have fewer — and Sainristil is responsible for more than half of those. He has a team-leading four interceptions and added to his total by forcing a fumble by Philadelphia's Will Shipley on the opening kickoff Saturday. Teammate Kain Medrano recovered the ball at Philadelphia's 26, and the Commanders ended up with a field goal for an early lead.
What doesn't? The biggest problem remains the defense, though. Barkley's 12-yard TD run in the fourth quarter, in which he broke at least four tackles, was emblematic of Washington's problems on that side of the ball.
It's truly hard to find anyone or anything that is a positive at this point in the season. There are so many injuries, so many poor performances, so many reasons to be thinking about needs for general manager Adam Peters to address in the next draft and free agency.
Some players' composure. That brawl in the fourth quarter really was unnecessary, and resulted in the ejections of defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw and safety Quan Martin. The league surely will hand out some additional punishments. Right after the game, Quinn lingered on the field for a bit just to make sure there weren't going to be any more confrontations. "Just wanted to make sure anything didn’t go sideways," he explained.
With Daniels' season already done, Marcus Mariota was supposed to start at QB the rest of the way. But Mariota left in the third quarter after injuring his throwing hand, leaving third-stringer Josh Johnson under center. ... WR Jaylin Lane left Saturday with an ankle injury, LT Brandon Coleman — who started in place of Laremy Tunsil (oblique) hurt his shin, and RG Sam Cosmi and DT Johnny Newton were evaluated for concussions.
4 — The number of passes Saturday it took for Johnson to throw an interception.
On Thursday, Washington plays a game that truly means nothing to the Commanders, their opponents — the Dallas Cowboys — or anyone else, really. Both Washington and Dallas have been eliminated from playoff contention.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Washington Commanders quarterback Josh Johnson looks to pass the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) talk after an NFL football game, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn talks to the media during a news conference following an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
