LANDOVER, MD – This game had everything an NFC East battle with so much at stake should have. Incredible intensity. High emotions. Big plays. Huge swings in momentum. A final drive with the game on the line.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, the defense couldn’t get that last stop and Washington came from behind to win on Sunday at Northwest Stadium, 36-33, to end the Eagles’ (12-3) winning streak at 10 games.

Here are some observations from the tough loss …

1. Offense unable to close the game out

A Reed Blankenship interception off a tipped pass by cornerback Darius “Big Play” Slay on a throw intended for wide receiver Luke McCaffrey with 3 minutes, 6 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter set the Eagles up with a chance to end the game.

A first down there would have likely been the end of the end of the game. A third-down throw from quarterback Kenny Pickett, in for Jalen Hurts who suffered a concussion in the first quarter, to an open DeVonta Smith was on the mark, but Smith couldn’t bring the pass in and instead of the clock ticking away, the Eagles settled for a Jake Elliott field goal and a 33-28 lead. Washington had one final possession and quarterback Jayden Daniels made the Eagles pay. Daniels completed all four of his passes for 35 yards, including the game-winner to wide receiver Jamison Crowder.

“We wouldn’t be in the position in that game without (Smith), to begin with. He’s an unbelievable player. He knows that we’re going to throw him the football, A.J. (Brown) too, no matter what. There’s not an ounce of confidence lost at six (Smith),” Pickett said after the game.

2. Washington put up points in the second half

The Eagles lost safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who was ejected after two unsportsmanlike penalties, and from that point on, the Eagles struggled defensively. Washington scored touchdowns on three of its four possessions after that, driving 61, 87, and 57 yards for scores. Philadelphia took the football away five times in this game and had a fourth-down stop to end another drive, but losing Gardner-Johnson and Slay and edge rusher Josh Sweat for a bit during the game took its toll. Daniels hurt the Eagles with 81 rushing yards on 9 carries, including a 29-yard scramble on a fourth-and-11 in the fourth quarter that led to a touchdown and really brought Washington back into the game.

“This is one game. Everything’s still in front of us, our hopes. and everything we need to do. So, nobody should be down in this room. That’s the main thing we make sure we make sure we preach to everybody. I know everybody don’t like to lose and this and that and the third, but hey, thankfully this game wasn’t a playoff game, and we have to just address a lot of issues. We have a chance to come out here next week, defend home, and go out there and execute,” Slay said.

3. Big fourth-down stop early and offense takes advantage

Taking an early chance, Washington paid the price. On a fourth-and-1 play from its 49-yard line on the opening possession, Washington lined up in the shotgun and quarterback Jayden Daniels handed off to running back Brian Robinson, who was swallowed up by Sweat, Jordan Davis, and Nakobe Dean for no gain. Eagles’ football.

The offense took possession and converted. They went 49 yards in 8 plays – four of those plays and 37 of those yards came with Saquon Barkley gashing Washington on the ground. Hurts threw two incomplete passes intended for wide receiver A.J. Brown, so the Eagles did it all on the ground. Barkley got his – including gains of 19 yards and 13 yards – and Hurts ran for 6 yards on a third-and-9 play and was aided by a defensive holding penalty that gave the Eagles a first down. Washington gambled early and lost – and the Eagles offense capitalized with a 2-yard Barkley touchdown run.

4. Defense comes up big again

On Washington’s very next play from scrimmage, after a Luke McCaffery kickoff return set the Commanders up at the Philadelphia 43-yard line, Jalen Carter penetrated and knocked the ball loose from Robinson and Nolan Smith recovered and the Eagles had the football again. And they scored again – 8 plays, 57 yards, and 3:53 off the clock. But this time, Hurts wasn’t on the field to finish the drive. Which means …

5. Kenny Pickett replaces Jalen Hurts

Hurts ran on a second-and-20 play from the Washington 34-yard line and then hit the ground to avoid the defense. But Washington’s Frankie Luvu hit Hurts from the side and the officials took Hurts off the field for evaluation. On third-and-7, Kenny Pickett entered the game and it would have been safe to assume that he would hand off and see what happened. Instead, Pickett threw complete for A.J. Brown for 10 yards and a first down. Then, on a second-and-9 from the 10, Pickett rolled left and threw complete for Brown for 6 yards. On third-and-3 from the 4, Pickett threw to the right side and completed a pass to Brown, running a slant, for the touchdown, and the Eagles led, 14-0, after Jake Elliott’s extra point. Pickett, 3-of-3 for 20 yards and a touchdown on the drive, entered the game having completed 1-of-3 passes for 5 yards this season.

But Pickett faced intense pressure after that and the Eagles struggled to put the football in the end zone. The Eagles were just 3-of-16 on third downs and 2-of-4 in the red zone. After a hot early start, Barkley was held in check – he had 41 yards on 22 carries after the first quarter. Losing Hurts was a setback for the offense, and so were 10 penalties for 91 lost yards, allowing big plays on defense, giving up some kickoff returns, and not closing in the fourth quarter when the Eagles had the chance.

“I’m focused on the outcome, you know, it’s hard to look at that right now, just sitting here, just frustrated. Really wanted to get that one for our team. So, we have to be able to learn from it,” said Pickett, who finished 14-of-24 for 143 yards with a touchdown and an interception. “Any reps you get are valuable, you know, practice, game, whatever it is, because you don’t get many of them being in the two (backup quarterback). So. I just want to take advantage of everything I can and hopefully these guys they can rely on me if I have to go in there again.”

6. Wow! What a first quarter!!

The Eagles have struggled scoring points in the first quarter for much of the season, but they were on point on Sunday in the first 15 minutes: 21 points, 9 first downs, 183 total net yards, 2 quarterbacks. Barkley had 7 carries for 109 yards and two touchdowns – the 2-yard run to open the scoring and then a 68-yard sprint through a hole on the left side and then down the sideline in spectacular fashion. Too bad it didn’t last for Philadelphia, and now the Eagles will look to clinch the NFC East on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field against Dallas.

“Everything moves through them. I also want to give a shoutout to the tight ends, to wide receivers, they made big blocks. You see A.J. coming through, getting to the safety. I believe it was C.J. (Uzomah) on that one pulling through, and I just tried to stay patient and read his block. And was able to get vertical and hit a big one,” Barkley said about his 68-yard touchdown run. “But all season long, we’ve been really good at it, and we’re gonna continue to be good at it, and we’re gonna continue to lean on it when we need to. And we’ve got to go back to drawing boards and see what we can do better.”