Jayden Daniels and the commanders did not back down.

Never mind that they had turned the ball over five times, their rookie quarterback had thrown two interceptions and their veteran players had lost three more fumbles.

With six seconds left, Daniels still ended up on second-and-goal for a confident touchdown to Jamison Crowder.

And when Daniels saw Jeremy McNichols separate from his defender on the 2-point conversion? Then Daniels also found his man.

In a 36-33 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, the Commanders improved to 10-5 with a 93 percent chance of making the playoffs in Daniels’ first year, according to Next Gen Stats.

Washington also maintained its pursuit of an NFC East title, which the Eagles would have secured with a win at FedEx Field. Instead, Philadelphia fell to 12-3 and one game behind the Detroit Lions in the race for the NFC’s top spot and a playoff bye.

Daniels’ total of 339 yards and five touchdowns ensured the victory.

The Eagles, however, lost quarterback Jalen Hurts to a concussion in the first quarter.

Hurts had struggled for 22 yards on the first play of Philadelphia’s second series, so two snaps later he tried to capitalize on the inside zone lanes again.

He did — but when Hurts slipped, his helmet hit linebacker Frankie Luvu’s helmet and then the ground. He appeared to be standing slightly swaying, and the look in Hurts’ eyes also caused concern among officers.

Hurts was taken out of the game for an evaluation by an independent neurological consultant and was soon sent to the locker room where he attempted to put his helmet back on. He was sidelined midway through the second quarter with a concussion.

The Eagles not only faced a change in quarterback, but also a change in game plan. Without Hurts, their typical quarterback sneak in the red zone was far less guaranteed. Short-yardage plays on fourth down were far less guaranteed, adding a yard or two to the previous target yardage.

Kenny Pickett started strong and ended the drive Hurts started with a 4-yard touchdown pass to receiver AJ Brown on a slant route.

But the backup quarterback’s next throw wouldn’t reach Brown. Luvu pretended to dodge, but then cut back in to skip the route. The Commanders turned Daniels’ interception and short field into Crowder’s first touchdown of the day.

It would be a while before they would replicate that connection to victory.

The Eagles started stronger than the error-prone Commanders

Hurts’ injury was always going to hamper Philadelphia. But the Eagles maintained their lead thanks to the other key contributors. It seemed like they would find a way to finish despite Hurts’ absence.

Running back Saquon Barkley dominated the first quarter with 109 yards and two touchdowns, the latter a 68-yard blast down the left sideline after tight end CJ Uzomah cleared a path and blocked it.

By comparison, the Commanders’ top defender, Brian Robinson Jr., fumbled twice in the first 17 minutes of the game, with Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter forcing the first tackle, while linebacker Nakobe Dean and defensive back Cooper DeJean caused chaos in the second.

Add in a pass from Daniels that sailed over Luke McCaffrey and into cornerback CJ Gardner-Johnson’s lap before halftime, and it looks like the game could be slipping out of Washington’s hands.

But Pickett was too inconsistent to extend Philadelphia’s lead. Without the constant threat of a dangerously mobile quarterback, the Eagles’ running game lost its edge. Before halftime, kicker Jake Elliott attempted a 56-yard field goal – and missed from 50+ for the sixth time in six attempts this season.

The Eagles continued to maintain their lead for most of the second half

Pickett’s early offensive resilience didn’t carry over into the second half. While the Eagles were cleaner than the turnover-prone Commanders, Philadelphia didn’t score a touchdown after halftime.

Four more field goals — including Elliott’s first of 2024 from 50 — and a punt were almost enough to supplement a defense that continued to destabilize Washington.

Receiver Dyami Brown lost the ball when linebacker Zack Baun’s tackle threw him loose in the third quarter.

Daniels attempted a risky throw in the middle of the field with 3:06 minutes left in the game. Defensive back Josh Sweat’s hit took the pass off track just enough for cornerback Darius Slay to deflect it and secure Reed Blankenship to intercept the ball.

Now the Commanders had turned the ball over five times, or six if you counted the failed fourth down they opened the game with, which resulted in a turnover on downs.

The Eagles would score from it, but only a field goal. Trailing by five points, the Commanders had a chance.

After all, Washington’s error-prone day wasn’t without its highlights.

Daniels had sailed a 32-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin in the second quarter, on the same drive in which his powerful arm had hit Dyami Brown for 51. Daniels was often under pressure on Sunday, but he also cleverly exploited any signs of weakness. When Gardner-Johnson was disqualified after his second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, the Commanders targeted his replacement, hitting former Eagle Olamide Zaccheaus for two touchdowns.

In the latter, the Eagles mishandled their substitutions defensively and fielded twelve men, causing the cornerbacks to scramble to remove a man from the field. Zaccheaus alerted Daniels, who threw the ball his way for another explosive touchdown.

Daniels completed 24 of 39 passes for 258 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. He also led the Commanders with 81 rushing yards.

Pickett completed 14 of 24 passes for 143 yards, one touchdown and one interception and 13 yards on three carries.

Hurts completed one of four pass attempts (for 11 yards) before exiting, although he also managed 41 yards.

Barkley led all skill players with 150 yards and two touchdowns, but only managed 27 of those after halftime.

The Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys next week and have another chance to clinch the division title. The Commanders host the Atlanta Falcons.