LANDOVER, Md. – Grades on the Eagles’ performance in a 36-33 loss to the Washington Commanders:

Quarterbacks: B-

Jalen hurts was ruled out with a concussion midway through the first quarter after a forward slide on a quarterback draw ended with Washington linebacker Frankie Luvu slamming Hurts’ head into the turf. He finished the game 1-for-4 for 11 yards but added 41 rushing yards on three attempts.

Kenny Pickett Did well in his first series when he was cold for Hurts, but had an uneven day overall. He hit 14 of 24 for 143 yards and led the Eagles with three completions after replacing Hurts.

Overall, Pickett didn’t think too hard about his situation. He took aim AJ Brown And DeVonta Smith for almost the entire game, with his first goal against someone else coming in the fourth quarter Saquon Barkley. However, he threw a questionable interception while targeting Brown on a slant route and threw a pass directly to Luvu in Washington territory. He was also responsible for a fumble in the red zone late in the third quarter without a free rusher coming off the edge as the Commanders overloaded the Eagles’ offensive front.

On the next series, Pickett was fortunate not to be charged with a fumble after the referees overturned the on-field decision that the quarterback had lost control of the ball when he was brought down by Bobby Wagner. It’s worth noting that he grabbed his stomach after a bad fall in the game.

Pickett wasn’t always outstanding in his relief duties, but he made enough plays to nearly win the game for the Eagles. That’s usually all you should ask of a backup quarterback.

Running Back: B+

Barkley’s performance was the opposite of what he has typically done this season: a hot start gave way to a stagnant finish.

The running back had 109 rushing yards in the first quarter alone, but started the fourth quarter with 133 and finished the game with 150 yards. It’s hard to beat him given the final numbers, but the lack of rushing late in the game gave the Commanders the opportunity to pull off the comeback despite losing five turnovers and falling behind late.

Receiver/Tight End: B

The final stats for the Eagles’ star receiving duo won’t mean anything.

Smith finished the game with six catches for 51 yards, but suffered a costly drop late in the fourth quarter that forced the Eagles to settle for a field goal just before the two-minute warning. The Eagles wouldn’t have been in this situation if Smith hadn’t made a crucial fourth-down grab early in the fourth quarter, but the mistake will likely be the one remembered.

Brown’s final stats also won’t necessarily reflect how dominant he was for most of the afternoon. The wide receiver incurred several pass interference penalties, mostly against Washington cornerback Marshon Lattimore, and finished the game with eight catches for 97 yards and a touchdown. His biggest play came midway through the fourth quarter when the Eagles faced fourth-and-7. Pickett found Brown on a shallow cross route just in front of the sticks, but the receiver changed course and turned upfield for the first down.

Other than the two star wideouts, there wasn’t much special for the Eagles receiving corps and tight ends. However, CJ Uzomah had some key blocks to pass Barkley in the run game.

Offensive line: B-

Pickett was sacked three times, but some of those fell to the quarterback rather than the protection. He generally had time and space to operate on most of his drop-backs.

The running game was a different story, as the group faltered against an aggressive Washington defensive front for most of the second half. Similar to Barkley, the final numbers make it difficult to blame the run game too much, but the late-game disappearance stands in stark contrast to how the Eagles have been able to close out games most of this season than they The game came late in the fourth quarter.

Defensive line: C

Jordan Davis And Josh Sweat combined for a four-down run that stalled the Commanders’ opening drive after an errant kickoff by Braden man gave Washington favorable field position.

The group did reasonably well against the run, holding Washington to 113 rushing yards Jalen Carter plays his typical role as a bull in a china shop. Carter forced a fumble against Washington running back Brian Robinson Jr. in the first quarter, but it was recovered Nolan Smith near midfield.

However, the group failed to make a significant impact against the pass and especially towards the end of the game. Smith recorded the team’s only sack of the afternoon and the pass rush wasn’t consistently effective getting to rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Sweat missed part of the game with an ankle injury, but returned in the second half with modest stats.

Linebacker: B+

Zack Baun continued his tendency to make timely plays when the Eagles defense needed them, forcing a fumble in the third quarter to allow the offense to score. In addition to the timely loss of possession, Baun also recorded two tackles that resulted in losses to the defense, one of five forced by the Eagles defense.

Nakobe Dean led the team with 12 tackles and had a relatively flawless afternoon despite the Commanders’ late attack. He missed time midway through the game after suffering an injury, but returned shortly afterwards.

Cornerbacks: C-

Darius Slay started strong with two pass breakups and a tackle for loss in the first half, but also allowed a 51-yard completion to Dyami Brown early in the second quarter. He was also part of a fourth-quarter error that gave the Commanders a free play that resulted in Olamide Zaccheaus’ 49-yard touchdown catch, thanks in part to the Eagles coming on late and 12 men had on the field.

Quinyon Mitchell also gave up an explosive passing game himself. After pocketing Washington receiver Terry McLaurin in the teams’ first meeting, Mitchell was hit deep by the veteran wideout for a 32-yard touchdown catch midway through the second quarter. Seemingly sitting on a break-in route, Mitchell was beaten to the outside as McLaurin worked his way up the sideline and made a catch in the front corner of the end zone while the rookie cornerback fell behind.

Cooper DeJean He also apparently made a mental error in the first half when he turned away from Commanders receiver Jamison Crowder in the end zone in what appeared to be a miscommunication with safety CJ Gardner Johnson as the closest defender to Crowder. After the 5-yard touchdown catch, Gardner-Johnson walked to DeJean and appeared upset about the mixup.

Collateral: C-

Gardner-Johnson went from hero to zero on Sunday. He made a timely interception in the second quarter, but was sent off in the next quarter after receiving his second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in a scuffle with Commanders players.

Gardner-Johnson’s choice came after Daniels threw Luke McCaffrey over the top a few years before Gardner-Johnson. He double intercepted the errant pass and worked his way upfield to get the Eagles to midfield with less than two minutes left in the half. The broadcast did not show what led to Gardner-Johnson being ejected, but the first penalty he was given came after he confronted Dyami Brown and said something that caused the receiver to throw his helmet in retaliation stripped off. On his way off the field with Eagles safety czar Dom DiSandro, Gardner-Johnson gave the double birds to a crowd made up mostly of Eagles fans.

Coming for Gardner-Johnson, 25 years old Tristin McCollum had a costly missed assignment of his own, leaving Zaccheaus alone in the back of the end zone early in the fourth quarter, where he made a 4-yard touchdown catch. And while Reed Blankenship came up with an interception in the fourth quarter that temporarily halted the Commanders’ comeback efforts, he was also the closest defender to Crowder’s touchdown catch in the final seconds of the game.

Special Teams: D

Jake Elliott‘s struggles from 50 yards and beyond continued for most of the day at Northwest Stadium, missing a 56-yard field goal at the end of the first half, putting him at 0 of 6 from 50 yards and beyond this season. Elliott’s kick seemed to die out in the wind that blew through the stadium on a cold, blustery afternoon.

He made amends in the fourth quarter when he hit a 50-yarder to give the Eagles the lead with 3 minutes, 53 seconds left in regulation. Still, Elliott’s miss early in the game is significant given the Eagles’ eventual loss.

The kickoff unit, especially Mann, couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start. The punter’s opening kick missed the intended landing zone, resulting in the Commanders getting the ball at the 40-yard line. On the ensuing timeout, Mann’s kickoff found its way into the landing zone but floated far enough to give McCaffrey an opportunity to return it 47 yards into Eagles territory. The Eagles’ defense saved Mann both times, but the shaky start doesn’t bode well for how Mann might fare as weather conditions worsen toward the end of the season.

Coaching: D

Elliott’s 56-yarder falls partially at the feet of the Eagles coach Nick Sirianniwho chose to let about 40 seconds expire after halftime at the end of the first half while the team was on the fourth and fourth lines at midfield. Sirianni used his second timeout with 11 seconds left, sending Elliott for a long field goal on a windy afternoon after Pickett got Smith to convert on fourth down.

Even without Hurts at the helm, Sirianni was particularly conservative in four-and-short situations. He sent the punt unit toward fourth-and-1 from the Eagles’ 34-yard line and again when the offense was on fourth-and-1 from the Eagles’ 36-yard line a series later.

On defense, the Eagles were penalized twice for having too many men on the field. The second pass gave Washington a free play that exposed a fumbled coverage by the Eagles’ secondary on a 49-yard touchdown for Zaccheaus.