The Eagles investments in the trenches looked to have paid off in their 24-8 victory over the Washington Commanders.
Ever since 2017, Howie Roseman has lived and died on the lines. Offensively, the Eagles have always been strong on the line. Injuries have had their way with the unit in past years, but through three weeks in 2022, the group is healthy and playing as well as ever. On the defensive side, not much needs to be said. The Eagles d-line made Carson Wentz’s life difficult and were the reason for today’s win.
Offense
The Eagles offense started the game in a bit of a dogfight, ending the first quarter without a point. However, the second quarter was a different story, with Philadelphia scoring 24 points going into the half. This was due in large part to the Eagles offensive line giving Hurts lots of time to throw.
The Eagles gave up one first half sack, that coming on a busted play in the first quarter. After that, Jalen Hurts stayed upright, leading to over 250 passing yards and three touchdowns. In the second half, the offense quieted down a bit as the focus turned to managing the clock and closing out the game. Even then, the o-line still looked solid, only giving up two more sacks and helping to control time of possession.
Defense
On the defensive side of the ball, the Eagles d-line took over the game. In the first half alone, the d-line totaled six sacks and two forced fumbles, holding Washington to -16 net passing yards. The second half saw more of the same, with Philadelphia adding three more sacks. The Eagles also had eight TFLs.
Leading the Eagles was Brandon Graham, who finished the day with 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Also recording sacks today were TJ Edwards, Hasson Reddick, Fletcher Cox, Josh Sweat, and Javon Hargrave. Jordan Davis didn’t record a sack but found himself on the stat sheet with a QB pressure and a pass defensed.