SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 21, 2014
Eagles 37, Redskins 34: Nick Foles threw for 325 yards and three touchdowns, including two to rookie Jordan Matthews, as host Philadelphia topped Washington in an NFC East thriller.
Foles was 27-of-41 and hit Jeremy Maclin (eight catches, 154 yards) with the go-ahead touchdown midway through the fourth quarter before Philadelphia's defense finally stepped up late with Washington (1-2) driving into Eagles territory. Kirk Cousins passed for a career-high 427 yards and three touchdowns, Pierre Garcon had 11 receptions for 138 yards and a score and DeSean Jackson, who spent the first six seasons of his career with the Eagles (3-0), made five catches for 117 yards in his first game against Philadelphia - including a game-tying 81-yard TD catch late in the third quarter.
The game also featured a skirmish early in the fourth after Redskins defensive lineman Chris Baker blindsided Foles following an interception that later was reversed to an incompletion. Eagles All-Pro tackle Jason Peters was among the players ejected following the altercation, which left Philadelphia without any reserve offensive linemen after standout center Jason Kelce had exited earlier in the game with an abdominal injury.
Cousins marched the Redskins down the field on the game's opening drive, giving the visitors a 7-0 lead on a 4-yard strike to fullback Darrel Young before Chris Polk promptly answered with a 102-yard kickoff return, side-stepping the kicker on his way to the end zone. Washington led 17-7 midway through the second quarter before Foles and Matthews hooked up for two scores in the final six minutes - an 11-yard strike where the rookie was wide open, followed by a terrific throw into the back of the end zone to put Philadelphia up 21-20 in the final seconds of the half.
Jackson got open deep for the tying score with 2:04 left in the third quarter, but the Eagles regained the lead shortly after the ejections when Foles hit Maclin up the seam for a 27-yard TD pass. Cousins was intercepted by a diving Malcolm Jenkins on Washington's next play and Philadelphia tacked on three points as Cody Parkey connected from 51 yards out before Roy Helu Jr.'s short TD run made it 37-34 with 4:16 to play.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Eagles had not recorded a kick-return touchdown since Quintin Demps did it in November 2008. ... Due to the kick-return TD,
Philadelphia did not run an offensive play until 2:01 remained in the first quarter. ... Redskins CB DeAngelo Hall injured his Achilles' tendon in the third quarter and was carted to the locker room. Starting RBs LeSean McCoy (head) and Alfred Morris (knee) suffered first-half injuries but later returned. McCoy finished with just 22 yards on 19 carries amid suspicion of a concussion, while Morris gained 77 yards on 23 attempts for Washington.