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Taylor Heinicke, Terry McLaurin Hyped by NFL Twitter as Commanders Upset Eagles

Scott Polacek

The Philadelphia Eagles' dream of an undefeated season is over.

Philadelphia lost 32-21 to the Washington Commanders in an NFC East stunner at Lincoln Financial Field on Monday. Washington improved to 5-5 and is still very much alive in the wild-card race after winning its fourth game in the last five tries.

Taylor Heinicke, Terry McLaurin and the backfield combination of Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson set the tone in the first half, while the defense closed the door with a strong showing in the second half.

The offense drew plenty of praise on social media for the effort:

The Commanders must have missed the memo that they were supposed to lose without putting up a fight, as Gibson and Robinson each found the end zone with one-yard touchdown runs in the first half. Joey Slye also impressed with four field goals, including a 58-yarder to end the half, while McLaurin torched the Philadelphia secondary.

It wasn't easy, though, as Heinicke overcame multiple mistakes that nearly cost the visitors the game.

His lost fumble on a strip-sack led to the Eagles' first touchdown, and he inexplicably threw a ball up for grabs with the Commanders leading 23-21 early in the fourth quarter for a C.J. Gardner-Johnson interception.

But the defense held Jalen Hurts and Co. to seven points after the first quarter. Philadelphia turned it over four times—one of which came on a Dallas Goedert fumble on a missed facemask call—which included getting in its own way when the game was on the line.

It felt fitting that the Commanders clinched the win with a defensive touchdown, as Casey Toohill recovered a fumble as the Eagles desperately lateraled the ball on the final snap of the contest.

On Sunday, they will look to keep things rolling in a road game against the Houston Texans.

   

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