That plane ride back from London is sure to feel extra long for the Eagles after a stunning Week 5 loss that was undoubtedly the worst on Sunday.
Below, we break it down further, including a closer look at the coaching staff’s worst moment (it might not be what you think), along with a pair of dreadful Bears individual performances and a stunning ending in Washington.
The Eagles almost had one of the better wins of the season. With running back Saquon Barkley (hamstring) and wideout DeVonta Smith (hamstring) inactive, tackle Lane Johnson retiring and center Cam Jurgens being traded to the Baltimore Ravens during the week, Philadelphia had every reason to fold in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Instead, it lost excruciatingly after kicker Jake Elliott gave the team a 17-16 lead with eight seconds remaining, when Ameer Abdullah’s 53-yard return on the ensuing kickoff allowed Cam Little to win the game on a 57-yarder at the end of regulation.
What could have been a gritty, season-altering win ended as a crushing, inexplicable defeat.
Worst quarterback performance: Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent
According to Sumer Sports data, only Case Keenum, who replaced Bagent in the fourth quarter of a 31-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers, produced lower expected points added (EPA) per pass than Bagent. The Bears gave the fourth-year quarterback the tools to succeed. Entering Sunday night, Bagent had the third-lowest pressure rate (28 percent) of Week 5. His pressure-to-sack rate (28.6 percent) ranked fifth-highest, however, thanks to a habit of holding on to the ball. Bagent averaged 2.75 seconds to pressure, the fourth-longest in Week 5.
To be fair, he wasn’t any better when throwing. He finished 12-of-21 for 87 yards and two interceptions. Per Sumer Sports, only two-thirds of Bagent’s attempts were on target, tied for the eighth-lowest rate of the weekend. By his second turnover late in the third quarter, head coach Ben Johnson had seen enough. Even if starter Caleb Williams (hamstring) remains out for Week 6, Bagent’s time as QB2 has run its course.
Worst coaching decision: Eagles coach Nick Sirianni misplays final 25 seconds against Jaguars
While Sirianni’s decision to kick short and allow Abdullah’s return was questionable, the coverage unit didn’t help by allowing Abdullah to run straight through it. And kicking deep could have been second-guessed, too. If Sirianni elected for a touchback and not having any time run off the clock, the Jaguars may have been able to complete a pass down the sideline, get out of bounds and still kick a game-winner. Sometimes, players just need to execute.
A bigger issue we had with Sirianni was his inexcusable situational awareness moments before. The Eagles had 1st-and-10 from Jacksonville’s 34-yard line with 25 seconds remaining after the Jaguars called their second timeout. With three runs and/or high-percentage throws ending in the field of play, Elliott’s kick would have been the game’s final play. Instead, on first down, Hurts dropped back against a heavy pre-snap pressure look and was forced to throw the ball away. Rookie receiver Makai Lemon caught a pass while running an out route on the next play and was tackled out of bounds, again stopping the clock and allowing the Jaguars to call a timeout following a third-down run.
Those decisions, particularly on first and second down, were much more costly and indefensible than allowing the kick return. Why is an Eagles wideout running a vertical when the Jags are showing blitz? Why run anything toward the sideline when a moving clock is your friend? These are questions the Eagles should be pondering in the aftermath of Sunday’s loss. With better decision-making and strategy from Sirianni in the final moments, Philadelphia would have easily won.
Worst play: Washington Commanders end-of-game gaffe results in tie
The Commanders technically tied the New York Giants, 27-27, but there’s no way to look at the result as anything other than a loss.
Washington was in field goal range with 55 seconds left in overtime and no timeouts, only to drain the clock with a first-down carry. Then, when Jayden Daniels received the second-down snap with 12 seconds remaining, he ineffectively scrambled and was brought down at the line of scrimmage on the game’s final play.
