Kirk Cousins’ 4 TD passes lift Washington into playoffs

As Kirk Cousins walked out of his postgame press conference following the Washington Redskins’ 38-24 win against the Philadelphia Eagles, he asked a question to nobody in particular and everybody all at once. The Redskins finish the regular season with a road game against the Cowboys in Week 17. “That I think we’re going to lose or something? No”. “We’ve got a few more games on our schedule we’re excited about”. Once he was given the reins to the team permanently, there were ups and downs but he has been absolutely critical this season to the Redskins’ division title run and he’s also helped turn Jordan Reed into one of the premiere receiving tight ends in the game. “Since Day 1, everybody kind of doubted this team”. Given what he’s been able to do for this team, the Redskins are going to have a hard time letting him walk, and they really shouldn’t let him go.

The Eagles fell to 6-9, missing the playoffs for the second time in three years under coach Chip Kelly.

The game and failure of this season has to fall on the ineptitude of Chip Kelly and his player-personnel decisions.

Kelly said he takes “100 percent” of the responsibility for back-to-back playoff-less season on his shoulders. “As players, starting with myself, we just have to do better”.

There’s one more specific area of self-inflicted wounds that hurt the Eagles this season, and that is special teams, specifically as it relates to the kicking game. “YOU LIKE THAT!” As a mater of fact, you absolutely love that, being Kirk Cousins has led the Redskins into the playoffs.

From there, it was all Washington.

Because the Eagles are so bad, though, the mistake did not cost the Redskins, who took a 23-10 lead with 6:58 remaining in the third quarter on a 12-yard Cousins scoring pass to third-string running back Chris Thompson. Cousins threw a two-point pass to Jamison Crowder for a 38-17 lead. “It’s a big accomplishment, and now the key is to build from here”. As a team, we have to make sure that we hang together and take all the accountability that we need.

Eagles fans then quickly escaped for the exits. Bradford overthrew a diving and wide open Ertz for what would have been a 60-yard score.

Agholor caught an 18-yard pass to start the drive and Ryan Mathews ended it with a 1-yard run.

Earlier in the drive, the Eagles committed penalties on three consecutive plays – an illegal substitution, an illegal formation and a false start.

Kirk Cousins. The Washington quarterback lined up at the Eagles’ 5-yard line with six seconds left in the first half and no timeouts. The extra point was good and the Redskins jumped ahead 13-7.

Tight end Jordan Reed more than picked up the slack, catching nine passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns. For Reed, whom the Eagles simply could not cover (he had seven catches on seven targets for 105 yards in the first half), those were his 10th and 11th touchdown receptions of the season.

During training camp and the preseason, Griffin displayed little if any progress in his attempt to become primarily a pocket passer.

Throw in the Tennessee coaching-vacancy wild-card, and it’s theoretically possible that Kelly will be gone weeks before Bradford’s contract officially expires. Beleaguered running back DeMarco Murray had his eyes upfield before he secured a toss, dropped it, and allowed defensive back DeAngelo Hall to scoop it up and coast in for six. “That’s not my choice”.

Kicker Caleb Sturgis got the Eagles within 13-10, hitting a 34-yard field goal with 5:56 left in the second quarter.

Late in the first half Ertz fumbled after a 12-yard reception, Breeland returning it to the 35-yard line of the Eagles. Cousins connected with Reid again, this time from 12 yards out, and Washington had a 13-7 lead with one minute left in the first quarter.