Redskins beat Eagles 38-24, clinch NFC East title

For the second year in a row, Kelly had some tough questions to answer after his team was eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16, once again at the hands of the division-rival Washington Redskins.

Prediction: Truth be told if anyone believes they’ve got either one of these teams figured out they’re only fooling themselves.

Sam Bradford did the best he could last week against the Cardinals, throwing for over 350 yards and a couple of touchdowns.

ABOUT THE REDSKINS (7-7): Kirk Cousins is in the midst of his the best stretch of his career with a passer rating above 100 in four straight games, capped by a 153.7 mark in last week’s 35-25 win over Buffalo in which he threw for 319 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. Tight end Jordan Reed had another big game, and receiver Pierre Garcon and running back Pierre Thomas were both effective in the passing game. It just doesn’t happen, not in a league as driven by parity as the NFL, not when the margin between victory and defeat narrows every year.

Bradford went 37/56 and a season high 380 yards…with a single touchdown and no picks…380 yards…and one touchdown. Why? Between Smith, Trent Murphy and Ryan Kerrigan, the Redskins pass rush in good shape with that much youthful talent.

To make matters worse, their big free agent running back, DeMarco Murray, only played eight snaps and carried the ball two times for three yards. But he dropped a pitch from Bradford that DeAngelo Hall returned for a touchdown late in the third quarter to give Washington a 30-17 lead.

The Redskins put together a strong drive later in the first quarter. Johnson ran for 187 yards and three touchdowns and he also caught four passes for 42 yards. It easy to jump on Cousin for his end of half flaw, but Kirk Cousins also led this team to its first division Championship since 2012.

Then the Eagles missed several opportunities to take control of the game. “We’ve got a few more games on our schedule we’re excited about”.

Reed finished the first half with 105 receiving yards on seven catches.

Nelson Agholor dropped a sure touchdown in the end zone.

“As far as the future, I’d like to be back here”, Bradford said.

The issue for the Eagles is that their offense has sputtered with regularity this season, whereas the Redskins’ offense has been clicking, especially against poor defenses. The Eagles did well to hold Washington to a field goal after it got a first down at the Eagles’ 10. Instead, he took a knee and time ran out.

But Cousins’ third TD pass of the game, a 12-yarder to Chris Thompson, gave Washington a 23-10 lead midway through the third quarter. Rowe is back, but utility cornerback E.J. Biggers, who played for Washington last season, and Jaylen Watkins could fill in for Maxwell, listed as questionable on the injury report with a shoulder issue.

The Eagles may not need any additional motivation, but a fan base tired from a roller-coaster season may be searching for reasons to remain invested in Kelly and the Eagles in 2016. Washington WR DeSean Jackson spent his first six seasons with the Eagles, including a Pro Bowl year in 2013….

But that was short-lived. Washington may very well be an underdog in that wild card game, but for now, they can celebrate a division title in Washington.