Oh, there are there on the team who will argue that Sunday wasn't a true must-win game, and in a pure sense that is the truth. The mathematics will always tell you the absolute story in this case.
But the Eagles, thanks to their dreadful 1-4 start, were in a hole deep enough to know that they could ill-afford to slip up against the Redskins. So the Eagles played that way. They punched the tough-guy Redskins in the mouth with a powerful running game, went man to man against Washington's hunt-and-peck offense that relies on a strong running attack and built enough of a cushion to have an opportunity to ice away the last couple of minutes with a heavy dose of LeSean McCoy on the ground.
In the end, it was very satisfying, warts and all. The Eagles still left too many points on the field -- they were just 2 of 5 in the red zone with a couple of touchdowns, 2 field goals and an interception -- but they cobbled together an offensive line from spare parts and gained 422 yards and built a 20-0 lead with a pair of touchdown drives, of 82 yards and 72 yards, among their first three offensive possessions.
They made the necessary changes to reflect their personnel: The passing game took its shots down the field with some success, but also got the ball out of Michael Vick's hands quickly in a sharp short-passing game performance. McCoy carried a career-high 28 times for a rugged 126 yards. The defense shut down Washington's running game (14 carries, 42 yards) and picked off a season-best 4 Rex Grossman passes and even limited the Redskins to one touchdown on a trio of trips to the red zone.
In short, the Eagles kept their season going. They have considerable work to do -- the Eagles are 2-4, two games behind the Giants in the NFC East -- and they know it. This win had warts.
But, geez, after four straight losses, doesn't a win, any win feel just great?
"It's difficult to win in this league," said cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. "Every player is a great player and any team is capable of beating another team. So to come here, on the road, and win this game, it's very important to our team."
Winning the game prior to the bye week hasn't been easy under head coach Andy Reid. The Eagles are now 6-7 in this pre-bye week game under Reid, and none of the wins have ever been more important. The Eagles were reeling, the wolves were howling and the fans were steaming mad, a fact not lost on Reid.
"I understand that," said Reid. "I've said this all along: The fans are going to let you know when you stink. We deserved it."
Philadelphia marched out to a 20-0 lead in the second quarter and then missed some chances to put the game away. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie dropped an interception that would have been an easy return for a touchdown. The red-zone offense squandered some golden opportunities. The defense, dominating for much of the game with an aggressive approach, softened up late and allowed the Redskins to drive 80 yards in 10 plays to score a touchdown and make it interesting for the final 2 minutes, 44 seconds of the contest.
It is never easy with this team. But let's hope the victory and the rest to follow, rejuvenates the Eagles and provides a long-term sense of purpose. They get left tackle Jason Peters and defensive end Trent Cole back after both missed two games because of injuries.
The season is alive. The NFC East is logjammed behind the Giants, who have a very difficult schedule ahead. The Eagles played 30 outstanding minutes and were only OK in spots in the second half on Sunday, but it was enough to grab a huge win on the road and in the division.
What's next? Rest, relaxation and the all-important self-scouting time for the coaching staff. Home games against Dallas and Chicago follow. The Eagles have not played well at home in the last few seasons. That has to change right away. This team has to take advantage of Lincoln Financial Field.
But all is good once again. Nobody is assuming that just because the Eagles won in Washington that they are back and good to go. Ten games remain. The Eagles need to win eight of those games.
There is work ahead. First, though, there is a time to step back and evaluate what has been and what could be for this football team.
NEWS, NOTES AND A LITTLE BIT OF THIS AND THAT
- Jeremy Maclin continues his outstanding season. He has 37 receptions, good for 489 yards and 3 touchdowns. Maclin was terrific down the field against Washington with 5 catches for 101 yards.
- The Eagles have been outscored 43-17 in the fourth quarter of games this season. Amazing, and something that must change.
- Asomugha had a fantastic game and set a tone with a huge open-field hit on tight end Chris Cooley that knocked Cooley out of the game.
- On the other side of the tackling spectrum, cornerback Asante Samuel has to pay attention to his technique. He dropped his head and avoided serious injury in the second half when he tried to bring down tight end Fred Davis. Very dangerous stuff.
- Mike Patterson was dominating inside for the Eagles with a sack and 3 tackles and Darryl Tapp had a sack when John Beck dropped the football as he was scrambling out of the pocket. Even though the Eagles had just two sacks, the pass rush was effective.
- Major credit to the linebackers, who have gotten a ton of heat this season. They forced the running game beautifully and played excellent downhill football.
- None of the coaches or players talked about "major" changes in the defensive scheme, but it sure seemed to me that Asomugha was outside in a lot of man coverage, up at the line of scrimmage, more than usual. I would like to see more of that from all of the cornerbacks.
- Bottom line for the offense: They need to produce more points when the offense controls the football for 38 minutes, 8 seconds and generates 422 net yards.
- Something to think about: Who comes off the active roster when defensive end Brandon Graham is active? Graham is eligible to join the 53-man roster prior to the Dallas game. Whether he does remains to be seen.
