The logic is infallible. The team that commits the fewest mistakes is the one that has the best chance of winning.
After Saturday night's loss to Washington, head coach Chip Kelly said his team committed too make mistakes to win the crucial game.
"You're not going to win a football game that way," Kelly admitted. "We left them on the field in too many third downs, where we got penalties to extend drives where you felt like you had a stop. Thirteen penalties and two turnovers isn't going to win a football game in this league."
The 13 accepted penalties were the most by the Eagles this season.
The Eagles' miscues began early, when quarterback Mark Sanchez was stripped on the first drive of the game, and Washington capitalized by scoring three points on the ensuing possession. The deficit grew in the second half when the Eagles' defense was unable to get quarterback Robert Griffin III and the Washington offense off the field, committing a number of the 13 penalties that often granted first downs. On the afternoon, six of the 13 penalties resulted in first downs.
Despite his team's ability to claw its way back into contention with an impressive pair of drives and an interception of Griffin, Kelly said the mistakes were insurmountable.
"I thought, you battle back and you end up tying the game at 24 ...," Kelly said, pausing mid-explanation. "But we didn't do enough good things to win. Obviously 13 penalties, missed two field goals, two turnovers. Not enough to win a football game."
And when Washington committed mistakes of its own, Kelly said the Eagles didn't capitalize like they needed to. After forcing a fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half, the Eagles had the ball deep in the opponents' territory, already up by four points. Instead of a touchdown, or even a field goal, the Eagles came away with no points when kicker Cody Parkey missed a 34-yard field goal attempt. It was the first of two Parkey missed field goals.
"That was big," Kelly explained. "You want to come away with points, obviously. You start off, it's a good momentum swing, Malcolm (Jenkins) makes a good play on the kickoff cover. You get the ball out there and you think you're at least coming away with three.
"But that's kind of what the game was like all night."
The Eagles traveled to Washington to face their NFC East rivals in a crucial Week 16 showdown. Making the affair much more special, is that it's Saturday afternoon football ...
S Nate Allen with the interception!
WR Riley Cooper celebrating his 2nd touchdown of the day
TE Zach Ertz
S Malcolm Jenkins forcing the fumble
CB Nolan Carroll II recovering the fumble
RB LeSean McCoy breaking through the tackle
WR Riley Cooper celebrating his touchdown
RB Darren Sproles diving for extra yards
And LB Mychal Kendricks with the sack!
TheRealMcCoy with the touchdown
First down WR Jeremy Maclin
LB Connor Barwin making the tackle
TE Zach Ertz making two catches and the first drive
S Malcolm Jenkins getting the team fired up
WR Jordan Matthews getting loose in Washington
WR Josh Huff during warmups
P Donnie Jones
RB LeSean McCoy ready for the game
Inside the defensive huddle
LB Brandon Graham with a smile on his face before the game
TE Trey Burton getting reps in warmups
Head coach Chip Kelly before the game
WR Riley Cooper making the catch in warmups
RB Darren Sproles during warmups
LB Connor Barwin with S Nate Allen prior to the game
QB Mark Sanchez during warmups
RB LeSean McCoy looking for the hole
The defense surging to make the stop
WR Josh Huff returning the kick
WR Jeremy Maclin making the 22yard reception
RB LeSean McCoy rushing for the touchdown!
RB LeSean McCoy celebrating the touchdown
RB Darren Sproles
QB Mark Sanchez back in the pocket
RB Darren Sproles on the run
LB Mychal Kendricks with the pressure
WR Jordan Matthews making a move
RB LeSean McCoy moving through the gap
WR Riley Cooper making the catch for the touchdown!
The line before the snap
QB Mark Sanchez slinging the ball around the field
RB Darren Sproles cutting down field
QB Mark Sanchez talking with head coach Chip Kelly
WR Jordan Matthews making moves
The OL setting blocks
LB Mychal Kendricks making the tackle
Head coach Chip Kelly
TE Zach Ertz
WR Jordan Matthews
QB Mark Sanchez ready to launch the ball
RB LeSean McCoy breaking down field
RB LeSean McCoy fighting through tackles
QB Mark Sanchez looking for Cooper
RB LeSean McCoy ready to take on the tackle
TE Brent Celek with the big catch
K Cody Parkey makes the field goal to tie the game
Now the Eagles will saddle up and prepare to head to MetLife Stadium next Sunday to take on the New York Giants.
The playoff picture is muddled, but Kelly wasn't thinking about that after Saturday's game. It's time to move on to New York.
"We've got one game left. We've got to go get ready and get focused for the New York Giants, and we've got to win that game," Kelly said. "And there are a lot of other things that have to happen besides that, but we have no control over that. The only thing we do have control over is getting ready for New York."
For the Eagles to make the playoffs, it's simple. The Eagles must beat the Giants and Dallas has to lose to Indianapolis on Sunday and Washington in Week 17.
