It would be easy to blame Sunday's heartbreaking 23-20 loss to the Redskins on miscues in the game's final minutes, when Washington drove 90 yards in 15 plays to set up a game-winning 4-yard touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins to Pierre Garcon. But in reality, the game was decided long before that final drive.
It was decided when kicker Caleb Sturgis missed a 33-yard field goal early in the game and followed that up with a missed extra point in the third quarter. When rookie wideout Nelson Agholor mishandled a pitch from running back Ryan Mathews on a reverse to give away the ball just as the offense was beginning to pick up steam in the second quarter, that too dug the Eagles into a deeper hole. And each and every drop by a Philadelphia receiver chipped away ever so slightly at the team's chances of holding on to its tenuous lead and improving to 2-2 on the year.
Sure, it would be easy to question the resolve of a now 1-3 team that was picked by some analysts as a legitimate playoff contender before the season began. But head coach Chip Kelly insists that a lack of effort is not the problem.
"We're not executing," he said flatly when asked why the team has struggled so unexpectedly through the first quarter of the season. "What I told them after the game is that I don't fault any of them from an effort standpoint. I think they all play hard. They all give you everything they've got, but there's certain things we've got to execute."
Sam Bradford put together his best game as an Eagle, completing 15-of-28 passes despite a handful of dropped balls and finishing with 270 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. His 122.6 passer rating was nearly 50 points higher than his second best this year, a 77.1 mark set in the team's season-opener against Atlanta.
Kelly believes in Bradford, who's shown flashes of brilliance at times early this season but has struggled with consistency, and blames some of his struggles on issues with pass protection.
"In the second half, we protected Sam better and gave him an opportunity to throw the football, and you saw what he could do," the third-year head coach said. "We didn't do a good job in the first half of protecting Sam."
In the opening 30 minutes of the game, Philadelphia mustered just five completions on 10 attempts for 74 yards. All three passing touchdowns came in the second half, as did 196 of Bradford's 270 passing yards.
After playing three of their first four games on the road, the Eagles return to Lincoln Financial Field next week to host the 0-3 New Orleans Saints, who square off against Dallas on Sunday Night Football. After that, it's a Week 6 meeting with the division-rival Giants on Monday Night Football for Philadelphia. Back-to-back wins would bring the Eagles to 3-3 in an NFC East division that is still wide open.
But Kelly isn't looking too far ahead, or too far behind. He's focused on correcting the errors that have plagued the team through three weeks, but doesn't want to harp on the hole they've dug for itself.
"I don't think we're concerned with all that," he said of the team's playoff odds through Week 4. "We've just got to go win a football game."
The extreme weather couldn't keep the Eagles from traveling to Washington for their Week 4 match up. View the full gallery here...
RB DeMarco Murray takes off
PHIvsWAS
Waiting to make their attack
WR Nelson Agholor makes the one-handed grab
S Malcolm Jenkins celebrates the stop
Waiting for the verdict
The pass is in the air
QB Sam Bradford takes the field
Eagles Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Lurie and Vice President of Player Personnel Ed Marynowitz watch pregame
Heading to the field
Kickers Caleb Sturgis and Cody Parkey talk during pregame
RB DeMarco Murray prepares for the game
Catching up before the game
Ready to run
An intense practice
Ready to take the field!
Eagles on three!
Ready for the game to start
Pregame focus
Stretching out for #PHIvsWAS
RB Kenjon Barner catches a pass during pregame
The #SproleTrain has arrived
LB Connor Barwin gets the pass
Preparations...
C Jason Kelce
RB Darren Sproles goes through his routine
DB Walter Thurmond and WR Nelson Agholor jog on the field
T Dennis Kelly goes for the block during pregame warm-ups
WR Miles Austin flies high for the ball
Suit up
FlyEaglesFly!
RB Darren Sproles and QB Sam Bradford take the field
Ready to rock!
LB Mychal Kendricks is in position
Ready to make his move
LB Najee Goode looks on
DT Bennie Logan takes in the moment
WR Josh Huff shoes his #EaglesTBC support
LB Jordan Hicks during the National Anthem
The Eagles defense makes the stop
QB Sam Bradford looks down the field
Always prepared
EaglesNation is well-represented at the game!
High-fives all around
Ready to support their Eagles!
LB Connor Barwin goes for the ball
RB DeMarco Murray protects on the run
T Jason Peters protects along the outside
QB Sam Bradford looks for a receiver
P Donnie Jones kicks it away
RB DeMarco Murray tries to shake off the tackle
Walking the sidelines after the play
A true Eagles fan!
QB Sam Bradford scrambles
K Caleb Sturgis makes his debut as an Eagle
Watching it soar
DE Fletcher Cox sticks with the tackle
Hitting the open field
WR Nelson Agholor pulls the ball in
Blocking for RB DeMarco Murray
DT Bennie Logan sets up
Head Coach Chip Kelly
LB Jordan Hicks is ready for the snap
Examining the coverage
LB Connor Barwin eyes up the offense
On the run!
RB Darren Sproles escapes for the open field
QB Sam Bradford has time to make the throw
T Dennis Kelly runs off
DB Eric Rowe and LB DeMeco Ryans make the tackle
Protecting the ball
WR Nelson Agholor takes off
Now that's control!
RB Darren Sproles makes his move
Sproles in stride
As the National Anthem is sung...
It's a celebration!
WR Jordan Matthews runs with the ball
TE Brent Celek celebrates the touchdown!
DE Fletcher Cox marks up
The Eagles defense stops the offense
WR Jordan Matthews has no problem making the catch
WR Jordan Matthews hits traffic
WR Riley Cooper has the touchdown!
WR Riley Cooper celebrates with LB Connor Barwin
QB Sam Bradford joins in on the celebration
TE Brent Celek makes the catch!
Celek scores!
CB Byron Maxwell doesn't let him get away
T Jason Peters braces for impact
DE Fletcher Cox and LB DeMeco Ryans power through the tackle
DE Fletcher Cox tracks down the ball
The kick is good!
K Caleb Sturgis gets ready for the kick
The handoff to RB Ryan Mathews
LB Brandon Graham goes for the tackle
RB Darren Sproles slips through the tackles
Pressure on QB Sam Bradford
Going for it
A pile of Eagles make the tackle
WR Jordan Matthews prepares to take off
WR Miles Austin finds the endzone
The defense attacks from all angles
C Jason Kelce congratulates WR Miles Austin
The offense protects QB Sam Bradford
Incoming!
It's good!
All smiles for the wide receivers
Everyone is pumped up for WR Miles Austin
A beautiful throw from QB Sam Bradford and an amazing catch from WR Miles Austin
DE Vinny Curry tires to block the pass
The defense working together
Before the throw...
Stopped in his tracks
TE Trey Burton and LB Bryan Braman are fired up
RB Darren Sproles keeps running
RB Ryan Mathews runs through traffic
RB Ryan Mathews finds the opening
WR Miles Austin protects the ball
