It was a valiant last stand by a team decimated by Covid whose puncher's chance of making the playoffs was knocked out. Yet, it was a more respectable effort than expected.
The Washington Football Team lost 27-17 to the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday with 15 players and seven assistant coaches sidelined by the virus. Eagles games are always the weirdest of the season and this one held true with two turnovers giving Washington an early 10-0 lead.
But winning would have been the team's biggest upset since its 1987 strike squad beat Dallas playing regulars on Monday Night Football. They made a movie about that game. This one gets a YouTube clip with its defensive line mostly returning from Covid lacking energy and getting manhandled by Philadelphia's offensive line.
There will be no asterisk to this score. No mention of a quarterback signed four days earlier playing a respectable effort, or moving the game two days allowing Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts to return from the injury list to break Washington's back with his runs. The only historical note will be the franchise's first Tuesday game ever.
Washington is just worn down from injuries and the virus. It's 6-8 and in no way resembles the team that just two weeks ago finished its fourth straight win to provide a spark of playoff hope following a 2-6 start. The NFL's long season reveals a team's true worth over now 17 weeks, and Washington is essentially a .500 team at best until it fixes some problems.
Maybe that happens over the offseason. Meanwhile, there's still three more games remaining starting with Dallas on Sunday before a rematch against Philadelphia and the New York Giants. Finishing 3-0 might earn a playoff spot. The problem is Washington's regrouping on the run and just doesn't have the energy to finish.
Washington has reached the point of the season where players try to protect their bodies and jobs for 2022. The team tries to merit some false hope, but is angling also for draft position. Fans cling to one last memory of a season that will fall slightly short of expectations. And, the owner will try to get his money's worth by using new benches on two more visiting sidelines.
Philadelphia was a double knockout for Washington. It didn't benefit from waiting two extra days and now has a fast turnaround to play Dallas. There's no time to regroup. It's a couple of walkthroughs before traveling Christmas day to play a team that beat it fairly on Dec. 11. This round-robin schedule of Dallas and Philadelphia twice in four weeks does Washington no favors and offers no chance to avoid a sweep versus two teams heading to the playoffs.
Sunday is an elimination game for Washington, but that really happened against Philadelphia and maybe Dallas earlier. A collection of reserves gave it a fair effort, but still fell short. Now it's just sputtering to the finish.
Rick Snider has covered Washington sports since 1978. Follow him on Twitter: @Snide_Remarks.
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