The Philadelphia Eagles are 9-5 after beating the Las Vegas Raiders at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday afternoon. Final score: 31 to zero.
That’s right, zero. A shutout. The Eagles’ first since blanking the Washington Commanders during their 2018 regular season finale.
This win was a much-needed result to snap a three-game losing streak. Further, it was encouraging to see the team actually play well in all phases.
The Eagles’ much maligned-offense posted 31 points before pulling their starters early in the fourth quarter. They would’ve had 35 points if Dallas Goedert didn’t drop a wide open touchdown catch. Jalen Hurts put any talk of him being benched behind him by completing 12 of his 15 attempts for 175 yards (11.7 average), three touchdowns (plus the aforementioned dropped touchdown), zero interceptions, and a 154.9 passer rating. Hurts also contributed seven runs for 39 yards as a runner, where he was more involved than normal.
Vic Fangio’s defense limited the Raiders to, well, zero points and just 75 yards. Old friend Kenny Pickett was 15/25 for 29 net yards, zero touchdowns, an interception, and a 47.9 passer rating. Domination.
How much should we make of this win as it relates to the Eagles’ outlook moving forward? Well, they’re certainly not going to play teams who are this bad every week. The Raiders are truly terrible. The Eagles previously beat up on a bad Giants team in Week 8 and that performance didn’t really portend well for the offense, which only scored two total touchdowns in their next two games after that win.
But maybe there’s something to the Eagles just needing to see the ball go through the hoop, so to speak. This could’ve been a confidence-boosting performance for a team that was in need of something to feel good about.
At the very least, we know this win puts the Eagles one step closer to clinching the NFC East. The Eagles’ magic number to win the division is now down to two. If the Dallas Cowboys lose to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night, that number drops to one ahead of Week 16.
Next up for the Eagles: a road game against the Washington Commanders on Saturday, December 20.
Read on for a recap and stay tuned for BGN’s postgame coverage.
FIRST QUARTER
- The Raiders won the coin toss and elected to defer to put the Eagles on offense first. The Eagles began at their own 33-yard line. Saquon Barkley ran twice to bring up third down. Facing 3rd-and-3, Jalen Hurts dropped back and A.J. Brown couldn’t haul in the pass but that’s because Raiders cornerback Eric Stokes committed pass interference. The penalty gave the Eagles a first down in plus territory. Facing 3rd-and-4, the Eagles went with a QB draw and Hurts picked up a first down running up the middle. Nice to see a designed Hurts run in a high-leverage spot. Barkley bounced a run to the outside that looked like it could have been a bigger gain if he turned upfield. Hurts then completed a pass to a wide open Barkley in the flat to set up third down with Barkley going out of bounds before the marker. Facing 3rd-and-1, the Eagles went tush push (it lives!) for the first down. Facing 3rd-and-6 after Barkley was tackled for a loss on a toss, Hurts hit DeVonta Smith … who was originally ruled just short of the marker before replay assist fixed the mistake for a first down in goal-to-go. Hurts then went with the shovel pass to Dallas Goedert for a touchdown! For as much as the Eagles’ offense has struggled this season, they’ve done some nice things in goal-to-go all year long. Nice opening drive by the offense to go 67 yards in 13 plays for seven points while taking 7:09 off the clock. EAGLES 7, RAIDERS 0.
- The Raiders took over at their own 26-yard line. Kenny Pickett hit Tyler Lockett for the Raiders’ first first down. Facing 3rd-and-1, Pickett took off running for a first down into plus territory. Facing 3rd-and-8, Brandon Graham got to Pickett for BG’s first sack since unretiring … but Cooper DeJean was flagged twice (defensive holding declined and unnecessary roughness accepted) to give the Raiders a first down at the plus 37-yard line instead of the Eagles forcing a punt. Facing 3rd-and-13 after Moro Ojomo sacked Pickett on first down, Pickett completed a pass to set up a shorter fourth down attempt. Facing 4th-and-7, Pickett’s pass was batted down by Jaelan Phillips to force the turnover on downs. Big effort by the defensive line to stop the Raiders’ drive.
- The Eagles took over art their own 33-yard line. Hurts dropped a deep pass right in the bucket to DeVonta for a 44-yard gain (the Eagles got away with Fred Johnson notably holding Maxx Crosby) and then Barkley ran for seven yards to end the first quarter.
SECOND QUARTER
- Facing 3rd-and-6 after Barkley was tackled for a loss, Hurts floated a pass to Darius Cooper, who drew a pass interference penalty on the Raiders to give the Birds goal-to-go from the 5-yard line. Facing 3rd-and-goal after Goedert dropped a WIDE OPEN touchdown ball floated to him in the end zone, Hurts was sacked by Maxx Crosby. Four-point drop by Goedert. Jake Elliott came in for the 27-yard field goal make. Good drive that should’ve been a TD. EAGLES 10, RAIDERS 0.
- The Raiders took over at their own 31-yard line. Facing 3rd-and-7, a stunting Jalyx Hunt pressured Pickett into a checkdown that was dropped by Ashton Jeanty. Three-and-out.
- The Eagles took over at their own 26-yard line. Facing 3rd-and-6 after two Barkley touches, Hurts took off running and threw to Tank Bigsby, who couldn’t make the grab for a catch that wouldn’t have resulted in a first down anyway. The quarterback probably should have kept running towards the marker. Cam Jurgens was really driven into Hurts’ lap on that third down play. Three-and-out.
- The Raiders took over at their own 28-yard line. Facing 3rd-and-6, Graham got to Pickett again for another sack! The old man’s still got it. Three-and-out.
- The Eagles took over at their own 30-yard line. They picked up a first down with a defensive holding penalty. Tank Bigsby took his first carry for seven yards. And then another for four yards and a first down. Goedert got wide open on play-action for multiple first down catches into the red zone. Facing 3rd-and-3, Hurts took off running for a first down at the 2-yard line. Barkley took a carry up the gut for the Eagles’ second touchdown! 11-play, 70-yard TD drive to give the Eagles a three-possession lead. EAGLES 17, RAIDERS 0.
- The Raiders took over at their own 20-yard line with 1:57 on the clock and three timeouts to work with. Facing 3rd-and-5 after Phillips pressured Pickett into an incompletion, Pickett hit Brock Bowers for the Raiders’ second first down of the drive. Facing 3rd-and-8, Adoree’ Jackson made a nice leaping PBU at the catch point to break up a Pickett pass to Lockett.
- The Eagles took over at their own 21-yard line with 0:23 on the clock and three timeouts to work with. Nick Sirianni refused to try to score at the end of the first half, as he’s often done this year. And he made it worse by exposing Barkley to an extra hit that he didn’t need to take.
THIRD QUARTER
- The Raiders took over at their own 36-yard line. The Raiders drove into field goal range. Facing 3rd-and-3, Pickett threw to his former teammate, Zack Baun. His second pick of the season. Baun ran Bowers’ route for him.
- The Eagles took over at their own 27-yard line. Hurts found a wide open Goedert in the same part of the field the Raiders left vacated on multiple Goedert receptions earlier in the game. Very easy for the Eagles to instantly move into plus territory. Facing 3rd-and-8, Hurts hit A.J. Brown for a first down. Easy money for Brown’s first reception of the game. Facing 3rd-and-2, Barkley picked up a first down on the ground but Tyler Steen got called for holding. Facing 3rd-and-12, Hurts ran for the first down on a QB draw. Nice call. Barkley ran twice for an Eagles first down at the 4-yard line. Then the Eagles went with a little pop pass to Goedert for their third touchdown of the day. 10-play, 73-yard TD drive. Safe to say the Raiders stink. EAGLES 24, RAIDERS 0.
- The Raiders took over at their own 32-yard line. Facing 3rd-and-10, Nolan Smith got to Pickett for a sack. Eagles defense takeover. Three-and-out for Las Vegas.
- The Eagles took over at their own 40-yard line and ran four straight times to get into field goal range to end the third quarter. Hurts seemed to be in pain after going down on the final play of the third quarter.
FOURTH QUARTER
- Facing 3rd-and-5, Hurts hit Brown up the seam for a 27-yard touchdown pass to begin the fourth quarter. Great throw. Brown initially bobbled the catch but still brought it in. EAGLES 31, RAIDERS 0.
- The Raiders took over at their own 32-yard line. Facing 3rd-and-16, the Raiders should’ve been called for offensive pass interference against Quinyon Mitchell as Pickett’s pass fell incomplete. Three-and-out.
- The Eagles took over at their own 19-yard line. Tanner McKee and other backup players entered the game on offense. McKee ripped a throw to Darius Cooper for a first down. Facing 3rd-and-3, McKee hit Grant Calcaterra over the middle for another first down. Facing 3rd-and-8, Tanner “Michael Vick” McKee took off running for a first down. McKee hit Cooper for 13 yards for yet another first down. Then Bigsby ran for a first down. And another to the 5-yard line. Facing 3rd-and-goal at the 2-yard line, Bigsby was stopped just short of the goal line. Facing 4th-and-goal, Bigsby was stopped short of the end zone. Bummer. They deserved points.
- The Raiders took over at their own 2-yard line with 1:55 on the clock. They ran three times and let the clock run out.
FINAL SCORE: EAGLES 31, RAIDERS 0
EAGLES LINEUP NOTES
- The Eagles pulled their starters with 13:17 left in the fourth quarter.
- The Eagles’ second-string offensive line: LT Matt Pryor, LG Brett Toth, C Drew Kendall, RG Tyler Steen, RT Fred Johnson.
- The Eagles’ backup defenders were in the game on the Raiders’ final drive.
EAGLES INJURY NEWS
- Saquon Barkley got looked at by trainers later in the second quarter but he re-entered the game.
- Jalen Hurts got banged up on the final play of the third quarter. He looked to be in discomfort during the break before the fourth quarter. Hurts remained in the game to start the fourth quarter.