The Philadelphia Eagles clinched the NFC East on Saturday night with a dominant win over the Washington Commanders. And with that, they also managed to knock out another division rival in the process.
The Dallas Cowboys have mathematically been eliminated from playoff contention with an Eagles win as their only hope of making it was to win the division.
“We get judged on winning and losing, and we haven’t won enough games,” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said earlier this week (via The Athletic). “Doesn’t mean there aren’t going to be things when we look back that we’re like, ‘Hey, we’ve built this, and this is great. We really upgraded this position, or we’ve done that.’ But I’m gonna stay in the moment. I’m going to be all about the Chargers. After we go and play the Chargers, and hopefully win, I’m going to be all about the Commanders and then the Giants and see what happens.”
And even more so, the Cowboys are one of six teams scheduled to play on Christmas Day. However, four of those teams have now been eliminated from the playoffs.
Here Is The Current NFC Playoff Picture
Getty
- Seattle Seahawks (12-3)
- Chicago Bears (10-4)
- Philadelphia Eagles (10-5)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7)
- Los Angeles Rams (11-4)
- San Francisco 49ers (10-4)
- Green Bay Packers (9-4-1)
IN THE HUNT
- Detroit Lions (8-6)
- Carolina Panthers (7-7)
Eagles Become First Repeat NFC East Champions In 21 Years
GettyPhiladelphia Eagles fans
With their win, the Eagles became the first repeat NFC East champions in 21 years.
“Definitely something that was on our minds,” quarterback Jalen Hurts told NFC GameDay after the game. “Definitely something that was on my mind.”
And his plans for the hat and t-shirt: “I’ll hang it up somewhere,” with the shirts reading, “Been There, Won That.”
After the game, head coach Nick Sirianni knew that this was no easy feat.
“It’s hard. It’s hard to do this,” he told reporters.
As for how many NFC East titles each team has won since 2000, the Eagles lead the way with 12, followed by the Cowboys with seven, and then the New York Giants with four, with the Commanders sitting in last with just three.
Jake Elliott Had A Rough Outing Against the Commanders
GettyEagles kicker Jake Elliott
Despite the team’s win, there was one glaring issue with the Eagles.
Philadelphia’s kicker Jake Elliott went 0-2 on Saturday, missing two field goals in the win.
His first chance was to extend the Eagles’ 7-3 lead, but he missed the 43-yard attempt. Elliott then proceeded to miss a 52-yard attempt at the end of the first half. After that, he didn’t attempt another kick the entire game, with Philadelphia opting to go for it on fourth down.
He was asked about his struggles after the game and whether it’s a mental block.
“No, honestly, not at all,” Elliott said (via Mike Garafolo). That’s kind of what’s frustrating about is I don’t feel that way at all. I kind of wish it was. Easier to fix.”
However, his coach made it clear that he’s behind the kicker.
“I have the utmost confidence in Jake (Elliott) moving forward,” Nick Sirianni said.
And special teams continued to have some issues as Will Shipley fumbled the opening kick, which the Commanders recovered and allowed them to start their drive at the Eagles’ 26-yard line. However, the defense held strong and held Washington to a field goal.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Eagles Deliver Holiday Heartbreak to Cowboys Ahead of Christmas appeared first on Heavy Sports.