Flashback Friday: Philadelphia Eagles vs Washington Redskins, Week 1
In our own version of ‘Flashback Friday’, we rewind to the first regular-season win of the 2017 season.
The Philadelphia Eagles won 13 games in 2018’s NFL regular season, and they won three games in the playoffs. It all started on the first official weekend of play with a masterful performance against a divisional rival. The Washington Redskins are an interesting rival however.
Eagles fans don’t share the same disdain for the Redskins that they have for the Dallas Cowboys or the New York Giants, but you won’t see any respectable fan of ‘The Birds’ wearing any jerseys from those guys from our nation’s capital. The Eagles walked into Week 1 the losers of five straight to hated ‘Skins but walked out with a ton to be excited about.
You can’t win them all if you don’t win the first one.
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Well, the Eagles wouldn’t go undefeated in 2017, but they would have the best season the team’s had in the Super Bowl era. A team that would endure a season full of dramatic moments, fittingly, saw their first points come in dramatic fashion. Their quarterback, Carson Wentz, eluded ninety-nine tackles (okay, that’s an exaggeration), and would find Nelson Agholor downfield on the other end of a 58-yard touchdown pass.
The play was special for three reasons. We were reminded of Wentz’s ability to freelance. It answered some questions about his deep ball. It also showed us that Nelson Agholor, who struggled in his first two seasons, was ready to take on an important role in the offense.
Eagles fans had heard Agholor had turned the corner from his coaches. He would demonstrate that all season, starting with this play.
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The losing streak to the Redskins is over.
LeGarrette Blount find the endzone. The Eagles would sack Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins four times. The defense would also force four turnovers, including cornerback Jalen Mills‘ first career interception and a strip by defensive end Brandon Graham. The latter was picked up by Fletcher Cox, who rumbled 20 yards to the end zone and borrowed a page from Michael Jackson‘s ‘Thriller’ video.
Wentz finished the game with 307 pass yards on 26 completions and two touchdowns. There was also an interception, but Wentz was solid. Yes, it was a great day all the way around.