The Washington Redskins returned to FedExField to play the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC East divisional matchup and lost, 37-27. Here are five takeaways from the loss:
1. "Touchdown Terry" McLaurin does it again.
McLaurin made his NFL debut in a big way in the season opener against the Eagles with 125 yards and a 69-yard sprint to the end zone.
Twelve games later, the Eagles fans who found their way into FedExField were treated to a repeat performance, this time with McLaurin running away from the defense on his way to a 75-yard touchdown.
After punting the ball away on their first drive, the Redskins set up shop at their own 25-yard line. Quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr. delivered a bullet to McLaurin through three Eagles defenders, and the third-round rookie did the rest to put Washington up, 7-3.
McLaurin had five catches for 130 yards, pushing him closer to his first 1,000-yard season. He currently has 833 yards and seven touchdowns, the second of which is the second-most among Redskins rookies in franchise history.
2. Haskins puts forth his best-career performance.
McLaurin wasn't the only offensive player having himself a game. In one of the best games in his rookie season, Haskins looked crisp, decisive and accurate in and outside the pocket, completing passes to six different players.
Haskins started off hot against the Eagles defense by completing his first six passes for 102 yards and a perfect 158.3 passer rating. He even moved the chains with his feet on a 23-yard run that set the offense up in the red zone.
After his touchdown pass to McLaurin, Haskins followed that up with a masterful 5-yard pass to Steven Sims Jr. in the end zone to put his team up, 14-10. It was the second time this season that Haskins has thrown multiple touchdowns in the same game.
Haskins put together his best statistical performance this year by finishing 19 of 28 for 261 yards and a 121.3 passer rating, both of which are career highs. His 75-yard touchdown pass was the longest of the season, and his 9.3 yards per completion were his highest in six starts and eight total appearances.
3. More historical benchmarks for Adrian Peterson.
It has been a season of moving up a multitude of all-time lists for the 34-year-old running back. He made three more plays Sunday that further cemented him as one of the league's best.
The first one came early in the second half, when he became the 10th running back in league history to have at least 3,000 rushing attempts in his career. That put him in a rare group that includes Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton and Curtis Martin.
Speaking of Martin, Peterson also passed him for fifth on the all-time rushing list with 14,102 yards. Only Smith, Payton, Frank Gore and Barry Sanders are ahead of him.
Peterson wasn't done, though. With a spectacular 10-yard run that put the Redskins up, 21-17, he tied Payton for fourth all-time in career rushing touchdowns (110). It was his third score in as many games.
The next big goal for Peterson is another 1,000-yard rushing season, which would be the ninth of his career. He finished the game with 66 yards, meaning he has to gain 216 in the next two games to do it.
4. Exciting fourth quarter ends with the Eagles on top.
The last meeting between the Eagles and Redskins was more of a "tale of two halves." The Redskins had a dominant first half but ultimately fell, 32-27. Sunday's game was more of a back-and-forth affair with neither gaining momentum until the very end.
Peterson's touchdown gave the Redskins the lead back at the start of the fourth quarter, but then Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz directed an eight-play, 75-yard drive that put Philadelphia back up, 24-21.
Redskins kicker Dustin Hopkins then responded with two field goals that tied and then retook the lead, 27-24. But with the clock winding down and the Eagles driving, Wentz delivered the game-winning touchdown to Greg Ward Jr. to make the score, 31-27.
There was still some time left, though, and Haskins had 18 seconds to respond. But with fewer than 10 seconds in regulation, Haskins fumbled the ball trying to make a play, and the Eagles recovered and took it all the way back for the touchdown to make the final score 37-27.
5. Redskins continue to struggle within the NFC East.
The Redskins have had trouble getting wins in their own division for the better part of a year. They've lost eight straight dating back to the 2018 season.
Sunday offered a chance to end that streak, and there were many times throughout the game where the Redskins looked like the better team. However, it wasn't enough to earn their first divisional win since Oct. 28, 2018.
Washington has two more chances against NFC East opponents, as it hosts the New York Giants next week and travels to play the Dallas Cowboys in the regular season finale. If the Redskins play similar to how they did Sunday, there's a shot for them to end 2019 with back-to-back wins.
