What happened to the Eagles defense in the fourth quarter against Commanders?

When watching the Eagles’ defense at the end of the team’s 36-33 loss to the Washington Commanders, the word “uncharacteristic” comes to mind.

The group, which was ranked No. 1 in fewest points allowed before this weekend, allowed three touchdown drives in the fourth quarter alone, including the game-winning series in the final seconds. And after allowing just four completions of 40 or more yards all season, Washington managed two in one half against a reeling secondary that couldn’t find answers against Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.

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To assess how Daniels completed the fourth-quarter comeback by going 12 of 17 for 139 yards and three touchdowns, let’s watch the film:

Warning shots

Even when the Eagles had a comfortable lead in the first half, there were some warning signs of what was to come from Washington’s offense.

The first came when Commanders receiver Dyami Brown got past cornerback Darius Slay on a go route. The Eagles appeared to be in match coverage that pulled CJ Gardner-Johnson to the middle of the field and left Slay without a deep safety to hide the fact that he was coming out of his retirement a touch late. It’s worth noting that the Eagles played in a five-man front and sent all five rushers on this play, something they made a habit of in their second meeting with Washington without applying significant pressure for most of the game.

Seven games later, Mitchell gave up an unusual explosive of his own. The rookie cornerback pocketed Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin a month ago, but was caught inside on a 32-yard touchdown as the veteran wideout flew past him.

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The Eagles were in a three-deep zone coverage with Mitchell in charge of his outside third, but he counted too much on the possibility that McLaurin would break inside and was unable to recover as the receiver at top speed headed towards the pylon. After noticing Mitchell giving up the outside impact so much, Daniels was able to throw the pass high and outside to McLaurin to let the receiver run underneath and away from Mitchell, who hasn’t had a completion since Week 4 had allowed more than 30 yards and hadn’t given up a single touchdown catch before Sunday.

Mitchell’s approved deal is the one that could be the bigger concern in the long run. Whether the Commanders moved the play because their coaching staff recognized the rookie corner’s tendency to defend the inside in Cover 3, or whether Daniels was just making an instinctive play in the moment, teams will likely look at Mitchell’s discipline Put a test. Whether it’s wideouts mimicking the start of McLaurin’s route with a slight feint inside or a full-blown double move, Mitchell has to adapt to stay on top of things.

For what it’s worth, Mitchell has been rock solid against deep throws almost from day one this season.

Red zone role

In addition to the explosive plays, the Eagles secondary will likely spend some time sorting out the miscommunications in the red zone and the role they played in the loss.

Daniels found open receivers in the end zone for two of his five touchdown passes, including the game-winning throw to Washington wideout Jamison Crowder with just 11 seconds left.

ESPN’s Ben Solak did a good job analyzing Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s play design and how it specifically attacks the play coverage that Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio often calls. In short, Washington tried to pit Zack Baun against two burglary routes, one high and one low, and Daniels took advantage of two things: Baun’s reluctance to commit to sticking with Crowder on the deep burglary route and neither of the Eagles ‘ two deep securities that recognize the pattern quickly enough.

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Still, it’s game design that drives the outcome more than individual execution, and it’s a route concept future opponents will certainly take note of given the result.

Early in the fourth quarter, Washington managed to get former Eagles wideout Olamide Zaccheaus open for a 4-yard touchdown catch, also due to a secondary miscommunication. Much like the game winner, Washington assumed the Eagles were in match zone coverage and emphasized the secondary’s ability to clear crossing paths in response. As Zaccheaus rushed to the back pylon with Tristin McCollum at strong safety in place of the ejected Gardner-Johnson, linebacker Nakobe Dean apparently tried to pass it to McCollum, who was out of position and reacted too late.

The two points weren’t the only time the Commanders seemed to make the ideal decision against the Eagles’ coverages in the fourth quarter.

Two of Daniels’ completions leading up to the go-ahead touchdown can hardly be attributed to any one individual, rather than the leverage the nearest defender had to play with in the zone coverage structure. Fearful of being over-beaten, Mitchell dropped a 10-yard catch early in the series on a McLaurin stop route, and McLaurin had another 7-yard catch two plays later, taking advantage of the space The Eagles offered him a two-high safety shell.

If you unpack the handful of snaps that went wrong in the Eagles’ secondary, the group has played well enough for most of the season, suggesting Sunday’s game was more of a blip than a worrying trend. However, the miscommunications in the red zone could continue, especially as the stakes rise and coaching staffs look to exploit every available weakness that appears on tape.

” READ MORE: Something or nothing? Analyzing the Eagles’ sloppy loss to the Commanders, from not-so-special teams to a shaky running game