When the Philadelphia Eagles scored a touchdown late in Saturday’s 29-18 win over the Washington Commanders, head coach Nick Sirianni decided to go for the two-point conversion. When Saquon Barkley converted on the two-point attempt, a fight broke out, with three players, one from the Eagles and two from the Commanders, ejected.
At the time, going for two didn’t make much sense. Some Philadelphia fans rationalized that struggling kicker Jake Elliott’s struggles led to the move. That doesn’t fly. Wouldn’t you want your struggling kicker to get some in-game reps with the game already decided?
Here’s the melee:
Washington head coach Dan Quinn didn’t appear too happy after the game.
“I can only answer from my side and what I would do,” Quinn said. “But, hey man, like that’s how they want to get down then. Like all good. We play them again in two weeks.”
On one hand, this is good. These games are much more interesting when there is some sort of heat. Considering Washington’s record (now 4-11), there wasn’t much anticipation for this game. That means when they play again in two weeks, things could get interesting. Of course, the Eagles clinched the NFC East on Saturday, so, depending on seeding, they may have nothing to play for in Week 18. What kind of revenge would the Commanders even be getting in Week 18 if Philadelphia rests its starters and has nothing to play for?
You can also see things from Quinn’s point of view. There was really no reasonable explanation as to why the Eagles went for two there. The game was over. Quinn knew it. Heck, Quinn himself gave up on the game earlier in the quarter, punting twice near midfield down only 11 points.
It’s complicated. Both sides have the right to feel the way they do. Part of Quinn’s frustration is that it’s yet another loss — its ninth in the last 10 games. It’s also about seeing how far the Commanders have fallen since their last meeting with the Eagles in January’s NFC Championship Game.