PHILADELPHIA -- The 2014 season was a strange one for the Philadelphia Eagles. It started with such promise and peaked with a big victory in Dallas. But a three-game losing streak brought the Eagles crashing down, out of the playoff picture.
Let’s take a look at 10 moments that shaped the season for the Eagles. Here’s No. 2: The Line Crashes Hard Against Washington.
Veteran Eagles offensive lineman Todd Herremans said the team always prepares for “the worst-case scenario.” The Eagles came pretty close to experiencing just that in their game against Washington.
Right tackle Lane Johnson was still serving his PED suspension. Left tackle Jason Peters got ejected for a retaliatory hit on Washington’s Chris Baker. Center Jason Kelce went down with a sports hernia during the game. Left guard Evan Mathis was missing after spraining his knee in the season opener. Herremans had slid over from right guard to right tackle.
The line that had stayed remarkably healthy in 2013 – helping LeSean McCoy lead the NFL in rushing while Nick Foles had a terrific season – was in tatters. The Eagles’ running game was ineffective, gaining just 54 yards on 25 carries. Foles took a lot of hits, but he just kept getting up. He just kept firing, completing 27 of 41 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns.
“He’s a tough sucker,” Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said. “He got hit a lot today. He just stood in there.”
Foles grabbed his right shoulder after one hit. Backup quarterback Mark Sanchez put his helmet on, prepared to go in. But Foles stayed in the game. His shoulder would be bothering him for the next several weeks. But he hung in there, leading the Eagles to a 37-34 victory.
“My teammates are fighting for me, so I’m not going to stay down,” Foles said after the game. “I’m going to get up for those guys. That’s my mindset. It’s not a pride thing where I have to be a tough guy. I know those guys are depending on me, so I’m going to get up and keep fighting for them.”
Foles delivered against Washington, but the bill would come due soon.