January 04, 2026
Bill Streicher/Imagn Images
The Eagles should probably find a way to work Tank Bigsby into the rushing attack more for the playoffs.
The Eagles lost. They'll be the No. 3 seed in NFC for the playoffs, and face the 49ers in the Wild Card round right back here at Lincoln Financial Field next week.
Tank Bigsby got lead running back time on Sunday, showing that he could be useful to Philly in the postseason, but Tanner McKee was shaky, and the Eagles' defensive backfield depth was especially brutal in a 24-17 loss to the Commanders on Sunday.
Here's a rundown of what we learned from the Week 18 finale...
McKee, with the start under center, got DeVonta Smith for a quarter as a top pass-catching threat, and the backup QB wasted no time finding his temporary No. 1.
On the Eagles' opening drive, McKee took his read and got a 17-yard pass to an open Smith right by the sideline on the game's first play, before a false start and a sack stalled out the possession after just four snaps.
On drive No. 2, McKee went looking straight to Smith again, feeding him a quick eight-yard pass and then, a couple plays later, a well-placed 27-yard loft into Washington territory that only Smith could go up and grab in coverage.
Smitty goin' UP pic.twitter.com/YRSrjUvqju
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 4, 2026
It made little difference for McKee in the moment.
Moving into the second quarter, McKee hit Jahan Dotson for a 15-yard completion into the red zone, then threaded a pass straight into the hands of tight end Grant Calcaterra on a post to the end zone for a touchdown.
The Eagles took the day's first lead, 7-0, after a nine-play, 80-yard drive, with McKee looking like he mostly picked right up from where he left off in his impressive showing from a year ago with last season's Week 18 finale against the Giants.
McKee ➡️ Calcaterra for 6 pic.twitter.com/OmIEhkmifO
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 4, 2026
Problem is, and sorry if you've heard this one, everything else after from McKee and the Eagles' offense devolved into an unnecessary and self-inflicted struggle. It's the difference of going from Kellen Moore to Kevin Patullo as the main playcaller, and maybe the lesser comfort from having a weaker offensive line, too.
Tank Bigsby brought in a check and rumbled 31 yards downfield after shedding his initial tackle, which spotted Philly in striking distance at the Washington 14.
https://t.co/mkD6H4ripj pic.twitter.com/17yPluKlAU
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 4, 2026
Then the Eagles brought themselves to a 3rd and 2.
They called for two straight pass plays that were fishing for the end zone with McKee rolling right, and they burnt a timeout in between trying to bait the offsides.
They just needed a yard to reset the downs with two tries to get it, or to just take the chip shot field goal, yet passed on both those routes to take a questionable, aggressive risk...sure...
McKee threw an interception near the goal line on a miscommunication between himself and Dotson on a route, which the Commanders flipped into a field goal for the 10-7 lead before halftime.
On the Eagles' turn with the ball coming back from the break and facing a 2nd and 1, McKee had the room in front of him to run and grab the first, but instead tried to jam a pass through to Darius Cooper that got broken up. The Eagles got held up with a stop of Bigsby on third down and false start from Calcaterra on fourth to punt.
Until the Eagles capitalized on Josh Johnson's fumble to turn it into a short-yardage touchdown, and then even after, it was shaky, and fell apart with one last messy drive on a chance to save the game.
McKee has steadily climbed his way up the NFL quarterback ladder the past few years, going from a project QB to the Eagles' third-stringer, and then after impressing and becoming a fan favorite behind former backups Marcus Mariota and Kenny Pickett, he finally got his turn as the regular QB2 this season.
The thing is, the more he continues to hold his own, the more eyes around the league that he catches, along with the inevitable discussion that he should get a chance to start.
It just won't be in Philly so long as Jalen Hurts is here, and may not be as near on the horizon as originally thought after Sunday, unless a team is in dire need of a still mostly unknown product as a starter.
Bigsby slipped under his tackle on that second-quarter check from McKee and was off to the races, and either tried to turn the corner or bulldoze straight through Washington on every touch of the ball after, eventually punching in that two-yard touchdown following the recovery of Johnson's fumble in the third quarter.
TOUCHDOWN. TANK. pic.twitter.com/Sgu5cA9zz4
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 4, 2026
Every time Bigsby gets a chance, though, he seems to always make at least something out of it with shiftiness and a willingness to lower his shoulder and charge through despite his 5'11", 215-pound frame.
The 23-year-old running back can collect some decent yardage, as he did Sunday with 75 yards and a touchdown on the ground, plus the 31 more he broke for with that quick pass through the air.
He can be handy for the Eagles going into the playoffs as a 1-2 punch with Barkley. Obviously, he can absorb punishment, which lessens it for Barkley on another potentially lengthy postseason run, while being able to make a play or two himself, too.
Sirianni and Patullo just have to get him out there.
Washington's second-quarter touchdown to tie the game, 7-7, came courtesy of a defensive pass interference call on cornerback Jakorian Bennett, which brought the Commanders up to the Eagles' 1 to punch the ball in.
Before that, on Washington's previous drive, Bennett got tagged for a defensive holding call on 2nd and long, which gave the Commanders an automatic first down and was only bailed out by a missed field goal at the end of the drive.
Way later in the fourth quarter, with Washington pressing and the Eagles trying to stay ahead, Bennett got caught for DPI against in the end zone covering Terry McLaurin, and right before, fellow reserve corner Mac McWilliams drew a DPI flag in the silver paint also to move the Commanders 29 yards up to the Philly 1 with an absurd amount of chances to convert until they eventually did.
Yeah, Bennett didn't look good with his chance at more defensive snaps, neither did McWilliams, or a Sydney Brown who can throw out a booming hit – but only if you're on a perfect line for him, or a slow and unaware Kelee Ringo, who chipped in his own abysmal pass interference call on Washington's very next drive with the game tied.
Ringo was covering McLaurin, who took off down the left sideline. Johnson just tossed the ball up for his receiver. Ringo tackled him before the ball got there and never even attempted to turn his head around. Washington got another free 32 yards into Eagles territory on a crucial possession.
Johnson was running the ball in himself for the go-ahead touchdown soon after. Ringo was in front of the Washington QB, and again, had his back to the ball.
This time was worse, though. Ringo was looking right at Johnson as he started to roll out, then decided to abandon watching the QB to turn around and chase after an already covered receiver in the back of the end zone. Johnson was left with all the space he needed to jog across the plane.
GIVE US THE LEAD, 14!!!
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) January 5, 2026
📺 #WASvsPHI CBS pic.twitter.com/Cg7s1m9Q2G
Sunday was a show of why Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Reed Blankenship, Marcus Epps, and even Adoree' Jackson need to stay healthy and on the field the rest of the way. Because if the Eagles have to reach even slightly further back than them to cover, they're in real trouble.
Heck, there's a chance Vic Fangio might rather suit up himself before he's forced to do that after that bad of a performance against a third-string QB.
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