Saquon Barkley scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns as the Philadelphia Eagles increased their lead atop the NFC East with a 26-18 victory over the Washington Commanders.

Barkley played with 146 rushing yards, while quarterback Jalen Hurts recovered after being evaluated for a concussion to claim the nod and give the Eagles (8-2) a sixth straight victory.

Hurts’ head was driven into the turf by linebacker Frankie Luvu in the second quarter, and the $255 million quarterback’s head bounced off the ground. Hurts turned around, face down, and grabbed his helmet. He was examined in the side medical tent but remained in the game, finishing with 221 passing yards.

With the Eagles leading 12-10 in the fourth quarter, the Commanders were within reach of a field goal and coach Dan Quinn opted to go for it on fourth down. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels rushed and was stopped for no gain, and less than three minutes later Barkley scored on a 23-yard run.

Jake Elliott kicked the extra point after missing his previous try – as well as two of his four field goal attempts – to give the Eagles a two-point lead.

Daniels, who finished 22 of 32 for 191 yards and a late touchdown pass, was intercepted by safety Reed Blankenship on Washington’s next play, before Barkley finished off the Commanders (7-4) with a 39-yard touchdown run. yards.

With 1,137 rushing yards in 10 games, Barkley passed Baltimore’s Derrick Henry for the NFL lead. Both veteran running backs were signed as free agents during the offseason.

Washington entered with a chance to take first place in the division, but came away with its second straight loss.

Elliott, who missed field goals of 44 and 51 yards, was wide left on the extra point after Hurts’ 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He made field goals of 21 and 31 yards.

Elliott holds the franchise record with seven field goals of 50 yards or more in a season, but has missed all four attempts of 50+ yards in 2024.

Statistics leaders

Washington Commanders

• Passage: Jayden Daniels, 22/32, 191 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
• Rushing : Brian Robinson, 16 carries, 63 yards, 1 TD
• Reception : Austin Ekeler, 8 catches, 89 yards

Philadelphia Eagles

• Passage: Jalen hurts, 18/28, 221 yards
• Rushing : Saquon Barkley, 26 carries, 146 yards, 2 touchdowns
• Reception : AJ Brown, 5 catches, 65 yards

The game was billed as the biggest game in this NFC East rivalry in nearly 30 years, but the first 30 minutes had all the excitement of a preseason game.

Perhaps affected by the big hit he absorbed, Hurts had an ineffective first half. He threw to receivers — including twice to DeVonta Smith — and ducked his head when a pass attempt with no open receiver nearby went out of bounds.

Brian Robinson Jr. had an 18-yard run to the 1-yard line and scored a touchdown on the next play for a 7-0 first-quarter lead. Zane Gonzalez kicked a 45-yard field goal in the third quarter for a 10-3 lead.

But Gonzalez, promoted off the practice squad while Austin Seibert was dealing with a hip injury, didn’t get another opportunity late in the fourth. The Commanders were stopped at second, third and 1, and Daniels, the second overall draft pick, was placed on Philadelphia’s 26.

The Eagles took over and Hurts immediately connected with Dallas Goedert for a 31-yard gain. Goedert fumbled but the ball was recovered by his compatriot Grant Calcaterra. Barkley scored three plays later.

Zach Ertz, who played for the Eagles from 2013 to 2021, scored a touchdown in the final minute, then put both feet in the back of the end zone for a 2-point conversion that put the Commanders within at eight. Washington attempted an onside kick but Philadelphia recovered.

Summary of scores

Who said what?

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni: “You can’t be great without the greatness of others. Saquon was great tonight, but the offensive line was really good.”

Commanders Head Coach Dan Quinn: “It’s a bold choice (to go for it on fourth down). I would also say we were prepared for that moment. We didn’t like the execution. But we were a great team on fourth down. Before Going into it, we knew we had to take a chance against a tough division team on the road. We didn’t like the execution or the result, but we were prepared for it.

What’s next?

The Commanders will look to get their playoff hopes back on track as they play four of their next five games at home, starting with visiting the Dallas Cowboys next Sunday in another divisional clash.

The Eagles will once again be a prime time presence in the United States as they visit the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday night, in the early hours of Monday in the United Kingdom.

Sky Sports+ is officially launched and will be integrated into Sky Televisionstreaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app – giving Sky Sports customers access to more than 50 per cent more live sport this year, at no extra cost.