3 plays that doomed Washington in Week 15 loss vs Eagles

1. Garrett Gilbert’s misfire to McLaurin

This play might not have seemed significant in the moment, but it changed the entire complexion of the game. On a 3rd and 2 (another one!) with just under 12 minutes left in the second quarter, Gilbert misfired on what seemed like a simple pitch and catch to McLaurin.

Up 10-0 and with all the wind in their sails, Washington had Philly on the ropes and was looking for a true gut punch. Gilbert stared down McLaurin, but was still late to make the throw because he was waiting for Terry to break.

That’s normal for quarterbacks who haven’t had previous experience with their receivers, but it proved costly for Washington.

To make matters worse, Gilbert’s tunnel vision for McLaurin blinded him to the fact that Cam Sims was WIDE open five yards behind McLaurin.

Pause the video at the four-second mark and you’ll see how open Sims was.

We hate making a big deal out of this since Gilbert had just four days after signing to prepare for Tuesday, but this was hands down the play of the game. A first down conversion would’ve zapped the crowd’s energy and would’ve had the Eagles sidelines starting to feel the pressure.

Alas, Washington punted, Philly took over and found the end zone to pull within three points less than four minutes later. Just imagine if Gilbert converted to McLaurin or Sims and proceeded to tack on another touchdown?

If only it were possible to go back in time.