We can take a lot away from the Eagles’ win over the Commanders, cementing their first-place record (8-2) in the NFC East. They’ve made a convincing argument to be in the conversation for not only the playoffs but the NFC Championship and even the Super Bowl. However, there things that could be cleaned up, including Jake Elliott and his two missed field goals and an extra point.
Jake Elliott is very good kicker and one that I would want out there every single time we needed a kicker–we wanted him several times early on this year, despite Nick Sirianni thinking otherwise. He’s made 85% of the field goals he’s attempted in his career and, what numbers don’t say, comes up clutch for his team. Through the 2023 season, 19% of his kicks were for 50+ yards and he’s made just over 70% of those kicks. In 2024, he’s been 0 for 4 with 50+ yard kicks–1 of which was last night.
Jake Elliott and Missed Points Against Washington
We entered the half during last night’s Thursday Night Football game down 7 to 3–not something you want to do at the half and something that could have been avoided had Jake Elliott made the 44-yard kick in the first and the 51-yard kick in the second. For those not looking to do math, we would have been up 9 to 7. While this does raise a concern for high-stakes games–and this was very much a high-stakes game–it’s not something we should be overly concerned about. Yet.
The rest of the Eagles, especially the defense, showed up when needed to help push the Eagles to a 26-18 win over the Commanders; boosting us to 8-2 in the division and taking a giant step toward one of the best teams in the NFC, if not the entire NFL. And, at the end of the day, isn’t this what good teams do? Pick up the slack when other parts of the team are having a bad day? Beating the Commanders isn’t the defining moment of 2024, but it’s an important moment in this season. It showed that despite a bad performance, missing 7 potential points, from a normally clutch player in Jake Elliott, the Eagles can pick up the slack in other areas.
Should we be worried about Jake Elliott? No, he just had a bad day. A terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
Are you worried about Jake Elliott? Let us know in the comments below!
