Observations: Eagles 37, Washington 34

The Eagles defeated the Redskins, 37-34, to improve to 3-0 on the season. Here’s what we saw.

OFFENSE

* This was perhaps as gutty a performance as we’ve seen from Nick Foles in his career. Playing behind a banged-up offensive line and taking shots all day, he went 28-for-42 for 325 yards and three touchdowns.

* Needing a first down to put the game away, Foles rolled to his left and found James Casey for 19 yards and a first down.

* Crazy sequence in the fourth quarter. Foles’ pass for Brent Celek was initially ruled an interception. On the Redskins’ return, defensive lineman Chris Baker leveled Foles. Jason Peters saw the hit and went after Baker and pretty much the entire Washington team. A scrum ensued on the Redskins’ sideline. Peters and Baker were both ejected from the game.

* But Foles didn’t miss a snap and threw a dart to Jeremy Maclin for a 27-yard touchdown that gave the Eagles a 34-24 lead.

* Maclin had a monster game with eight catches for 154 yards and a touchdown. Before the 27-yard score, he made a tremendous catch near the sideline that gave the Eagles a first down and extended their drive.

* The Eagles’ offensive line in the fourth quarter was Andrew Gardner at left tackle, Wade Smith at left guard, David Molk at center, Dennis Kelly at right guard and Todd Herremans at right tackle. That’s one true starter out of five. They had no backup offensive linemen on the bench.

* Jordan Matthews had his best game of the season, catching eight balls for 59 yards and a pair of touchdowns – both from 11 yards out. The second one was a beautiful tight-window throw from Foles in between defenders.

* LeSean McCoy took a helmet-to-helmet hit from David Amerson on the Eagles’ first drive. He left the game briefly before returning. Darren Sproles had a nice 20-yard run on the first drive, but lost a fumble at the end of it.

 * Maclin had an 80-yard touchdown called back because of an illegal block in the back by Jason Kelce downfield in the first half. It still ended up being a 50-yard gain, and the Eagles went on to score on the drive.

* Kelce suffered an abdominal injury in the third and was ruled out.

* McCoy had 19 carries for 23 yards; Sproles had two for 20.

* Chris Polk had a 102-yard kickoff return in the first He got an early block from Brad Smith, but did the rest himself. Polk later had a nice 35-yard kickoff return. The Eagles’ offense did not get the ball until there was 2:09 left in the first quarter.

DEFENSE

* The Eagles’ defense was a disaster for most of the game. Kirk Cousins lit them up for 427 yards, completing 30 of 48 passes with three touchdowns and an interception.

* But on the final possession, the Eagles forced a four-and-out. The Redskins got the ball on the Eagles’ 41 needing only a field goal to tie it. Fletcher Cox made a tackle for no gain on a run play. Brandon Boykin forced a couple incompletions. And Cousins was off-target with his fourth-down throw.

* With the Eagles up 37-27, they let the Redskins drive 80 yards in 1:39. The key play was a 55-yard screen to Roy Helu. Brandon Graham couldn’t get off his block, DeMeco Ryans couldn’t get to the ball, and Nate Allen took a horrible angle on the play.

* DeSean Jackson had five catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. His 81-yard TD tied the game in the third quarter. It looked like Allen had middle of the field responsibilities on the play. He jumped an underneath route, and Jackson got free. Cary Williams missed a tackle on the play.

* Bradley Fletcher got targeted early and often. He had a nightmarish first half. Fletcher gave up a 19-yard completion to Pierre Garcon early and then was beaten by Darrel Young on a 4-yard TD. Tight end Niles Paul beat Fletcher on a 37-yard completion on a wheel route. Fletcher gave up a third-down completion to Jackson. He gave up a 4-yard TD to Garcon and was later called for a penalty on third down.

* Emmanuel Acho started at inside linebacker, but the Eagles rotated in Casey Matthews and Marcus Smith II. Alfred Morris had 23 carries for 77 yards.

* On Washington’s first drive, Malcolm Jenkins hit Jackson late. Jackson got up and shoved Jenkins. Allen then retaliated and ended up getting called for the penalty.

* Pierre Garcon had 11 grabs for 138 yards and was spectacular all game long.

* Jenkins had a big interception in the fourth quarter that put the Eagles in position to add a field goal and extend their lead to 10.