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Philadelphia is notoriously excellent in the first half of games (19.4 points and 234 yards per first half in 2022), and nearly as bad in the second half (7.9 points and 142.8 yards). And when Rivera reviews the last month with Heinicke in place of Wentz, he might not be so quick to go back to the usual starter. His final line of 17-of-29 passing for 211 yards and one interception won't blow anyone away, but the tape tells us differently.

Though he's not the most gifted passer, Heinicke made the most of the throws necessary to upset the Eagles in their house. It wouldn't have happened without a few key Heinicke completions, including a deep shot to Terry McLaurin that set up a field goal to push Washington's lead to nine. The Commanders nearly pulled it off against Minnesota in their most recent game before collapsing late, and seemed to learn from that loss this time around, hanging on to win on the road. Washington went from a squad trudging through every game to a group that plays with passion and the belief it can win every week. Anyone who has followed the Commanders this season will likely agree: Heinicke's return to the starting lineup has injected life into this team. Taylor Heinicke has presented Ron Rivera with a tough decision.Instead of operating with a killer instinct, Philadelphia gave Washington too much room to operate, and the Commanders fully capitalized. Gannon eventually became more aggressive, boosting the Eagles' blitz rate from 22.7% in the first half to 50 in the second, but the timing didn't favor the Eagles and their comeback hopes. Throughout the first two quarters, Washington receivers appeared to be constantly open on key downs, and it showed in the Commanders' 20-14 lead. Instead of getting aggressive with the intention of forcing Taylor Heinicke to make mistakes, the Eagles opted to play coverage, and it gave Washington just enough space to pick up tough yards on the ground and allow Heinicke to find open targets downfield. The Eagles avoided dialing up blitzes in the first half, trusting their front four to generate pressure organically, which allowed both phases of Washington's offense to find just enough success to keep drives moving. Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon is going to want to use this tape as a teaching tool for himself. Philadelphia's defensive hesitancy burns the Eagles.But combined with a stingy defense, it proved to be a winning formula that produced a shocking upset on the national stage. Nothing came easy for Washington, which scored just two touchdowns in conventional methods on scoring drives of 13 and 16 plays. Brian Robinson averaged just 3.3 yards per carry, but it didn't matter, because he often gained the necessary 2-3 yards needed to convert third downs (Washington finished 12 of 21 on third down) and keep drives alive. Philadelphia scored two quick-strike touchdowns, but without the ball, the Eagles' high-powered offense was forced to watch the Commanders methodically move down the field. At one point in the third quarter, the Commanders had more than quadrupled the Eagles' time of possession, and it showed in the final score. Washington set its own pace as it dominated time of possession, establishing an incredible 40:24-19:36 advantage by the time the game ended. The Commanders put together the perfect strategy to not keep pace with the high-flying Eagles, and it all revolved around one core tenet: Keep the ball out of Philadelphia's hands. READ: Terry McLaurin burns Eagles in Commanders' big upset win.READ: Eagles’ Brandon Graham regrets putting game in ‘refs’ hands’.READ: Nick Siranni on Eagles' first defeat: 'We played like crap'.READ: Heinicke beats Wentz’ old team, bolsters QB1 argument.READ: Eagles hold top-five draft pick thanks to Saints.