DeVonta Smith’s milestone, Josh Johnson’s age, and more from the Eagles-Commanders broadcast
The Eagles dropped the final game of the regular season, 24-17, to the Commanders, locking them into the No. 3 seed in the playoffs and a matchup with the 49ers.
If you were at Lincoln Financial Field for the game, here’s everything you missed on the broadcast of the regular-season finale:
Mr. Smith goes for 1,000 vs. Washington
The Birds’ offensive starters sat out Sunday’s game — except for DeVonta Smith (well, also Tyler Steen).
» READ MORE: Eagles grades: Backups don’t exactly inspire confidence in regular season-ending loss to Commanders
Since Smith went into Sunday’s game just 44 yards shy of a 1,000-yard receiving season, the team wanted to get him on the field to have a chance at hitting that milestone for the third year, play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan said.
Smith surpassed 1,000 yards on a 27-yard catch to end the first quarter and promptly left the game, and he was all smiles on the sideline with Nick Sirianni.
Josh Johnson’s age is nothing but a number that is a major storyline
Commanders third-string quarterback Josh Johnson, who started Sunday, has played for 14 NFL teams since he was first drafted in 2008 — plus stints in the Alliance of American Football and the XFL.
Eagles fans are most familiar with him after he replaced an injured Brock Purdy in the 2023 NFC championship game in San Francisco, but the 39-year-old made just his 11th career start in Sunday’s season finale.
CBS listed all of his NFL stops. Johnson has played for five teams at least twice, including Baltimore, San Francisco, Cincinnati, the Jets, and Washington.
Permission denied
Reed Blankenship, like most of the other defensive starters, spent the game on the sideline, resting for the playoffs.
But these Birds love football too much to stay away. After rookie Brandon Johnson got shaken up in the second quarter and left the game, Blankenship, who was suited up, tried to get in the game to replace him.
The coaches didn’t let him.
Cold-weather mode activated for Hurts
Jalen Hurts, on the other hand, was nowhere close to getting into the game. He was bundled up in a balaclava and a winter hat on the sideline, with only his eyes visible.
In these freezing temperatures, who could blame him? I bet more than one of you in the stands was sporting a similar look.
Respect your elders?
Eagles first-round linebacker Jihaad Campbell grew up a Birds fan in Gloucester Township, N.J., but he almost missed out on the opportunity to play with one of his childhood heroes, Brandon Graham, who famously retired a year ago and then unretired during this season.
“How funny was it when we asked Jihaad Campbell who some of his favorite Eagles were growing up, and his answer was Brandon Graham?” Ross Tucker, the color analyst for Sunday’s game, said.
» READ MORE: Marcus Hayes: Tanner McKee is exactly what the Eagles need … in a backup quarterback
“Who’s playing right now!” play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan interrupted.
“He said, in middle school everybody liked Brandon Graham,” Tucker said.
Ross Tucker knows the two-deep
Tucker, who is part of the broadcast team for Eagles preseason games and also hosts a Birds podcast, called Sunday’s game alongside Harlan.
With most of the Birds starters sitting out the game, there may not have been a man with any network more qualified to share their insights.
“I’m pretty much the foremost expert on the Eagles backups,” Tucker joked.
Daily double falls short
As the Lions-Bears game went down to the wire, Harlan found himself calling two games at once, providing updates on the game in Chicago while also calling the Eagles-Commanders game.
The Lions hit the game-winning field goal, which could have propelled the Eagles into the second seed, just as Tanner McKee’s pass fell incomplete on fourth down, virtually ending their hopes to win the game.
