For the first time since 2015, the Washington Football Team is headed to the NFL playoffs.
In a do-or-die game at Philadelphia, Washington pulled out a 20-14 win over the Eagles to clinch the NFC East and earn the right to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a Wild Card game at 8:15 p.m. Saturday.
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A loss would’ve meant the New York Giants winning the division and hosting Tampa Bay.
Washington (7-9) became the fifth team in NFL history to qualify for the playoffs with a losing record.
Things looked good early for Washington, which took a 10-0 lead after the first quarter.
Washington opened the scoring with 4:19 left in the first quarter on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Alex Smith to Terry McLaurin to take a 7-0 lead.
Washington then took a 10-0 lead with 2:06 remaining in the first quarter on a 42-yard field goal by Dustin Hopkins.
But Philadelphia answered back, as quarterback Jalen Hurts rushed for two separate touchdown runs of six yards in the second quarter to give the Eagles a 14-10 lead.
Washington got a big momentum shift towards the end of the half, taking a 17-14 lead with 20 seconds left until halftime after a 13-yard touchdown pass from Smith to tight end Logan Thomas.
After a scoreless third quarter, Washington went up 20-14 on another 42-yard field goal by Hopkins with 7:42 remaining in the game.
But Washington’s defense held the Eagles — who benched starting quarterback Jalen Hurts in favor of backup Nate Sudfield in the fourth quarter — off of the scoreboard to earn the right to play another week.