DeVonta Smith Breaks 1,000-Yard Mark in First Half of Eagles’ Clash with Commanders
In a game where the backups are mostly in for the Eagles, Head Coach Nick Sirianni did the right thing for one of his stars and let him go for a milestone. Sirianni let star wide receiver Devonta Smith go for the 1,000 yards, and on the Eagles’ second drive of the game, he was able to grab that milestone and get the rest he needed on the sideline as the Eagles prepare for the postseason as either the 2-seed or 3-seed. Here’s how it happened for the former Heisman trophy winner.
Devonta Smith’s 1000-yard catch
It was a 3rd-and-1 for the Eagles on the Philadelphia 40, and backup quarterback Tanner McKee grabbed the snap and looked to his right, and threw a nice high-point pass to the star of the moment, Smith. Philly’s No. 2 WR, in between two Commanders defenders, snagged it with two hands on a nice 27-yard connection to get him finished with 1,008 yards for the season.
This was a nice moment for the Eagles, which was an unexpected moment, especially when it was confirmed earlier in the week that the team was resting starters, because you look at Saquon going for the rushing record last season, they rested him in that game, and look what happened in the playoff run that season. This was reminiscent of Smith chasing the Eagles franchise rookie record in receiving yards in 2021; it only needed a few yards, unlike what the record for Saquon would’ve required last season.
As I’m typing this article, the Eagles are currently tied 7-7 with the Commanders in the game, with the 2-seed fully in sight, with the Lions beating the Bears 13-0 in that game at the moment. So the Eagles’ decision to rest is going to be questioned after this game if they don’t pull it out, but it might get a little saving grace by giving Smith his moment.
