4 takeaways as Eagles' season falls apart vs Commanders in Week 8

LANDOVER, Md. − By the end, the Eagles just couldn't get out of their own way.And that's pretty much the epitaph for a season that has pretty much completely disintegrated. After scoring the first 10 points of the game, the Eagles couldn't get much going on offense, couldn't make the big stops on defense, and just for good measure also had breakdowns on special teams.All of it added up to a 27-10 loss to the Washington Commanders on Nov. 1 in a Sunday Night Football matchup that resembled the Keystone Cops at times, and certainly not worthy of a prime time national TV audience.Buy Philadelphia Eagles ticketsMore importantly, or pathetically, for the Eagles, it was their sixth straight loss, their longest losing streak since they lost eight straight in 2012. That was the last of Andy Reid's 14 seasons as Eagles' head coach.The Eagles fell to 2-6 as the Commanders improved to 2-4-1. And head coach Nick Sirianni's job stability could certainly come into question if this continues. And with the NFL trade deadline approaching on Nov. 10, it's clear that the Eagles won't be buyers.Tanner McKee went 22-for-34 for 212 yards and an interception. The INT came on a 4th-and-25 from the Eagles' 28 with less than 3 minutes remaining and the Eagles down by 9 points. It was a glorified punt. That's what the Eagles are doing on the season.In all, the Eagles had 268 yards of offense, only surpassing 300 yards once during the losing streak.The Eagles couldn't run the ball, either, gaining 86 yards on 28 carries. Saquon Barkley had just 30 yards on 13 carries. Elijah Mitchell, a practice-squad player, had 34 yards on 11 carries to lead the Eagles.The defense played better than it did last week against the Cowboys. But it wasn't enough when the offense could only score 10 points. Rough sledding for Saquon BarkleyThe Eagles had a plan for how to use Barkley, who was playing despite a hamstring and back injury.So there were entire series where Elijah Mitchell was the running back while Barkley watched from the sideline. But the holes weren't there for Barkley, who had 30 yards rushing on 13 carries through three quarters. Barkley did have a 24-yard reception that set up the Eagles' touchdown in the first quarter.But for the most part, Barkley did not have much room to run.Eagles' leading receiver this season? Makai LemonIt's hard to believe that up until the first half of the Eagles' 8th game, DeVonta Smith was still the Eagles' leading receiver even though he has only played in four games. But Eagles rookie Makai Lemon, their first-round pick, passed Smith with his second reception. Through three quarters, Lemon led the Eagles with 5 catches for 48 yards. For the season, Lemon has 30 catches. Smith, however, still leads the Eagles with receiving yards at 310. Lemon has 242 yards receiving.Eagles' special teams not very specialThe Eagles continue to give up a lot of yards on both kickoff and punt returns. Against the Commanders, Luke McCaffrey returned the opening kickoff 44 yards, and the Commanders began their first possession at the 50 yard line. Washington quickly got into field-goal range before the Commanders turned sloppy with two straight false start penalties. They ended up missing a 55-yard field goal.Then just before halftime, McCaffrey returned Braden Mann's punt 27 yards, again to midfield, with 50 seconds left in the first half. Washington scored the go-ahead field goal with 19 seconds left.As for the Eagles' returns, Cooper DeJean was the punt returner, replacing the injured Britain Covey. DeJean had two chances to return but either let the ball bounce or called for a fair catch. DeJean did return a punt in the third quarter for 12 yards.Not to be outdone, the Eagles lined up for a 36-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Jake Elliott made that, but Jordan Mailata was called for illegal procedure, backing the Eagles up 5 yards. This time, Elliott's kick hit off the left upright and bounced out. So Washington kept its 16-10 lead.Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Sign up for the "Eye On The Eagles" newsletter, emailed to your inbox every Friday morning. Read his coverage of the Eagles’ championship season in “Flying High,” a hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at Fly.ChampsBook.comThis article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: 4 takeaways as Eagles' season falls apart vs Commanders in Week 8Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.