Penalty by ex-Michigan defensive end seals Philadelphia Eagles’ first loss

The Philadelphia Eagles were set to about to get the ball back late in the fourth quarter against the Washington Commanders on Monday with a chance to keep their undefeated record intact.

However, a costly penalty by former Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham foiled any chance of a Philadelphia comeback.

Leading 26-21 and facing a third-and-7 from midfield, the Washington Commanders opted to try and throw the ball to pick up a first down, but when quarterback Taylor Heinicke couldn’t find an open receiver, he took a knee for a 12-yard loss that would have forced the Eagles to take their final timeout to stop the clock with 1:39 remaining.

Washington would have been forced to punt, but Graham came in late and hit Heinicke after he gave himself up, leading to a personal foul penalty that gave the Commanders a first down and the ability to seal a win. Watch the penalty, which has the center of discussion in the postgame news conference and on social media, here.

Philadelphia still got the ball back on its own 10-yard line with 5 seconds left, but they needed a miracle to find the end zone. Instead, Washington scored a defensive touchdown on the last play.

“That’s on me,” the 34-year-old Graham said of the penalty postgame. “I’m just more sick that I let the team down in the moment.”

The Eagles, now 8-1, were a big home favorite against the Commanders (5-5), but they trailed since the 1:39 mark of the second quarter.

Getting the ball back with just under 2 minutes to play might not have led to a Philadelphia game-winning touchdown, but it would have at least given quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ high-powered offense a chance.

“Penalties are going to happen, stuff is going to happen,” Graham said. “It is what it is. I know the next time around, I know in that moment, I’m going to make sure that if I see him going down, ‘Hey, he declared himself down, that’s what it is.’ I ain’t gotta touch him.”

Graham, a 2010 first-round pick, has spent all 13 of his NFL seasons with the Eagles. The 2020 Pro Bowler has three sacks and 18 tackles in 2022. He has 62 sacks for his career and has seven seasons with five or more sacks.

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