LANDOVER, Md. — At the end of games, Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith always wants the ball in his hands.
During the first four years of his career, Smith has been one the NFL’s most reliable playmakers. He has made a lot of great catches and consistently gets open on his routes.
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But at the end of Philadelphia’s 36-33 loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday, Smith cost the Eagles a chance to clinch the NFC East title and lowered their odds of winning the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs by dropping a pass on third-and-5 from Washington’s 22-yard line with about two minutes remaining.
Smith beat Commanders cornerback Noah Igbinoghene to the first-down marker and had plenty of space in front of him, but the ball slipped through his hands.
The Eagles could have ran out the clock with a first-down conversion to win their 13th game of the season. Instead, Eagles kicker Jake Elliott settled for a 40-yard field goal, giving the Eagles a 33-28 lead with under two minutes remaining. On the next drive, Smith watched hopelessly from the sidelines as the Commanders drove down the field and scored a game-winning touchdown.
Now, Smith wants to move on and forget about his mistake.
“I just dropped the ball,” Smith said after the game. “Ain’t no teaching on it. Just catch the ball. Simple.”
Prior to the third-down play, Smith called for the ball.
The 26-year-old won’t let one bad drop affect his confidence.
“I ain’t going to beat myself up over it,” Smith said. “It’s life. It’s part of the game. I made all the tough catches today. And when we needed one (more), I dropped it. It is what is. … Ain’t nobody else fault but my mine.”
In the first quarter, Eagles backup quarterback Kenny Pickett replaced Jalen Hurts, who suffered a concussion after getting hit by Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu. Pickett calmed down as the game progressed because Smith and A.J. Brown got open for him.
Pickett trusted that Smith would be open on third-and-5, too.
“Listen we wouldn’t be in the position of that game without him to begin with,” Pickett said. “He’s unbelievable player. He knows that we’re going to throw him the football. … There’s not an ounce of confidence lost in six (DeVonta Smith’s number).”
Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata doesn’t want Smith to receive a lot of criticism. Smith’s bad drop gave the Commanders another chance to win, but it wasn’t the only play that caused them to lose.
On the Eagles’ second-to-last offensive drive, running Saquon Barkley dropped a deep ball that would have put them into Washington’s territory. The Eagles settled for another field goal on that drive, making it 30-28. In the second half, Philadelphia’s defense gave up three touchdowns in an epic meltdown.
“Despite what Smitty said to you guys, which I’m sure he’s trying to take the blame for, he’s amazing,” Mailata said. “He’s always going to be the guy that we go to and it’s a rare occasion when something like that will happen again. I don’t need to speak for him on that, but we all have our plays today that we want back.”
Smith amassed six catches for 51 yards, averaging 8.5 yards per attempt against Washington’s defense.
The Eagles need Smith to be reliable again in their last two games and during the playoffs. Philadelphia could blow another game to an inferior team if their best players don’t show up.
“I think you heard Smitty talk to you guys, and you know him taking accountability, that’s what gives you great hope in this team is that everyone wants to get better, everyone wants to take accountability and get better from things they do.”
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Cayden Steele can be reached Csteele@njadvancemedia.com.
