It appeared as though the Philadelphia Eagles went after Alex Smith’s leg on game-ending offsides penalty.
The Week 17 contest between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Football Team was a debacle that left a bad taste in the mouth of many NFL fans. Many of that has to do with Eagles head coach Doug Pederson opting to bench quarterback Jalen Hurts for third-string signal caller Nate Sudfeld in the fourth quarter with a win within reach. Then, there was how the game ended.
In the fourth quarter with “Riverboat” Ron Rivera going for it on fourth down, the Eagles jumped offside to officially clinch the victory for Washington. But during the encroachment by defensive tackle TY McGill, it appeared as though he went after quarterback Alex Smith’s leg.
Smith was fine regardless of the hit
It’s difficult to tell if the hit was intentional or not, but the important thing is that Smith was fine afterwards. That’s all that matters.
Smith didn’t have to do much on Sunday night to lead Washington to victory, as he completed 22-of-32 pass attempts for 168 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Not the cleanest game for the veteran, but it was just enough to defeat the Eagles.
As for McGill, the Eagles announced on Monday evening that they signed the defensive tackle to a one-year contract. The timing is truly amazing, considering it happened after McGill’s offsides penalty clinched the sixth overall pick in the NFL Draft for Philadelphia.
With that, the Football Team clinched their first NFC East title since 2015. It was meant to be a feel good moment, considering Smith underwent 17 hellish surgeries to save his right leg and Rivera underwent cancer treatments throughout the season. However, it was overshadowed by Pederson’s Sudfeld decision, which continues to be a hot topic nearly 24 hours later.
For Washington, they’ve moved on from the controversial Week 17 game, as they prepare to face Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Saturday in the Wild-Card Round.