Eagles Notebook: Rookie Eric Rowe can't save Eagles' season

LANDOVER, Md. - Eric Rowe had to step in for Byron Maxwell yesterday just three plays into the Eagles' 23-20 loss to the Washington Redskins.

This was quite a promotion for a second-round rookie who got his first snaps in the defense a week earlier, playing in nickel situations against the Jets.

Rowe didn't look lost. He played outside, and a lot of Washington's damage was done underneath, where the Eagles were missing linebackers Kiko Alonso (knee) and Mychal Kendricks, who reinjured his hamstring early on. But Rowe also didn't look ready to step up and save a season that Chip Kelly and his overmatched offensive line seem to be busily flushing down the pipes.

On the 78th defensive snap of the day, minus penalties, Rowe tried to dislodge the ball from Redskins receiver Pierre Garcon, who caught it at the goal line with Walter Thurmond hanging onto him. It was the 15th play of the 90-yard drive that won the game. The Eagles' defense, hanging on the ropes, trying to stay upright for the final bell, got the knockout blow from Garcon with 26 seconds remaining.

"I thought we had good coverage, but credit to Pierre, he got some strong hands," Rowe said. "Walt's hand was in there. I tried to give him a little shove at the end, trying to knock the ball out. It is what it is."

Maxwell said he hurt a quad muscle tackling Chris Thompson after a 42-yard run. "It shouldn't be that bad," Maxwell said of the injury.

"I was ready to go when Byron went down," Rowe said.

He was whistled for a pass-interference penalty against Ryan Grant in the end zone, setting up the other Washington touchdown.

"I thought it was clean," Rowe said. "I did the same thing I did last week (on a pass he defended in the end zone). Looked for the ball and tried to lean on him. The ref said I grabbed his arm and pulled it. I didn't grab his arm. But you can't complain. You've got to go on to the next play."

The Eagles lost by three points, and their brand new kicker, Caleb Sturgis, missed a 33-yard field goal and a 33-yard extra point, which adds up to four points. That's less than ideal.

"I came out there and I missed a few and hurt the team," said Sturgis, a former Dolphins kicker who won a tryout with several other unemployed kickers last week, after Cody Parkey went on IR. "You got to keep your head up and keep going out there for the next ones."

Eagles coach Chip Kelly said: "It was a clean look, it was a clean snap and clean hold from where I saw on the sideline. I haven't seen the film yet."

Sturgis did manage touchbacks on all but one kickoff.

It was a watershed day for the maligned receiving corps, and rookie Nelson Agholor celebrated his first big NFL play by . . . sitting in his locker, head in hands, utterly distraught about the play that followed.

"What's more important was the next play, when I mishandled the reverse," Agholor said. "You learn from both. That's where my mind is now."

Agholor had just ignited the Eagles' offense in the second quarter with a one-handed, 45-yard stab down the middle, the team's longest pass play of the season to that point.

However, on the subsequent play Agholor failed to catch a pitch from running back Ryan Mathews. That gave the ball to Washington and squelched the Eagles' first chance to score.

The Eagles entered the game ranked 28th in pass yards per play. Their longest was 32.

Were the receivers too slow?

Was Sam Bradford's arm too weak?

Not yesterday.

Bradford hit Riley Cooper for a 62-yard touchdown bomb on the Eagles' first drive of the second half, which cut it to 13-6.

"It was just a man-to-man post route," Cooper said. "There were times that Sam was executing at an extremely high level. We got over their defense - finally - in Game 4."

It makes sense that it took a little time.

Bradford is new to Chip Kelly's system. The restructured offensive line not only has played poorly but has been gutted by injury. Austin, a free agent, and Agholor, the first-round pick, have little rapport with Bradford.

Besides, most teams have played the Birds soft.

"Teams have been playing us mostly zone, keeping everything in front, not letting the big play happen. Kind of making us manage the game," Cooper said. "Today, we got behind them a couple of times."

After he hit Cooper, Bradford found Jordan Matthews for 30 yards on the next possession, which set up a 10-yard TD to Brent Celek to tie it, 13-13. Bradford then connected with Miles Austin for a 39-yard score early in the fourth quarter, which gave the Eagles a 20-16 lead.

Though Kelly said the Eagles "had the corner" on the reverse, a defender was already in the backfield when the ball was pitched to Agholor. That drew his eyes away, and he fumbled.

"At the end of the day, I have to savor the football," Agholor said.

The Eagles' bedraggled offensive-line situation just might get worse. Right tackle Lane Johnson finished the game, but he might have resprained his left MCL. MRI scheduled for today. Matt Tobin played most of the day at left tackle, Dennis Kelly at right guard. Next move, if Johnson is out, might be moving Kelly to right tackle and playing Josh Andrews at right guard . . . 2014 first-round outside linebacker Marcus Smith was inactive yesterday, as was safety Chris Maragos (knee) . . . The Redskins' 41:08 with the football was the highest figure since that stat has been kept, starting in 1991, the team's media-relations staff said.

Paul Domowitch and Marcus Hayes contributed to this report.

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