PHILADELPHIA — – The Eagles’ backup plan backfired, and the Super Bowl champions will start their postseason defense of the title as the No. 3 seed in the NFC.<\/p>\n
With Jalen Hurts<\/a>, Saquon Barkley<\/a> and most key Eagles starters sitting out even with playoff seeding at stake, the Washington Commanders<\/a> got fourth-quarter passing and rushing touchdowns from Josh Johnson<\/a> to beat Philadelphia 24-17 on Sunday.<\/p>\n The NFC East champion Eagles (11-6) will open the playoffs at home next weekend against San Francisco.<\/p>\n The Eagles needed help to earn the No. 2 seed. They had to beat the Commanders and Detroit needed to win at Chicago. Sure enough, the Lions beat the Bears 19-16<\/a> to add some sting to the Eagles’ loss.<\/p>\n With Jayden Daniels<\/a> shut down and Marcus Mariota<\/a> dealing with a leg injury, the Commanders (5-12) started Johnson, their 39-year-old third-stringer. Johnson rallied the Commanders from a 17-10 hole with a 2-yard touchdown pass to John Bates<\/a> and then scored on a 1-yard run with 2:32 left.<\/p>\n Even with the No. 2 seed at stake and the possibility of two home playoff games that would come with it, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni decided to sit his starters, saying: “Tt’s not a guarantee that we can get the 2 seed, but I can rest the starters.”<\/p>\n Hurts, Barkley, wide receiver A.J. Brown<\/a> and tight end Dallas Goedert<\/a> sat out.<\/p>\n The Eagles had to watch and root – for the Lions, too – like everyone else.<\/p>\n Eagles fans cheered when each Detroit score against Chicago was shown on the videoboard. Sirianni said during the week he also would be scoreboard-watching, though he kept the cheering to his team’s own plays, such as Tanner McKee’s 15-yard TD pass to Grant Calcaterra<\/a> for a 7-0 lead in the second quarter.<\/p>\n The Commanders, also playing backups in a forgettable season a year after they faced the Eagles in the NFC championship game, refused to roll over and twisted the stomachs of Eagles fans into knots – and got them ready to light up talk radio this week.<\/p>\n McKee had been impressive in limited action as Hurts’ backup over the last two seasons but did little to improve his stock in the finale.<\/p>\n He was 21 of 40 for 241 yards with an interception and was sacked on the final drive.<\/p>\n Jake Moody<\/a> sent Washington into halftime with a 10-7 lead on a 56-yard field goal.<\/p>\n The Eagles pounced on a fumble in the third quarter and Tank Bigbsy, the sure-handed backup to Barkley, scored for a 14-10 lead. Jake Elliott<\/a> kicked a 39-yarder for a 17-10 lead.<\/p>\n The Eagles’ shot at the 2 seed was upended when Kelee Ringo<\/a> – yes, a backup – was flagged for pass interference to set up Johnson’s go-ahead rushing TD.<\/p>\n