The Philadelphia Eagles committed the most embarrassing play of the NFL season with a last-minute penalty that cost them a chance at their first win
- The Philadelphia Eagles fought to a 23-23 draw against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, the first tie of the 2020 NFL season.
- With just seconds remaining in overtime, the Eagles were lining up a 59-yard field goal to win the game but jumped early.
- The false start moved the Eagles back five yards, prompting head coach Doug Pederson to send out the punt team, settling for the tie rather than attempting a 64-yarder for the win.
- In the end, the decision to play for the tie did help them gain ground on the division after every other NFC East team lost on Sunday.
The best thing you can say about the Philadelphia Eagles performance on Sunday is that they refused to lose.
But given the opportunity to win the game with a long field goal in overtime, the Eagles did everything they could to refuse to win as well.
At the end of an absolute slog of a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Eagles found themselves lining up a 59-yard field goal attempt with 19 seconds left in overtime.
But before Jake Elliot even got the chance to put up his kick, the Eagles bumbled away their chance at victory. As the field goal unit prepared for the snap, lineman Matt Pryor jumped early. The Eagles were moved back five yards, and rather than attempt a 64-yard field goal to win the game, opted to punt the ball, settling for a tie.
The mood of Eagles fans around the country was captured by radio play-by-play announcer Merrill Reese, who was incredulous.
"Oh my goodness," Reese said of the penalty. "Oh, on a field goal to win it?"
While the tie didn't feel great in the moment, somehow, it ultimately worked out for the Eagles.
With every other team in the NFC East losing on Sunday, Philadelphia actually gained ground on the division with their split game against the Bengals.
- Read more: