CNN
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The Philadelphia Eagles scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns, including two from star running back Saquon Barkley, to pull away and beat the Washington Commanders 26-18 Thursday night at Lincoln Financial Field.

Barkley finished with 146 rushing yards and two scores as the Eagles extended their win streak to six straight games and now hold a 1.5-game lead over the Commanders for first place in the NFC East.

Washington opened the scoring in the first quarter when rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels orchestrated a four-play, 58-yard drive to give the Commanders a 7-0 lead. Daniels had completed a screen pass in the backfield to Austin Ekeler earlier in the drive to move Washington down the field, and the running back initially eluded the defender before busting out for a 34-yard gain.

Meanwhile, Brian Robinson rushed for an 18-yard gain a few plays later before ultimately getting an inside handoff near the goal line for the touchdown.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts temporarily left the game in the second quarter and was evaluated for a concussion after being tackled from behind by defenseman Quan Martin and another Commanders defender. As he fell forward, Hurts’ head was pressed into the turf by Martin’s chest.

The 26-year-old entered the blue medical tent and later ran into the locker room at halftime with the Eagles trailing 7-3. Hurts was cleared by the medical staff and played the entire second half.

Hurts completed 18 of 28 pass attempts for 221 yards, adding 39 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

“What we talked about at halftime was that this was going to be a dirty and gritty game, and we just got to keep going because we know we’re dirty and gritty,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said after the game. “We just kept going, that was the conversation at halftime, like, ‘Hey, this is a street fight. It’s not about who is stronger, but who is stronger longer.’”

The turning point in the game came in the fourth quarter. Trailing 12-10 with the Commanders facing a fourth-and-2 from field goal range, Washington opted to go for a first loss. Daniels made a mistake before trying to scramble for the first but was tackled on the sideline.

“That was huge. That’s huge. That’s a turnover in our eyes,” Sirianni said of the fourth down stop. “Jayden Daniels is obviously a very good athlete, a very good football player. It was good to be able to strap that thing on and make the stop. It was huge because we went down and made it a two-goal game.”

After the turnover on downs, Barkley scored his first touchdown, breaking off for a 23-yard run to put the Eagles ahead 19-10. On the ensuing possession, Philadelphia’s defense picked off a pass from Daniels on the first play of the drive, allowing the Eagles to attack the ball at Washington’s 46-yard line.

Barkley, who almost had a big play on the previous snap, torched the Commander defense again, hitting the open hole and sprinting down the middle of the field for the 39-yard touchdown to put the Eagles up 26-10 with 4:38 left. in the game.

During his first season with the Eagles, Barkley eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in a season for the fourth time in his career, accomplishing the feat in 10 games of Philadelphia’s campaign – the fastest he has ever reached that milestone.

The Commanders scored a touchdown on their final possession, with Daniels connecting with tight end Zach Ertz for a five-yard score, but it was too late for a comeback.

Daniels finished with 191 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception in the loss as the Commanders dropped back-to-back games for the first time this season.

The Eagles (8-2) next play the Los Angeles Rams (4-5) on Nov. 24, while the Commanders (7-4) travel to Dallas to play the Cowboys (3-6).