By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 
The Eagles are on the verge of another losing season after a bitter defeat to the Washington Redskins on Sunday at home.
The game was very much there for the taking and it was an improved effort, but for the fourth game in a row and the fourth time this season against an NFC East opponent, the Eagles were left looking for answers.
Here are this week's grades in our report card.
Pass Offense – B-
Carson Wentz was much better. The poise was back, there was a confidence about him and he held his own. The interception was bad and you would like to see him find a way to get rid of the ball on the final play, but a couple of small plays aren't going to diminish the good ones. He made some tough passes, he avoided pressure tremendously well and continues to show signs of a future franchise quarterback.
It was a really impressive week for the tight ends. Zach Ertz had 10 catches for 112 yards. Trey Burton was a force in many ways — more on that later — but particularly strong in the receiving game.
Darren Sproles caught the Eagles only touchdown pass, but there could have been more with Jordan Matthews not able to stay in bounds on one endzone pass, the interception by Wentz and the late fumble that sealed the game for Washington.
You can't really fault an offensive line that is worn to nothing. Matt Tobin had to play at right tackle after Allen Barbre left the game. Stefen Wisniewski is still starting and so is Isaac Seumalo. It's not an ideal situation for the Eagles and it hurt them on the final play of the game.
Run Offense – B-
Good return for Ryan Mathews, who got 60 yards on 15 carries, but the Eagles had two issues in this area this week.
First off, when Sproles got clocked on a punt return, there was no other running back available besides Mathews. Wendell Smallwood left the game with a knee injury and Sproles never returned. Kenjon Barner was a healthy inactive for the Eagles.
And once again, the game situation eventually called for no running plays down the stretch. The Eagles were really always chasing the game, even if the score went back and forth for most of the day.
Pass Defense – C-
An up-and-down day for this group. They allowed 227 passing yards for the game, not bad as compared to weeks past, and had a key interception from Leodis McKelvin that put the Eagles back in the game.
Here's the problem: 227 yards isn't a horrible total for a game, but it is when the opponent finishes with 14 completions. The Redskins averaged 16.7 yards per catch in the game. One was for 80 yards to DeSean Jackson. There was also a 33-yard catch for Jamison Crowder and a 15-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon.
Run Defense – D-
By the overall numbers, the run defense wasn't bad, allowing an average of 4.7 yards per carry on 23 attempts. But when two of those attempts go for a 22-yard touchdown by Robert Kelley and a 25-yard touchdown run by Chris Thompson, that's a problem.
The Redskins did this in their first meeting against the Eagles and it was a clear factor in their victory. This didn't necessarily win the game for the Redskins, though the go-ahead touchdown was on the run, but it did play a key factor.
Special Teams – B-
It's an in-between grade for the Eagles special teams because they certainly had their moments.
The good: Caleb Sturgis, who just continues to be automatic on field goals. He made three more on Sunday. Trey Burton was a warrior in this department. The third down the line as a long-snapper, he managed to get off a good enough snap for the go-ahead field goal in the fourth quarter. He started practicing long snaps just a few moments earlier on the sidelines. It's gutsy to say the least to go into a critical situation like that with minimal rehearsal. Good for him.
Now the bad: Zach Ertz, who took a block to the back penalty to nullify a punt-return touchdown by Sproles. Brent Celek's long snap attempt was poor, and while it's understandable that he's not normally the guy doing it anyway, it's three points the Eagles likely would have had if the snap is good.
Overall – C-
A better performance from the Eagles and the effort was there. This was more like the early-season losses.
It was not for a lack of inspired play or anything, just the mistakes that ultimately hurt the Eagles.
It's late in the season, the team is battered with injuries and it's another year of playing for pride. It's an old act that gets tired to veteran players who have seen it before but can't change the results.
Three more weeks to go for the Eagles, who are finding new ways to lose games it seems.
