McMahon Goes Down, and So Do Eagles, 23-0 : Pro football: Quarterback suffers strained knee ligaments in first quarter, making things easy for Redskins.

On their last scrimmage play of the first quarter Monday night, the Philadelphia Eagles lost another quarterback.

The game was scoreless at the time, and Jim McMahon’s departure with a knee injury finished it as a contest. The Washington Redskins won it easing up, 23-0.

“We didn’t execute well inside the 20,” Washington quarterback Mark Rypien said later. “But our defense made sure that our (four) turnovers didn’t hurt.”

It was the Redskins’ third shutout in five weeks, keeping them on the pace with the NFL’s two other 5-0 teams, Buffalo and New Orleans.

Rypien had an in-and-out game, which, though nothing new for him, made him look like an all-time all-pro by comparison with the quarterback the Eagles used, Pat Ryan.

Last heard of when cut by the New York Jets last year--the cut was Bruce Coslet’s first official act as the new coach of the Jets--Ryan threw three interceptions along with four completions for 24 net yards in 14 pass attempts.

“(Washington) has a good defense, but we made it look awesome,” Ryan said.

The Eagles totaled 54 yards running and 35 passing against the Redskins, who outgained them, 354 yards to 89.

Not that the Redskins looked that good. They simply had too many chances with the ball on a night when their opponents, time after time, went 1-2-3-punt.

In four quarters, the Eagles made four first downs, one on a penalty.

Their new coach, Rich Kotite, fielded a good-looking, carefully schooled team in the first quarter, when the Eagles, with the best defense in the league, held their own with what some are calling the nation’s best pro club.

The McMahon injury, which will keep him out for several weeks, means that Kotite has found the hardest possible way to begin his coaching career--with the loss of his top two quarterbacks, Randall Cunningham in the first game and McMahon in the fifth.

Kotite had the Eagles at 3-1 coming into Washington for what had the look of a major confrontation between the twin powers of the NFC East until McMahon, who was often injured in his Chicago years, pulled up lame scrambling toward the sideline on a third-and-four play.

Unhit, he strained a ligament, according to the doctors.

“My knee just gave out,” he said.

The Eagles sagged immediately, on both offense and defense, as the Redskins won the game in the next 10 minutes, scoring a point a minute on a 19-yard pass play, Rypien to Art Monk, and the first of three field goals.

Leading 10-0 at halftime, they scored their only other touchdown in the fourth quarter on a third-and-goal draw play, Earnest Byner running seven yards.

“We had a hard time on offense,” said Redskin Coach Joe Gibbs. “I think the Eagle defense had something to do with that.

“It’s still a thrill to be 5-0, but that’s all it is--a great start.”