Jalen Hurts was torn.
The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback was coming off his eighth career win.
He led his team down the field in overtime against the Buffalo Bills and capped the chase with a 12-yard rushing touchdown in which he stormed down the middle of the field and his team’s tenth win of the season with a 37:34 victory import.
The touchdown was Hurts’ fifth of the day. His all-purpose mileage: 265.
Still, the winning quarterback was conflicted.
“I shake my head and I don’t really know how to feel sometimes because I just always want to lead and play at that level,” Hurts said afterwards. “That’s why it’s weird for me.”
Hurts felt strange, he explained, because he knew a team win was a source of joy but wasn’t sure his individual play warranted such ease. Hurts felt weird because he understands that in a parity league like the NFL, the margin for error is so small. And as he continues to lead his team to the right side of that margin, he is keenly aware of how close the threshold is.
“Winning is the only thing that matters, but the level is also damn important,” said Hurts. “There were opportunities to do that throughout the game, but we didn’t do it. But we did it when it mattered most, and what I take away from it is just learn from it and grow from it.
“There is nothing to be happy about.”
Hurts’ tone of voice differed from that of his colleagues. Of course, everyone at the Eagles values improvement and growth. But they also recognize that what they do, and what Hurts in particular does with his consistent big performances in big moments, is special.
According to Elias Sports, Hurts became just the second NFL quarterback since 1950 to start 10-1 or better in 11 games in consecutive seasons (Peyton Manning was the first in 2005-06). According to ESPN Stats and Info, he is the first quarterback since 1950 to win 14 consecutive games against opponents with winning records.
Hurts’ late-game magic helped turn the Eagles from a good team to a great one. That’s why Eagles veteran defensive end Brandon Graham compared Hurts to Tom Brady, who led 58 game-winning drives in his 23-year career.
“On the drives at the end they always talk about Tom Brady – I hope Jalen gets that name soon,” Graham said. “I’m glad he went out there and got the deal done [with] a game-winning drive. Let them come.
“We love putting it in his hands at the end to give us a chance.”
A tale of two halves for Hurts, Eagles
Hurts is undoubtedly hard on himself.
Statistically speaking, he also performed poorly in the first half. Hurts completed just 4 of 11 pass attempts for 33 yards through two quarters, while the Eagles went 0-for-4 on third down attempts.
Hurts threw a pass into the path of Bills pass rusher Leonard Floyd’s outstretched hand early in the second quarter. Floyd’s tip set up an interception by linebacker Terrel Bernard, which then positioned the Bills for their first go-ahead throw of the day.
Later in the same quarter, Hurts and running back Kenneth Gainwell fumbled a handoff. The Bills rallied again and took the turnover possession to a touchdown.
“The first half couldn’t have been much worse,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said.
But Philadelphia had started the last three games trailing at halftime and was able to pull through to win each time. Why not extend the series to four?
With 10:36 left in the third quarter, the momentum gained momentum when Bills kicker Tyler Bass’ 48-yard field goal attempt went wide on a rainy afternoon. On the next drive, Eagles running back D’Andre Swift scampered past the Bills defenders for a 36-yard field flip gain. Five plays later, Hurts completed a 3-yard touchdown pass off the platform to receiver AJ Brown.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts overcame a rocky first half to lead to a furious comeback victory over the Bills on Sunday. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Philadelphia would continue to respond to both the weather and the absence of four-time Pro Bowl right tackle Lane Johnson by relying heavily on the running game. But when Hurts passed, he passed the end zone. Three of four passes in the second half resulted in touchdowns.
DeVonta Smith caught a 15-yarder in traffic with 13:42 left in the fourth. Then Eagles cornerback James Bradberry jumped to Stefon Diggs to intercept him, giving his offense an earlier-than-expected possession. Facing third-and-15 with 11:18 left in regulation, Hurts rolled to his left, pointed down, planted his leg and threw a pass into the back left quadrant of the end zone.
Eagles receiver Olamide Zaccheaus, who had slipped behind Bills safety Micah Hyde as Hyde looked back at Hurts and tempted the quarterback to let go, had separated himself enough to score the 29-yard touchdown that would lead Sirianni to say, ” “My goodness” to say.
The Eagles’ official X account (formerly Twitter). Posted: “HFDCEOHWJD:IOSHCFO:DSWHFHFHOU:DWIDASWLASQW”OPSW)_DQJ.”
That score gave the Eagles their first lead in nearly two quarters at 28-24. They would lose again with 1:52 left in regulation, the Bills would tie it on a 59-yard field goal by Jake Elliott with 20 seconds left and then go into overtime.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who had 420 yards and four touchdowns from scrimmage on a monster day, converted a third down with his legs and arms.
But when Allen and receiver Gabe Davis faced third-and-six from the 22, they interpreted an option route differently and failed to score a touchdown that would lead to a win. Davis slapped his helmet in frustration, Allen grabbed him by the head and jumped up and down in shock at the miscommunication, which Allen later said he “guessed wrong” (Davis said they were both wrong because they didn’t read it straight away had).
“We know we’re a good team – we showed it tonight,” Davis said. “We tried with the top dogs. I feel like there’s no loss of confidence, we just have to make the plays when the plays are supposed to be made.”
The Eagles have done it again.
The Eagles are thriving amid the gauntlet and face another big test with the visit of the 49ers
The historic success story of Hurts and the Eagles is by no means solely due to their quarterback. Sirianni emphasized that point in Saturday’s pregame briefings as he took footage of 25 different players, including Elliott, each contributing to wins this season.
His point: Every player on these cutups had to do their part for Philadelphia to win. Bradberry’s interception, Elliott’s field goal and more proved Sirianni’s point.
Still, Hurts is at the top of the list of contributors.
“Just capture it in the moments that matter,” Sirianni said. “I don’t think it’s anything [new] You learn about him because he has been in charge of us, of this city and of this team for three years.
“He just kept going, put his head down and worked [to] end up making some great plays.”
The Eagles’ next opponent will help better assess how durable Philadelphia’s late-game heroics are.
The 8-3 49ers visit Philadelphia next week for an NFC Championship Game rematch between two teams that once again lead the conference playoffs.
The Eagles won 31-7 last January and made it to the Super Bowl. But an asterisk shows what was and what could have been against a team that lost both starting quarterback Brock Purdy (torn UCL) and sophomore quarterback Josh Johnson (concussion) during the game.
A postseason rematch in January of this year is more than plausible.
It all reminds Hurts of his strange feeling, his level and his measured celebration of a game that was an important victory for the Eagles but also the precursor to another opportunity to make a statement in just a week.
Will the 49ers be the next opponent that reflects the sentiment of the Cowboys, Chiefs and Bills that they won’t lose confidence by a narrow loss to a vaunted opponent like the Eagles?
“When you find different ways to win together, no one backs down,” Sirianni said. “Part of this is a product of what we have done over the last few years. That’s partly because we still have a few guys from the 2017 Super Bowl team. Part of it is we have a lot of guys from Georgia who have won a lot, a lot of guys from Alabama who have won a lot. And the most important thing is that we did it together.
“Our guys know how to win.”