After winning possibly the best game of the 2023 NFL season, the Philadelphia Eagles are 10-1 and racing toward the top seed in the NFC playoff picture. Philly's exhilarating 37-34 comeback overtime win against the Buffalo Bills was capped off by a Jalen Hurts touchdown, one of five the Eagles' electrifying quarterback was responsible for.
Though Hurts was the star of the show, he was not the only Eagle who contributed significantly to the win. Devonta Smith paced all Philadelphia receivers with 106 yards and caught one of Hurts' three passing touchdowns on the day. D'Andre Swift rushed for 80 yards and opened up the Eagles' offense at crucial points in the game.
Defensively, Kevin Byard led the way with 13 tackles and James Bradberry picked off Josh Allen in the fourth quarter which set up an Eagles touchdown. The offensive line also held well, keeping the Bills rushers at bay though they did allow two sacks.
It was truly a full team win for the Eagles, but if it weren’t for the play of these stars they might not have come out on top against the Bills. Hurts gets a lot of the praise and rightfully so, but there are other Eagles players who deserve their flowers.
Reed Blankenship barely sees the bench
What a pickup Reed Blankenship has been for the Eagles. An undrafted free agent signing by Howie Roseman, Blankenship was thrust into a starting role midway through his rookie season in 2022 and played well enough to earn that same spot this season.
He hasn’t given up his chance and has cemented himself into the heart of the Eagles secondary for years to come. His last four games were outstanding as he's played every defensive snap and totaled 35 tackles (26 solo), three pass deflections, an interception and a fumble recovery.
Blankenship made 11 tackles in total on Sunday, eight of them solo, some of which came at some crucial times. He also played all 95 defensive snaps and an additional 21 on special teams for a grand total of 116 snaps, by far a career-high across his 19 NFL games.
Reed Blankenship is the type of player who is integral to a championship-winning roster. He was all over the field against the Bills and is looking like a bargain of a signing for the Eagles. He's an easy guy to root for and is quickly becoming a fan favorite in Philly.
Jake Elliott proves he's among the league's best
There are few kickers in the league as clutch as Jake Elliott. The gritty veteran and one of the current longest-tenured Eagles, Elliott has stepped up to the plate in big ways on several occasions throughout his career.
He infamously nailed a game-winning 61-yard field goal as a rookie in 2017, marking his first flash of heroism in Philadelphia. Dating back to the start of the 2021 season, Elliott is 14-for-16 from 50+ yards out. That includes season-longs of 58, 56 and another 61-yarder. Overall the Eagles kicker made 89.6% of his field goals since 2021 and all but three extra points.
The Eagles, Jalen Hurts in particular, were upset with where they set up for the game-tying field goal, failing to get closer for Elliott. The Pro Bowl kicker didn’t need much help though, drilling a 59-yard kick in the final minute of regulation to keep Philadelphia alive.
Devonta Smith had faith the entire time that he would nail the kick.
“I’m watching,” Smith said, via Dave Zangaro. “If you don’t watch, it’s because you’re scared of what may happen. I know it’s money, so I’m gonna watch it.”
He was perfect on all kicks for the fifth game in a row and continues to solidify himself as one of the best kickers in the NFL and one of the most important Eagles on the roster. With one year remaining on his contract, Jake Elliott should get a nice extension from the Eagles before the start of the 2024 season.
Jalen Hurts makes his MVP statement
After finishing second to Patrick Mahomes in NFL MVP voting last season, Hurts is putting together a phenomenal campaign this time around, with this Bills game being perhaps his best performance yet.
After a dreadful first half in which he had a passer rating of seven and completed four passes, Hurts found another gear in the second half. The Eagles offense followed suit, gaining nearly 300 yards and scoring 30 points in the second half and overtime.
When all was said and done, Hurts got his passer rating up to 96.2 and finished the game with the ball in his hands. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 10 or more touchdowns in three consecutive seasons and only the second to have three such seasons at all. Hurts and Josh Allen also became the first pair of opposing QBs to throw and rush for multiple touchdowns in the same game.
Hurts totaled five touchdowns for the first time in his career and although his counting stats weren’t otherworldly – 200 passing yards, 65 rushing yards – he made several plays that impacted the outcome of the game significantly, including his touchdown pass to Olamide Zaccheaus in the fourth quarter in which he scrambled to his left and lofted a beautifully placed ball to the back of the end zone for his receiver.
“That’s who he is, that’s what he does,” Zaccheaus said. “He’s shown that over and over and over again. A thing I always say: When someone shows you who they are, believe it. I believe that’s who Jalen is.”
On the Eagles' game-winning touchdown drive in overtime, Jalen Hurts was 3-for-5 passing for 32 yards and rushed for 27 yards, including a 12-yard scamper on the final play. Hurts is the MVP favorite with six weeks left in the season and rightfully so. He has the Eagles flying high and on their way to another No. 1 seed in the NFC.
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