After watching the Jacksonville Jaguars rapidly turn an easy victory into a serious game with a series of game-changing momentum swings after halftime, the Philadelphia Eagles put a knife through their former head coach's heart with a game-saving touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts to DeVonta Smith in the fourth quarter.
Suddenly, the Eagles had a comfortable lead, even as the Jaguars countered with a touchdown of their own, and even after Jake Eliott missed a field goal on the penultimate drive of the game, Philadelphia was still able to come out on top thanks to an interception by Nakobe Dean that sealed the win.
Just two weeks removed from a negative 2-yard game, Smith put up another massive performance and added an all-time great one-handed catch in Kelly Green that the fans will be talking about and watching for years to come.
But did you know this pass was an even riskier proposition than it had appeared in the moment? It's true, as during the week, the Eagles tried and failed the play multiple times, as QB1 explained after the game.
âIt was a play that I struggled with in practice all week. I had an opportunity to [Eagles WR] A.J. [Brown] in practice; I had an opportunity to [Eagles WR] DeVonta Smith in practice. But I didnât hit it right, and it just wasnât clicking,â Hurts told reporters.
âBut we repped it, and we talked about it, we put time into it, and we were able to execute it in a crucial moment. I think it just was a great overall effort from everyone. [Eagles WR DeVonta Smith] Smitty trusting the ball to get to him and creating that separation, making a play, and then making another amazing play in the red zone.â
Wait, the Eagles unsuccessfully tried that play on multiple occasions during the week and still called in on arguably the most important third down of the entire game? Good on Nick Sirianni and Kellen Moore for taking that shot, and on Hurts and Smith for connecting on it. But Hurts wasn't done addressing the play either, as he had more to say about the Eagles' big win.
Jalen Hurts credits the Eagles for stepping up in Week 9
Continuing his comments regarding Smith's big touchdown in Week 9, Hurts credited the entire team for overcoming adversity in the pursuit of their fourth-straight victory.
âI just think this game took all of us. It took the protection, how we blocked the front in the run game, how we protected, how we made plays at the wideout position. I think this one took everybody. When one man was down, it was tough, but the next man stepped up.
âAnd I think thatâs the exciting thing. Like I said, Iâll bring it back and wrap it up here. But in terms of playing complementary football, I think it was wasnât the cleanest games in that realm,â Hurts told reporters.
âBut I think we had each otherâs backs, and I think thatâs the thing that matters the most, guys showing up and having their teammates back. And we just want to continue to build off of that and have everyone accept their roles in each given game and keep moving forward and keep pressing along.
âBut we are not satisfied. Thereâs a lot to learn from. Weâll put a 24-hour rule on it and enjoy it for the time being. And we know we have a big one on the road that we need to go get.â
Though the final score shows a five-point win by the Eagles, this really could have been a crushing defeat if a few key players didn't step up when the team needed them the most.
Smith's touchdown catch was massive, sure, but so was Dean's interception, Sydney Brown's forced fumble, and more than a few long Saquon Barkley runs. This game is a victory because of the Eagles as a whole, and Hurts is right to celebrate them all for it.
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