The Philadelphia Eagles may not have been present during the championship banner ceremony, but they definitely showed up versus the Dallas Cowboys to escape with the win, 24-20, on Thursday.

It became a defensive battle for the division rivals in the second half. But for Eagles star Jalen Hurts, the most critical play of the game happened on offense. With only 1:51 left in the fourth quarter and the Cowboys threatening to get the ball back, Hurts connected with wide receiver AJ Brown with an eight-yard pass.

It was Brown's only catch of the game, but it was enough to secure the win for the defending champions.

“They (Cowboys) were just doing a really good job of matching up with us in the coverage, it's something that we should be better at,” said Hurts in the postgame conference, as posted by Eagles reporter Eliot Shorr-Parks.

“Great job by him (Brown) for staying patient. He had a big moment by making a play. It was the most important play of the game in my eyes. We were able to put ourselves in a position to get that third down.”

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Because of his poor performance, fans wondered if the 28-year-old Brown was bothered by an injury. He missed four games last season after hurting his hamstring.

Aside from Brown's lowly output, there were other unusual moments. The Eagles stayed in their locker room as the championship banner for winning Super Bowl LIX was unfurled at Lincoln Field Memorial. The game was also delayed for 65 minutes due to lightning.

But Hurts, who went 19-of-23 for 152 yards and had two rushing touchdowns, stressed that the only important thing was getting the win.

“I’m proud of everybody weathering the different adversities that came our way today. It’s always good to get a win,” added Hurts in a report from the Associated Press.

Brown will look to bounce back when the Eagles face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2.