AJ Brown, 2 Eagles most responsible for Week 8 win vs. Steelers

The Philadelphia Eagles are 7-0; their record is perfect, they've had a lead in every third and fourth quarter they've appeared in, and fans the world over are realistically putting scenarios together to crown the first undefeated team since the Miami Dolphins in 1972.

Will the Eagles do it? Will Nick Sirianni coach a roster put together by Howie Roseman with Jalen Hurts under center to NFL history? Or will Philly fail to secure the W in one of their 10 remaining contests on their way to a spot in the playoffs and hopefully their second Super Bowl appearance since February of 2018? Either way, with their next three games coming against the Houston Texans, the Washington Commanders, and the Indianapolis Colts, the prospects of rolling into Green Bay Week with a 10-0 record are very real, as is the potential for Sirianni's squad securing the number 1 seed in the NFC for the first time since 2017.

Hmm… did anything good happen at the end of that season?

Now sure, some will point to the fact that Philly's Week 8 opponent, the Pittsburgh Steelers, were not-so-good and that their league-best turnover differential is impossible to maintain over a full 17-game season, but in the afterglow of a seventh-straight victory, those concerns are for another time; now, Philly gets to enjoy the fruits of their labor and celebrate yet another true team victory in front of a fanbase who are beyond excited to see what comes next.

3 players most responsible for the Philadelphia Eagles' Week 8 win.

3. CJ Gardner-Johnson

In a game where the Philadelphia Eagles' defensive front consistently gave rookie head coach Kenny Pickett fits, CJ Gardner-Johnson made the most of his opportunity against Pittsburgh, picking up eight total tackles, including seven solo, with a tackle for a loss, a sack, a pass defense, and an interception to his credit for good measure, too. CJ GJ was able to give Pickett fits in coverage, demolish him off a safety blitz off the edge that the Jersey-born quarterback didn't see coming, and even handed him his eighth pick of the season via a fluky jump ball that somehow landed in the hands of the collegiate Florida Gator.

Though he hasn't even been a member of the Eagles for three months and is still certainly learning the intricacies of playing safety in Jonathan Gannon's defense after years of playing slot cornerback for the New Orleans Saints, Gardner-Johnson's playmaking abilities just keep jumping off of the tape with each passing week and will only continue to shine as Philly's defense continues to get tighter and tighter knit.

2. A.J. Brown's big afternoon

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A.J. Brown, what more is there to say about A.J. Brown's afternoon that hasn't been already? He caught six of the 11 passes thrown his way, took three of those balls in for touchdowns, and finished out the game with 156 receiving yards, which is the biggest sum secured by the Mississippi State product in any game of his impressive professional career.

When the Eagles needed a big play down the field, Brown was there to move the chains. When the Eagles saw single coverage on the outside, Brown was more than capable of dominating Ahkello Witherspoon on the way to a historic effort. Heck, Brown's afternoon was so good that even a simple quick slant across the middle of the field turned into a massive 40-plus yard gain when Philly's WR1 decided to cut it back and run head-first for the post on what could have been his fourth touchdown of the game. If this is Brown's breakout season, his efforts in Week 8 will likely go down as the crown jewel of his campaign.

1. Jalen Hurts did it all through the air

After being unfortunately tabbed with the “running quarterback” label early in his professional career, Jalen Hurts did the unthinkable in Week 8: he won the game almost exclusively with his arm.

Now sure, though he technically did pick up some yards on the ground, recording two rushing attempts for 10 yards versus three sacks, Hurts dominated the Steelers' typically stingy D with his arm, completing 19 of his 28 passes for 285 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions before giving way to Gardner Minshew in the fourth quarter. Where fans once questioned whether or not Hurts had a strong enough arm or a quick enough ticker to process the game at a professional level, suddenly, the pride of OklaBama has become one of the NFL's most efficient movers of the football, with enough pin-point accuracy to perfectly drop passes into double coverage and place the ball only where his teammates can haul it in.

And the best part? Hurts is, like, insanely complimentary of his teammates, which shows a humble sincerity that is a perfect sign of a quality leader.