The Philadelphia Eagles (8-2) gave their fans a worry in Thursday’s NFC East clash, as Jalen Hurts found himself being evaluated for a concussion at the end of the first half and kicker Jake Elliott missed two field goals and an extra point. Saquon Barkley and the defense steered the team to a 26-18 win in Lincoln Financial Field, though, keeping the birds in first place in their division.
Apparently, Hurts’ confidence never waned. “There was never a shadow of doubt,” the star quarterback said afterwards, per the SportsCenter X account. Hurts did not throw a touchdown and faced plenty of resistance early but finished with 221 passing yards and a rushing score.
The 2022 Second-Team All-Pro is quietly completing more than 69 percent of his pass attempts while also recording his fourth consecutive season with at least 10 rushing TDs. Most importantly, though, he is manning the offense of an Eagles squad that has now won six games in a row. There are plenty of challenges ahead, most notably the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers in December, but the No. 1 seed in the conference is a highly attainable goal.
Will Jalen Hurts and the Eagles reclaim the NFC throne?
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Although Saquon Barkley is posting a masterful season (26 carries for 146 yards and two touchdowns against the Commanders), Philadelphia’s ceiling will probably be dependent on how Hurts plays when the games matter most. This Week 11 matchup was undeniably significant, as the Eagles muscled the Commanders to firmly re-establish themselves as the current standard of the NFC East.
Jalen Hurts and the entire offense will look to keep rising to the occasion for the final seven weeks of the NFL regular season, and beyond. They are by no means a universal favorite, and expressing unabashed confidence might only make them more polarizing. But the Eagles are also a force to be reckoned with right now. Perhaps this group is genuinely close to becoming the best version of themselves once again.
Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints, providing a unique writing voice due to his in-depth knowledge of New York sports. Alex resides in Connecticut after receiving his journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island.