In what was a mostly one sided affair, the Philadelphia Eagles trounced the Saints, 40-29.
Jalen Hurts became the first quarterback in Eagles history to rush for 3 touchdowns in a game and prevailed his team to a 2nd straight victory.
It was the Eagles first home win of 2021.
Jalen Hurts made throws when needed, but the story in this one was the Eagles dominance on the ground.
The Eagles rushed for 242 yards on the NFL’s top rushing defense.
Miles Sanders led the Eagles on the ground with 16 carries for 94 yards. Jordan Howard added 63 yards, Boston Scott pitched in 16 yards, and Jalen Hurts ran 18 times for 69 yards and the aforementioned, 3 touchdowns.
Defensively, the Eagles were able to pressure Trevor Siemian, on what seemed like every snap in the first half. They didn’t sack Siemian, but the pressures forced him into several bad decisions. Two of which, turned into interceptions. One by T.J. Edwards and the other, a pick six by Darius Slay.
It was Slay’s third defensive touchdown of the season.
The Eagles led 33-7 at the beginning of the 4th quarter, but a couple of touchdowns at the end of the 3rd quarter and beginning of the 4th quarter, along with a field goal made it 33-22 with around 7 minutes to go.
The Eagles got the ball back and initially lost a yard on a failed screen to Jalen Reagor, but an unlikely hero emerged in the form of José Joaquín Arcega-Whiteside (otherwise known as JJAW).
Arcega-Whiteside’s 23 yard reception (more yards than any Reagor catch in the last four games combined) on his lone target of the season drove the Eagles into New Orleans territory which set up an absolutely electric touchdown run by Jalen Hurts.
In this game, we learned the Eagles formula for success: line up and run, simply because our guys are better than yours.
The Eagles offensive line pushed the Saints defensive line around all day in the run game and the Saints couldn’t do anything about. It was true smash-mouth, ‘we’re better than you’ football.
Defensively, the Eagles were stellar (up until the 4th quarter, when they lost Darius Slay). I’d venture to say it was Jonathan Gannon’s most aggressively called game to date.
The Eagles have put themselves in position to control their own destiny as far as playoffs are concerned. They now own tiebreakers over the Falcons, Panthers, and Saints.
The formula is simple: win and you are the authors of your own destiny.
Cover Image Credit: AP Photo/Derek Hamilton
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