The change at the quarterback position got Philadelphia Eagles back to their winning ways as rookie signal-caller Jalen Hurts led them to an upset 24-21 win over NFC leaders New Orleans Saints.
The Eagles decided to bench starter Carson Wentz in favor of rookie Jalen Hurts for the Saints game, and the gamble paid off in a big way. Hurts gave Philly’s offense a much-needed boost, throwing for 167 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for additional 106 yards.
Hurts had help in the form of second-year running back Miles Sanders, who ran for 115 yards and two TDs including a spectacular 82-yard touchdown run in the first half. The pair became the first Eagles’ QB/RB duo to hit the 100+ yards marks in a single game since Donovan McNabb and Duce Staley did it in 2002.
Hurts and Sander domination on the ground also put an end to the Saints’ impressive streak against running. New Orleans’ defense didn’t allow a player to rush for 100 yards or more for the past 56 games.
“He played awesome, man,” Sanders praised Hurts after the game. “He’s so confident. He’s a natural leader. We just needed that, and he gave us that spark starting from last week.”
Philly held a 17-0 lead at halftime but allowed 14 unanswered points in the third quarter. It seemed that the Saints will manage to get back in the game at the start of the final period, but the Eagles’ defensive end Josh Sweat made a big play by strip-sacking Taysom Hill and set up his offense for a score.
Saints responded with a touchdown of their own but didn’t have enough time to complete the comeback.
The win kept Eagles in the chase for NFC East title and extended their playoff hopes. Saints, on the other hand, are now 10-3 and no longer hold the top position in the conference.
