With the game on the line and overtime ticking down, Jalen Hurts ran off with the victory.
Bursting through the left side on a quarterback draw in which he sprinted through a gaping hole and split a pair of would-be Buffalo Bills tacklers, Hurts tallied the game-ending 12-yard score for a Philadelphia Eagles 37-34 OT win.
Hurts, seemingly frequently hampered by a persistent knee injury, scored his fifth touchdown of the night, elevating his Eagles to a 10-1 record — the top in the NFL. This marked Hurts as only the second QB since 1950 to achieve over 10 wins in his team’s first 11 games in consecutive seasons, joining Peyton Manning (2005-06) as per NFL Research.
“Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni praised the player for making numerous pivotal plays in the second half of the game, including a particularly significant one towards the end,” he said. “The team did an excellent job of blocking, allowing Jalen to break through for a touchdown at a critical moment. This just goes to show what we already know about him – he’s a clutch player. For the past three years, he’s consistently come through for us, the city, and the team. He just keeps pushing, working hard, and making important plays when it matters most.”
On Sunday, Hurts scored in every quarter except the second — that’s when the Bills established a 17-7 lead, which the Eagles QB managed to rally his team from.
“Hurts, who scored five TDs in a single game for the first time in his four-year career, said, “We consistently discover methods to secure victories. We play as a unit. We have continuously demonstrated our capability to bounce back, regardless of the day or the game. We’ve faced various challenges, but we always manage to come through, you know?”
Hurts finished the game completing 18 of 31 passes for 200 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, while rushing for 65 yards and two scores on 16 carries. He ran for a 1-yard TD to open the game’s scoring, hit A.J. Brown on a 3-yard pass to begin the comeback in the third quarter, and in the fourth quarter found DeVonta Smith for a 15-yard TD and then connected with Olamide Zaccheaus on a beautiful 29-yard scoring toss to put the Eagles ahead with 11:07 to go.
“Sirianni commented, “He really pulls through during critical moments, doesn’t he? Of course, there were plays from the first half that he’d likely want to redo. Similarly, there were plays we called that, in hindsight, we would have changed. However, he truly stepped up and made significant plays when it mattered the most. His three touchdown passes were particularly impressive. His read of the defense was spot on and his pass to DeVonta for the touchdown was impeccable. The throw and catch by OZ and Jalen during the scramble for the touchdown was simply outstanding. It was a fantastic play.”
Bills counterpart Josh Allen had an all-together outstanding night statistically, as well, throwing for 339 yards, two TDs and a pick to go with 81 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Though, it was Hurts who had the ball last.
After Allen led a 12-play, 53-yard march for a Tyler Bass field goal and a precarious 34-31 lead in OT, Hurts responded by commanding a nine-play, 75-yard game-winning odyssey.
During the drive, he successfully made 3 out of 5 throws for 32 yards and ran three times covering 27 yards, which included the game-ending draw play.
The Eagles’ performance throughout the season, especially their offense, has been a topic of discussion. Despite this, their performance has been strong enough to secure the best league record after 11 games. Hurts has been a driving force in this achievement, leading the team to victories in varying weather conditions and against diverse opponents, regardless of the quality of the games.
In a potential game-of-the-year on Sunday, he scored five touchdowns, leading his Eagles to victory.
“In the end, we found a way and made it happen,” said Hurts.
