Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said that he made a quarterback change this week in hopes of creating an offensive spark.
Jalen Hurts provided it against the Saints on Sunday. Hurts threw for a touchdown and ran for 109 yards in a 24-21 win that ended a four-game losing streak. The win gives the Eagles a 4-8-1 record and keeps some hopes of winning the NFC East title alive with three weeks to play.
It was the first time that the Eagles scored more than 23 points since Week 6.
Hurts was 17-of-30 for 167 yards overall and the second-round pick got strong support from running back Miles Sanders. Sanders ran for two touchdowns, including an 82-yard jaunt, and finished the day with 136 yards from scrimmage.
It wasn’t all good things for Hurts, however. He fumbled to give the Saints the ball with just under two minutes to play in the game and Taysom Hill hit Jared Cook for a 20-yard touchdown with 1:24 left to play. The Saints tried an onside kick to get the ball back, but the Eagles recovered and killed the rest of the clock.
Hill threw two touchdown passes and 226 yards in the second half, but he only had 65 yards and also threw an interception in the first half as the Eagles built a 17-0 lead. Hill also got sacked by Josh Sweat and lost a fumble on a fourth-and-two in Eagles territory in the fourth quarter. Wil Lutz also missed a pair of field goals that loomed large in the final reckoning.
With the Packers beating the Lions, the Saints have now fallen out of the top seed in the NFC playoff picture. They’ll host the Chiefs next Sunday and eyes will be on whether Drew Brees returns from injured reserve in time to play in that game.
