The Eagles and Saints came into Sunday’s game headed in very different directions, but things have not continued in those directions during the first half.
Jalen Hurts threw a touchdown, Miles Sanders ran 82 yards for another score and the Eagles have a 17-0 lead on the Saints at halftime. Hurts his making his first NFL start after the Eagles decided to make a change after four straight losses with Carson Wentz in the lineup.
The second-round pick is 12-of-21 for 129 yards and he’s added 75 yards on seven carries. The touchdown pass and one of those carries came on fourth downs, but the Saints have not been as aggressive about trying to extend drives.
They opted for a field goal on a fourth-and-two from the Eagles’ 27-yard-line in the first quarter and punted on fourth-and-one near midfield in the second quarter. Those moves may have been borne of faith in their top-rated defense, but the unit has not been able to stop the Eagles and the Saints will have a lot of work to do in order to get back into the game.
Whether Taysom Hill can get that work done is a big question. He’s 11-of-15 passing the ball, but has generated just 65 yards through the air and thrown an interception in a step backward from last week’s outing against the Falcons.
