PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) -- Despite some harrowing moments in the second half, it couldn't have gone much better for the Eagles and their new starting quarterback.
Jalen Hurts was impressive in his first start and had plenty of help from his teammates as the Eagles knocked off the Saints, 24-21. Hurts provided the spark Doug Pederson was looking for as he threw for 167 yards and a touchdown and added 106 yards on the ground. The dual threat of Hurts as a runner and a thrower kept the Saints defense off balance. Hurts was happy to do his part but was glad everyone was able to contribute.
"It’s a great team win," said Hurts. "Everybody played together, believed in one another and we put an emphasis on that this week, playing together, playing as one, bringing the energy and creating our own energy. Moving with urgency and scoring out there and believing in one another. I’m happy this group got it done."
Hurts did indeed have plenty of help on both sides of the ball. The offensive line did not allow a sack, and opened plenty of holes for running back Miles Sanders. The defense sacked New Orleans quarterback Taysom Hill five times and battled through a host of injuries. The Eagles built a 17-0 lead before the Saints stormed back in the second half to cut the lead to three. However, Hurts led the Eagles to another touchdown drive in the fourth quarter and virtually sealed the victory.
Coach Doug Pederson was not only impressed with Hurts, but also with every other player on the roster.
"Sometimes you look for an opportunity to just sort of jumpstart things," Pederson said. "Kind of almost reset a little bit. Jlen got the start and I thought overall, there were some good things and really, kind of gave us a spark as a team that I was looking for, and I think we were looking for as a team. But you know, this win today is not about one guy. This win is about this team and how resilient this team is."
Voice of the Eagles Merrill Reese said Sunday night that everyone who thought the game would be a tough matchup for Hurts against the top ranked Saints defense was wrong.
"He played a tremendous game. He showed us athleticism. But more than that, he showed tremendous poise, and he showed great decision-making," Reese told KYW Newsradio Monday morning.
"He was an accurate passer, and he showed his great running ability. He was the total quarterback yesterday in his first NFL start."
SportsRadio 94WIP's Ray Didinger said you really couldn't ask for much more than what Hurts gave Sunday night. He told KYW Newsradio that Hurts really brought out the best in the Eagles offense.
"Once he proved and demonstrated that they could make plays against this New Orleans defense, then I think that sort of confidence just kind of spread through the hole offense. And, you know, an offensive line that had given up more sacks than any offensive line in football didn't give up any of them yesterday," he said. It all started ... with Jalen Hurts, with his performance and the way that he accepted the challenge."
Sanders was part of that offensive spark as he rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns, and he credits Hurts with leading the way throughout the victory.
"He’s so confident, and he’s a natural leader," Sanders said. "We just needed that and he gave us that spark to start from last week, but you've seen it all."
Pederson on Sunday night was not ready to name Hurts his starter for next week, but it would be hard to fathom a switch back to Wentz after Sunday's outcome.
There are three more games remaining in the regular season. At 4-8-1, the Eagles are incredibly still in the hunt in the NFC East, but the bigger issue is if Hurts will show the franchise enough to have a chance to be the team's starting quarterback next year. For now, Hurts and the coaching staff are taking things one week at a time.
"We’re very excited," Hurts said. "We’re happy we got a ‘W’ against a really good team. But we’re going to go back to work. We have a 24-hour rule on this thing, we clearly understand that. A lot to work on, a lot to build on. I’m excited to get back to practice, honestly, and get ready for the next game."