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Doug Pederson helped his old team out with an improbable overtime win over the hated Dallas Cowboys. Rayshawn Jenkins grabbed an interception and ran it back the other way for a game-winning touchdown to keep the playoff hopes alive for Pederson’s Jacksonville Jaguars. The highlight-reel play also benefited the Philadelphia Eagles who can clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC in Week 16.
The Eagles can clinch home field throughout the playoffs with a win next week over the Cowboys on Christmas Eve in Dallas. They might even earn the top seed before kickoff, if the New York Giants beat the Minnesota Vikings. That contest begins at 1 p.m. and Eagles-Cowboys starts at 4:25 p.m. Open your presents early because it’s going to be hectic holiday weekend.
Head coach Nick Sirianni wouldn’t admit to being excited about the Cowboys last-second loss, but he definitely watched the ending from a comfy chair in his office. Once that one went final, he started game-planning for Dallas. The Eagles are on a short week after all.
“Hey, all we’re thinking about is how we’re going to make these corrections this week and we’re on a short week so today’s like Monday,” Sirianni told reporters. “So, we’ll be working to fix the corrections form this game and then get going on Dallas who we have familiarity with, and they have familiarity with us.
“They’re a really good football team. I have a lot of respect for how well coached they are, at all fronts – offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, head coach, and I got a lot of respect for those players they have over there. We’re going to have to have our best week of preparation to make sure we’re ready to go 1-0 this week.”
When asked if he at least cracked a smile following the Cowboys’ overtime loss, Sirianni replied: “Well, sure … I never root for any of the NFC teams to win. Who do I root for tonight? With the Giants and Washington, maybe I’ll root for another tie.”
A.J. Brown on Cowboys Showdown: ‘Get a Win’
Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Brown went off for a career-high 181 yards on 9 receptions on Sunday. He played a vital role in leading the Eagles to a 25-20 victory over the Chicago Bears on a cold and windy day at Soldier Field. The Mississippi native called it the second-worst game, weather wise, that he played in. Game-time temperature was 19 degrees.
“That was No. 2,” Brown said. “The AFC Championship Game versus Kansas City was No. 1. It was 5 degrees.”
His play didn’t seem to indicate anything was wrong. Brown hauled in a 68-yarder with 5:18 left in the fourth quarter that set up Philly’s final touchdown. Jalen Hurts hit him perfectly in stride, then Brown used some fancy footwork to stay in bounds and take off down the sideline.
“I think that was a little bit of luck, to be honest,” Brown said. “I definitely thought I went out of bounds, and I know the ref was right beside me so I’m like, Okay, oh, he didn’t blow the whistle. And, shoot, I was dead tired on that play, I ain’t gonna lie to you. And in my mind I was like if I score a touchdown cool, if I don’t it’s okay f*** it. Jalen gave me a great ball.”
Brown also caught a 12-yard pass from Hurts on 3rd-and-6 which allowed the Eagles to run out the clock. Next up, Dallas.
“Get a win. That’s all,” Brown said about the Cowboys game. “Get a win, do whatever we gotta do. Get our bodies prepared, get a win. It’s a big division game, it means a lot. Get ready for the tournament, let’s go.”
Eagles Struggled Early, Never Wavered vs. Chicago
Jalen Hurts finished with 3 touchdowns, all of them on the ground. He ripped off a 22-yard touchdown in the second quarter, followed by a 1-yard scoring run in the third and another 1-yarder in the fourth.
It was a struggle at times to get the offense on track as the Eagles fought off the cold weather. He went 22-of-37 for 315 yards, with no passing touchdowns and 2 interceptions. It wasn’t pretty – Hurts admitted to fighting off numb hands – but the even-keeled quarterback kept everyone calm in the huddle.
“You never want to waver, and I always say I never want to get too high or too low, trying to stay the same,” Hurts said. “And you want to find joys in all these different moments because they are all teachable moments, and they all inform what’s to come. So, I think I’ll never have a doubt about the outcome that we want and that we work for, and I’ll never have a doubt in that. And I want those guys to look me in the eye and know that there’s not a doubt.”
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