Getty Eagles QB Jalen Hurts rushed for 2 TDs on Sunday vs. Chicago to put him two away from the NFL record.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was on the cusp of NFL history to start the third quarter on Sunday. The dynamic MVP candidate sliced through the heart of the Chicago Bears’ defense on a 1-yard touchdown scamper on 2nd-and-goal to put the Eagles up 17-6. It was his second score of the game.
Later, Hurts would add a third rushing touchdown – on a 1-yard sneak on 3rd-and-goal with 4:20 left in the fourth quarter – to give him 13 on the year. Cam Newton rushed for 14 scores during his 2011 rookie campaign, which remains the single-season mark by a quarterback. Hurts has three games left to break Newton’s record.
He finished 22-of-37 for 315 passing yards, adding another 61 yards on 17 carries with 3 rushing scores during a 25-20 victory in Week 15. It was far from perfect, though. He chucked 2 interceptions and the Eagles’ offense was struggling early until Hurts put the Superman cape on. He fooled the defense on a 3rd-and-8 inside the red zone with 43 seconds to go in the first half. It was a perfect play-call by head coach Nick Sirianni who let Jason Kelce be the lead blocker up the middle. Hurts did the rest on a 22-yard scamper.
Jalen Hurts with 21 rushing touchdowns dating back to the start of 2021.
Hurts’ first touchdown set a new single-season franchise record for the Eagles. Then, the 24-year-old face of the franchise did it again with 12:19 showing in the third quarter. He had 14 carries for 62 yards going into the fourth quarter. Hurts now has 35 total touchdowns this season, which tied Randall Cunningham for an Eagles franchise record set in 1990. He also joins Daunte Culpepper as the only quarterback since the 1970 merger to have multiple 3+ rushing TD performances and Hurts joined Dak Prescott as the only QB since the 1970 merger to rush for 3 TDs and throw for 300+ yards in a single game.
Jalen Hurts with 12th rushing TD this season 🔥🔥
Only Cam Newton has had more by a QB in a season (14)
Credit Hurts’ insane work ethic for one of the most remarkable seasons by any quarterback in franchise history. Scratch that, NFL history. Sirianni detailed how much extra time he spends honing his craft earlier this week.
“He’s always here. He’s always in this building. It doesn’t matter what time of day,” Sirianni told reporters. “It doesn’t matter if the players are in that day or not. He’s always here. Always working on his craft. Always working on getting his body physically ready. Always working on his mind, making sure that’s mentally ready. A tribute to Jalen; he’s a stud.”
Haason Reddick Breaks Out for Big Day
Linebacker Haason Reddick keeps stating his case for Howie Roseman’s best offseason signing. He recorded 2 timely sacks against Chicago, plus a game-changing forced fumble and fumble recovery. He has been playing at an absolutely lights-out level over the last six games. And, really, all season.
Haason Reddick, who has a team-leading 12.0 sacks this season, has contributed to sacks in 6 straight games, marking the longest streak by an Eagle since Trent Cole in 2009. #FlyEaglesFly
Reddick’s stat line through the first three quarters: 4 total tackles, with 2 sacks, 2 quarterback hits, 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass defensed, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery. He now has the third-most sacks in the NFL since 2020 with 33.5. The Eagles had 6 sacks as a team on Sunday, thanks to 2 from defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and two more from defensive end Josh Sweat.
The Eagles offense is struggling, but Haason Reddick is having himself a day.
Watch the game alongside us t.co/lQz3Wwxr6j.
Justin Fields Doing Justin Field Things
The Eagles talked all week about having a good plan in place to contain Justin Fields. Easier said than done when it comes to stopping arguably the best dual-threat quarterback in the league not named Jalen Hurts. Fields ran wild for 95 yards on 15 carries and nearly broke free for a touchdown, except his foot hit of bounds. He was electric, just as good as advertised.
You will not see a better run today… oh my Justin Fields!!
Eagles defensive coordinator spoke highly of Fields earlier this week. Gardner Minshew was trying to mimic some of the things he does in practice.
“Justin is a very unique player and got drafted where he got drafted for a reason,” Gannon told reporters. “You’re not the number one recruit in the country for not having a very unique and special skill set. So, we’ve got a big-time challenge ahead of us, and we’ve got to make sure we do a good job, like I said, getting the looks our defense needs to see and that we’re on the details of what that entails with each call and how to defend this guy.”
1,000 rush yards this season and counting for Justin Fields 💨
Best dual-threat QB right now?
