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The most talked about moment from Sunday’s 37-17 loss — aside from DeSean Jackson’s 81-yard bomb — was that fourth-quarter fumble by Jalen Hurts. It sure looked like his knee was down before the football came out, a fact bemoaned on the national broadcast by both color commentator Jonathan Vilma and rules analyst Dean Blandino.
But the referees had ruled it a turnover on the field and an official review confirmed it. The Dallas Cowboys took control from their own 13-yard line and marched 87 yards the other way for a touchdown that put the final nail in the Eagles’ 2020 coffin. It was still a two-score game at 30-17 prior to that fumble with four minutes left.
After the game, NFL Officiating felt the need to post a breakdown of the controversial play on Twitter. They slowed it down to the exact moment when Hurts’ left knee touches the ground and indicated that the ball was already moving. Take a look and be your own judge (personally, I don’t see it). Hurts finished with three turnovers on the afternoon: two interceptions, plus the debated fumble.
“You got the playoffs on the line, and at that point, you have to make something [happen],” Hurts told reporters on Sunday. “The crazy thing is when I talk about leaving money on the table, we left money on the table versus Green Bay, left money on the table versus New Orleans, left some money on the table last week and left some on the table this week, and unfortunately, we weren’t able to overcome it tonight, so it’s a lot to learn from. I take it very personally, and we’ll be better from it.”
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Jaylon Smith ‘Dirty Hit’ Being Reviewed
Meanwhile, the dirty hit delivered by Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith on the unsuspecting head of Jordan Mailata will be sent to the league office in New York for review.
Mailata was leveled and left Sunday’s game with a concussion. His status for Week 17 is up in the air, depending on if he clears the NFL’s concussion protocol. Smith should at least draw a hefty fine for the unnecessary blow, maybe a suspension.
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson hinted at Mailata not being available for the season finale during his media availability on Monday. He also provided semi-updates on injured defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (neck) and defensive end Derek Barnett (calf) by saying they are day-to-day. Neither player has been ruled out.
Pederson Says ‘It Starts with Me’
There has been a lot of chatter all year about Pederson’s job security. Is it warranted? Maybe. The Eagles are only three years removed from the franchise’s first Super Bowl championship yet the team has seemed to regress every year since hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
Philadelphia has posted a 23-26-1 record (including the playoffs) since Feb. 4, 2018 while sneaking into the playoffs the past two seasons on what looks like — hindsight is 20/20, right? — fool’s gold. On Sunday, Pederson tried to make sense of this disappointing year and his future in midnight green. It starts with the head coach looking in the mirror.
“Look, if I don’t look at myself in the mirror it’s hard for me to correct anybody else, and that’s what I mean when I say it starts with me,” Pederson told reporters. “Because I’ve got to look in the mirror and make sure I’m doing everything I can — whether it be play-calls, decision-making in games, personnel in and out of the football game, whatever it might be — to help our team win.”
The Eagles (4-10-1) are tied for the fifth-worst record in the NFL and would own the No. 6 overall pick in the 2021 draft. And the team could move up to as high as third overall depending on how things shake out in Week 17. Remember, there are only two teams — New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars — with fewer wins than Philly. The Birds have lost six of their last seven games with one to go. Here’s to next year.
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