Getty Eagles QB Jalen Hurts helped fuel a 21-18 comeback win over the Panthers in Week 5.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ offense was sputtering for three-plus quarters, then the not-so-secret weapon detonated. Jalen Hurts hit Quez Watkins for a 53-yard pass play. The comeback was on as they rallied to beat the Carolina Panthers 21-18.
Watkins tracked down a slightly overthrown ball from Hurts with 38 ticks left in the third quarter. Two plays later, after a defensive pass interference call, Hurts plowed ahead for a one-yard touchdown run. That score made it a two-point game at 15-13 and helped the Eagles survive a frustrating day for the offense.
“Quez, I told y’all before he wasn’t a secret,” Hurts told reporters. “He’s a big-time player and definitely did a lot for our football team today. And the defense, the way they played, kept chopping at it. Offensively, we put ourselves in bad situations, a ton to overcome, but we persevered and we overcame.”
Philadelphia put up 273 yards of total offense, with each possession resembling a failed treasure hunt. The Eagles couldn’t get anything going on the ground while Hurts struggled with his accuracy. He finished 22-of-37 for 198 yards and one interception, plus two touchdown runs.
“I thought Jalen overthrew him and it was unbelievable to see Quez put the afterburners on and go and track that ball,” head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters, referring to the Watkins’ play. “So great individual play by both those guys, and the protection was really good on that play, too.”
53-yard play to Quez Watkins leads to a Birds touchdown! t.co/QjmcHCV90l
Penalties were a problem for a fifth straight week: six more flags for 60 yards, including another touchdown erased. They have committed 50 infractions for 341 yards this season. And that makes five scores called back due to penalties in 2021. It didn’t matter in Week 5. Ugly wins count just the same in the NFL.
“Sometimes you win ugly like that. That’s just the way it is in this league,” Sirianni said. “It’s a matter of keep fighting, keep going. It was emotional. It was a great win to get.”
🔥 Jalen Hurts today 🔥
💥1st career game-winning drive
💥 1st career 4th quarter comeback
💥 10th straight game with either at least 1 passing and/or rushing TD
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Hurts Not Talking About Offense, Credits Defense
After the game, Hurts didn’t want to talk about their offensive woes or penalty problems. The second-year quarterback wanted to focus on how well the defense played. Jonathan Gannon’s unit kept them within striking distance.
“I don’t want to talk about that. I want to talk about how the defense played,” Hurts said. “How Darius Slay came out, added another munchkin to the bunch this week. He came out here and had two picks. And [Steven] Nelson came out here and got a pick in a clutch situation. One thing I’ve been preaching is we control the outcome of everything.”
Darius Slay shadowing DJ Moore today:
• 7 targets
• 42 yards allowed
• 2 INTs
Slay recorded two momentum-changing interceptions, one on Carolina’s second possession and another in the third quarter. He became the first Eagles player to grab two picks in a contest since Jordan Hicks in 2017. His big day occurred three days after the birth of his “munchkin.”
Great team win!!! 💪🏾
Nelson’s takeaway came right before the two-minute warning and secured the win. The Eagles also registered three sacks (all on third down) and eight quarterback hits on Sam Darnold.
“I believe truly we gotta have each other’s backs through everything,” Hurts said. “And, today, you know, we had each other’s backs. Complete team win, seeing special teams making the plays they’re making, defense making the plays they’re making. We had each other’s back and that’s the beauty of this sport.”
DeVonta Smith Overcomes Fumble
DeVonta Smith keeps proving why the Eagles used the 10th overall pick on him. The rookie receiver finished with seven catches for 77 yards. His two-yard touchdown catch came off the board following an offensive pass interference call on Greg Ward. Smith also fumbled the ball away in the third quarter after an 11-yard completion.
“I was a little mad but you got to let it go,” Smith said of the fumble. “Game is still going on, you can’t sit up there and think about that the whole time. So, just correct it and catch the ball and tuck it faster.”
Darius Slay said he went over and gave DeVonta Smith a pep talk after his fumble. Told him not to worry about it because he’s a playmaker and he was going to make a play. Keep your head up. #Eagles #FlyEaglesFly
Smith said he got a nice pep talk from Slay following the fumble. The main message being to let it go and keep your head up. The Eagles were going to need him to make a big play later in the game. Which Smith did when he hauled in a two-point conversion in the back of the end zone to make it 21-18. That was the final margin of victory.
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