Eagles Run Wild in 40-33 Win over Packers
PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles ran their record to 10-1 and to say they ran it to double-digit wins would be an understatement.
Jalen Hurts and Miles Sanders could not be stopped, and bit players Kenny Gainwell and Boston Scott did their part, too, as the Eagles piled up 363 yards on the ground to hold off the Green Bay Packers, 40-33, at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday night to become the first team in the NFL to reach 10 wins.
It’s the most rushing yards the Eagles had in a game in the Super Bowl era. The 1948 team had 376 yards rushing in a game.
Hurts had 157 rushing yards to set the team record for most ground yards by a quarterback, breaking the 130 put up by Michael Vick in 2010 against the Giants. He fell 22 yards short of breaking the NFL record for most yards in a regular-season game set recently by Chicago’s Justin Fields.
“It means everything," said Hurts when asked what it meant to him to break one of Vick's long-standing records. "I have a great deal of respect for those guys. The guys that have come before me. Randall (Cunningham), Mike, (Donovan) McNabb.
Just the way they played the game. I always talk about how I admire the way they played the game. And to be thrust into that category and different things is a blessing. It’s a blessing."
Packers coach Matt LaFleur was impressed with the Eagles' QB.
"He is an unbelievable talent," he said. "...I know we studied him in the draft and to see his progression to where he is today I think is a credit to him and the coaching staff.
"The guy is everything I’ve heard about him just coming out and knowing some people here and talking about what a leader he is. He’s a hell of a competitor and he’s extremely talented. You saw it not only obviously on the ground. That’s one thing but there’s some remarkable throws as well."
Sanders had a career-high 143 yards and now has a career-high 900 yards rushing this season. He also set a new career-high in rushing touchdowns. He had scoring runs of 15 and 2 yards in the first half and now has eight TDs on the season, breaking his previous high of six.
The RB gave a lot of credit to the O-line and line coach Jeff Stoutland. He also praised Hurts.
"Oh, he opened it up, yes he did," said Sanders. "I appreciate him for that. It’s good to have a quarterback like him when you can just drop back, and if you don’t see nothing, and it looks cloudy, you can just take off and get … 20 yards, and that’s going to kill a defense and make them change their play calling with coverages and stuff like that.
"It makes them all discombobulated with trying to contain all the talent that we have with this offense."
Hurts also threw for two touchdowns, a 30-yard strike to Quez Watkins with 13 seconds left in the first half that gave the Eagles a 27-20 lead at the intermission. It snapped a streak of two straight games that the Eagles had trailed at the break after leading or being tied after two quarters in their first nine games.
Hurts also had a 6-yard TD pass to A.J. Brown with 7:19 to play in the third quarter to open up a 34-20.
Brown ruined an Eagles opportunity for more points, however, when he fumbled the ball after the Eagles had reached GB’s 21-yard line. It was the receiver's second fumble in as many games.
“I told myself I was going to work on it this week," said Brown. "The ball security. And to be honest, I was sick. I’m not making excuses. But, I’ve just to do a better job with the details and protecting the ball.”
Hurts finished with 153 yards passing with 16 completions in 28 attempts.
The Eagles' defense intercepted Aaron Rodgers twice, with Josiah Scott and undrafted free agent Reed Blankenship notching the first of their careers.
The defense also sacked Rodgers three times and they now have 36 as a team. Josh Reddick and Brandon Graham shared one while Fletcher Cox and Josh Sweat each had one.
Rodgers was unable to finish the game, leaving with an oblique injury late in the third quarter.
Jordan Love wasted no time in mounting a comeback, hitting Christian Watson for a 63-yard score that brought Green Bay to within 37-30 with nine minutes to play in the game.
The Eagles answered with a long drive that ended in a 54-yard field goal from Jake Elliot with 2:16 to play that upped Philly’s lead to 40-30.
"When you have a kicker like Jake Elliott, you trust him to make those kicks in those situations," said head coach Nick Sirianni. "And he drilled it. That's why he is who he is. That's why he's our kicker.
"That's why he's done so many of the things he's done in this league. We have so much faith in him. That was a huge kick to go up ten, to go up two scores in that scenario is enormous."
But there was no hesitation. We know where we feel comfortable before the game.
Love moved the Packers down for a field goal to pull within a touchdown with 1:08 to go, but Josh Stoll recovered the onside kick and the Eagle ran - yes, ran - out the clock.
The Eagles looked like they were dressed for a Packers funeral, dressed in all black and debuting their new black helmets. The Packers were desperate to keep alive their season.
Now. At 4-8, it looks over for Green Bay.
Kenny Gainwell had a 4-yard TD to open the scoring with 11:19 to play in the first quarter. He finished with 39 yards. Scott had 24 yards on the ground.
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
