Illness Prevents Jalen Hurts from Playing Against Patriots
PHILADELPHIA – Wide receiver DeVonta Smith and running back Miles Sanders played.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts and kicker Jake Elliott did not.
The Eagles quarterback warmed up with the Eagles prior to their preseason game against the New England Patriots, but when the Eagles’ offense took the opening kickoff, it was back up quarterback Joe Flacco who jogged onto the field.
The Eagles quickly released a statement that said Hurts had an illness, but it was not COVID-19 related.
Flacco went the whole way in the first half and could not lead the Eagles to any points, as the Patriots grabbed a 19-0 lead at halftime in the second preseason game of summer at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday night.
First-round rookie receiver Smith returned to practice earlier in the week after missing two weeks and played the first half. He had three balls hit him in the hands but he was unable to corral them.
You can debate whether or not Flacco could have made better throws. Still, Smith ended with two receptions for 19 yards.
Unlike last week, when the Eagles looked crisp in taking a 16-7 lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers, they looked anything but in this game.
On the first offensive play, Miles Sanders ran for 10 yards then Flacco hit Kenny Gainwell for 12 yards. But the drive stopped there when Nate Herbig airmailed the ball over Flacco’s head. Former Eagles DB Jalen Mills recovered inside the Philadelphia 10.
Two plays later it was 7-0 Patriots.
Sanders, who did not play in the preseason opener, had two carries for 13 yards.
DeVonta Smith prior to making debut against New England Patriots
USA Today
The Eagles seemed to get the better of New England in two practices earlier in the week, but when the scoreboard came into play, the Eagles were overmatched.
It certainly didn’t help that several of their key players sat out.
The starting offensive line was without center Jason Kelce, right guard Brandon Brooks, and right tackle Lane Johnson, each of whom who sat this one out.
The Eagles rested defensive linemen Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, and Josh Sweat. Derek Barnett was out with a shoulder injury and Javon Hargrave didn’t play due to an ankle injury.
Also out was Elliott with an ankle injury and that played a factor because the Eagles chose to go for a first down on fourth-and-three inside the New England 10 rather than attempt a field goal with punter Arryn Siposs.
Flacco threw incomplete to Quez Watkins in the end zone.
The Eagles struggled once again on third down, both offensively and defensively. The defense allowed the Patriots to convert two of four third downs after allowing the Steelers to convert 11 of 17 last week.
Offensively, the Eagles were 0-for-3 in the game after going 0-for-10 last week. Their first conversion came with less than two minutes to go in the half when Flacco hit Smith for a 10-yard gain.
They were 1-for-5 in the half, however.
The Eagles’ inability to convert third downs on offense and get off the field as a defense has hurt their time of possession.
They possessed in less than 11 minutes in the first half after having just over 18 minutes in four quarters against Pittsburgh.
Flacco was 10-for-17 but had an interception and managed just 83 yards. The offense had just 106 yards. The defense allowed 239.
Cam Newton, meanwhile, completed 8 of 9 throws for 103 yards and a touchdown before yielding to rookie Mac Jones.
The Eagles left the field at halftime to a chorus of boos.
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Eagle Maven and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglemaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
