Jalen Hurts Throws Eagles to Blowout of Titans

PHILADELPHIA – One week, it’s the legs, the next the arm.

Jalen Hurts showed the Tennessee Titans the same thing he has been showing the rest of the NFL all season long – he can beat you doing whatever it takes.

A week after rushing for a career-high, the Eagles quarterback fell just seven yards short of passing for a career-high to lead the Eagles to a 35-10 wipeout of the Tennessee Titans.

"Regardless of how we’re attacking a defense, we just want to execute in whatever it is we’re doing," said Hurts who threw for 380 yards a week after dicing up the Packers for 157 on the ground. "We want to make the right plays, make the right decisions with the football, protect the football, and put points on the board."

Had the game not been a blowout, following Miles Sanders’ ninth rushing score of the season that made the score 35-10 with 11:27 to play, Hurts would have had his career high. He sat the final 9:42 in favor of Gardner Minshew.

During his abbreviated stint, Hurts accounted for four touchdowns, three through the air and one on the ground. It was the third time in his career he accounted for four touchdowns.

Playing against his former team, A.J. Brown had two TD receptions, scoring from 40 yards to give the Eagles a 14-7 lead with 13:55 to play in the second quarter and 29 yards with 12:07 to go in the third quarter to open a 28-10 advantage.

Hurts’ other TD came to DeVonta Smith from 24 yards away. The touchdown came on the Eagles' opening possession of the game marking the fifth time in the last six games Philly’s offense has scored a TD on its first possession of the game.

Both Smith and Brown went over 100 yards receiving to become the first Eagles pass-catchers to do that in the same game since Nelson Agholor and Zach Ertz did it in December of 2018.

"I mean, anybody in the receiving room, we feel like can be the No. 1 receiver," said Smith. "Everybody just goes out there and does their job. And when the play comes to you, make the most of the opportunity."

Smith had 119 yards receiving on eight catches.

Brown had 102 yards on five receptions.

Hurts completed 29 of 39 throws with a passer rating of 130.3. he ran just five times for 12 yards including a 2-yard run with 51 seconds left in the second quarter to give Philly a 21-10 lead at halftime.

“He had a very good year coming in," said Titans coach Mike Vrabel. "And again, he can scramble, throw from the pocket. He did a nice job from the pocket and was able to make it difficult. So we stopped the run game and just weren’t able to make them earn it down the field.”

The Eagles became the first team since the 1987 Raiders to run for 350-plus yards then turn around a week later and throw for 350-plus yards.

They are now 11-1 for the first time in 18 years and for just the fourth time in franchise history.

"That’s a hard question," said Eagles pass rusher Haason Reddick, when asked if they are the best team in football. "This is something you have to put on tape each and every week. We have a great record, but to call yourself the best team you have to do it every week.

"There’s a couple more games left, a lot of ball to play, postseason after that and we’ll see where we fall. As of right now, we’re playing good ball and have to keep it going, minimize some of the missteps, keep honing, and get better every week."

Reddick called it the most complete game the Eagles have played all season.

Philly will now hit the road for three straight games, beginning with the New York Giants next week followed by the Bears and Cowboys on Christmas Eve. They won’t return home until New Year’s Day against the Saints.

The Titans did not look like the first-place team they are in the AFC South. They fell to 7-5.

Derrick Henry, who had just 39 yards in last week’s loss to the Bengals managed just 30 yards on 11 carries against the Eagles’ dominating defensive front. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill had more yards rushing, with 34 on three runs.

“I felt like everyone’s attitude was to stop Derrick," said Brandon Graham. "That is all we kept hearing. That is what they are going to do.

"They are going to run the ball, screen us, and play quick ball with play-action and deep shots. That is exactly what we got and I feel like we started from the jump with meeting them at the line and making tackles."

Tannehill completed just 14 of 22 passes for 141 yards with a 25-yard TD to rookie Treylon Burks, who suffered a concussion on the play and did not return. The score tied the game at 7-7 in the first quarter.

The Eagles sacked Tannehill six times, with Josh Sweat collecting two to up his season total to 6.5. Registering one sack each were Javon Hargrave, Fletcher Cox, Graham, and Reddick.

For Hargrave, it was his eighth of the season, which is a new career high.

"I’m just happy," he said. "I put a lot of work in and happy for it to show. It’s showing."

The defensive tackle, who led the fan’s voting in the first batch of Pro Bowl ballots released last week, became the first Eagles DT to notch seven-plus sacks in back-to-back seasons since Corey Simon did it in 2000 and 2001.

Meanwhile, Reddick’s sack was his ninth and needs only one more to notch his third straight season with double-digit sacks. If he does it, he will become the first Eagles edge rusher to post double-digit sacks since Connor Barwin had 14.5 in 2014.

Cox has had one in each of the last two games.

"It’s great that I’m getting them," said Cox who now has five this season. "It means I’ve been effective in the game. ...Not only am I getting sacks but everybody is getting sacks and that’s when it’s fun."

The Eagles did not make it easy on themselves. They were called for 12 penalties for 80 yards, many of which were false start penalties and holding calls on the offensive line.

Still, the Eagles plundered their way to 453 yards of total offense while holding Tennessee to just 209.

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.