It wasn’t a pretty one but they found a way to get it done behind their defense and quarterback Jalen Hurts to improve to 9-1 on the season. And, the way things played out… they needed every second of the 60-minute game. The Birds trailed by as much as 10 points heading into the fourth quarter, never holding a lead until Hurts’ go-ahead touchdown with 1:20 left on the clock in the fourth. Hurts called his own number inside the ten-yard line, quickly surveying the defense and running it in for the go-ahead score. He was tremendous on the drive by using his legs and arm to lead them to their league-leading ninth victory of the campaign.
The defense then stood tall against Colts QB Matt Ryan as he attempted to lead his team down the field for one last try at a walk-off field goal. But Ryan was sacked on 3rd and 9 at the Indianapolis 33-yard line by Philadelphia’s Brandon Graham, pushing the Colts back seven more yards. They then committed a false start penalty to push them back even further, making it even tougher to move the ball downfield for a chance to win with a 4th and 21 distance and only 31 seconds left to play. The Bird’s defense held up and walked away with the W.
With the way the Eagles have won a majority of their games this season, often not challenged – these games are good and necessary to get where you want as the eventual champion. They’re not all going to be easy and can be looked back at as a teaching moment for the next contest to correct some things.
In order to win the Super Bowl, the first goal is to secure the top seed and a bye in the conference – having every team come through Philadelphia. Resilient wins like this are part of the deal.
