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Jalen Hurts is up to 315 total yards after getting a tush push for a first down. Eagles up 27-13 with 3:15 left and ball.
PHILADELPHIA -- Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown have quelled any notion of the Philadelphia Eagles' passing game being off, as the duo made a statement in the 27-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Hurts finished 25 of 32 for 290 yards and two passing touchdowns -- one to Brown and one to DeVonta Smith -- to end the recent chatter.
Hurts found Brown for a 5-yard touchdown late in the first quarter to give the Eagles an early lead they wouldn't relinquish. The Eagles quarterback later found Smith for a 2-yard touchdown in the second quarter to put the Eagles up two scores in the first half. Brown finished with eight catches for 110 yards and a touchdown while Smith had 11 catches for 109 yards and a touchdown.
In addition to the two passing touchdowns, Hurts also added a rushing touchdown in the game -- finishing with over 300 yards of offense and three touchdowns. This comes after two games which Hurts failed to record 125 yards passing in each contest.
The Eagles finished over 400 yards of offense and the No. 1 defense held the Steelers to 163 total yards in the win. Philadelphia has won 10 straight games for the first time in franchise history and are now tied with the Detroit Lions for the top seed in the NFC (Lions hold the tiebreaker based on conference record).
Pittsburgh had 56 yards rushing in the game and scored on just two of nine possessions. Russell Wilson finished with under 200 yards passing and threw just one touchdown -- a 9-yard pass to Pat Freiermuth in the second quarter.
A recap of this game and takeaways can be found below!
Why the Eagles won
The Eagles' passing game was on point early and often in this one, thanks to Brown making the call last week on that aspect the offense needed to improve upon. Hurts went to Brown and Smith early and often, as he started the day 12 of 13 for 146 yards and two touchdown passes for a 153.0 passer rating.
Brown had Smith were targeted 10 times to start the game, having nine catches for 98 yards and two scores. The Eagles' passing game set the tone early and barely relented, as Hurts finished with over 300 yards of total offense and three scores.
Why the Steelers lost
The Steelers weren't able to get their passing game going with out George Pickens in the lineup, their most creative play being a flea flicker to Calvin Austin for 31 yards in the third quarter when they were trailing 20-13. At the time, that play was 28% of the Steelers offense.
Pittsburgh also had little answer for Hurts and the Eagles' passing game, as the Hurts and Brown connection was rolling all day. Even on a day where Saquon Barkley was neutralized, Hurts and Brown were able to exploit the defense.
Sunday was a tough ask for the Steelers.
Turning point
The Steelers were slowly crawling their way back into the game and found their way to the Eagles' 26-yard line with 5:56 left in the third quarter. Najee Harris bobbled the pitch attempt from Wilson and Darius Slay was able to recover the ball and give the Eagles possession.
Pittsburgh was trailing 20-13 at that point, so the Steelers were in striking distance of tying the game (at worst a field goal to cut the deficit to four). The fumble was credited to Wilson, and the Eagles were able to capitalize with a 13-play, 74-yard drive to take a 27-13 lead and take command of the game.
Play of the game
There were a few candidates in this game, but Kenneth Gainwell set the tone for how his game was going to go after a spin move on Steelers cornerback Donte Jackson on a third-and-5 in the first quarter.
Gainwell caught the ball from Hurts in the backfield at the 20-yard line and spun by Warren at the 23 (line of scrimmage was the 26) -- getting the first down and eventually brought down at the 39-yard line.
The gain of 13 yards set up the Eagles' first touchdown, which gave Philadelphia the lead for good. Gainwell had 50 yards of total offense on a day Barkley didn't have his best game.
Up next
The Eagles (12-2) will travel to Washington to play the Commanders -- with a chance to clinch the NFC East title -- next Sunday. The Steelers (10-4) will travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens (9-5) on Saturday in a pivotal AFC North matchup
