Quarterback Jaylen injured Walking out of Lincoln Financial Field A rain-soaked Philadelphia Eagles fan cheered and opened his arms in celebration after the Eagles defeated the Buffalo Bills 37-34 in overtime on Sunday.
There’s a good reason for this.
The Pro Bowl quarterback had just sprinted into the end zone for the game-winning 12-yard touchdown run in overtime, his fifth score of the day. Despite trailing by 10 points at halftime, trailing by three points with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter and once again needing a score in overtime, the Eagles advanced 10-1. As the comeback win began, Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham declared that Philadelphia’s quarterback should be recognized for his clutch genes, prompting a noteworthy comparison.
“They always talk about Tom Brady on the final drive — I hope Jalen starts getting that name,” Graham told reporters after the game. “I’m glad he came in and finished and won the game. Let’s get them going. We like to get the ball to him at the end and give us a chance.”
He’s hurt by comparisons to the “GOAT” – who produced 46 late-game fourth-quarter comebacks in his NFL career – and that’s not where he finds himself The only elite company.
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The 25-year-old became the second NFL quarterback since 1950 to start 10-1 or better in 11 consecutive games, joining Peyton Manning, according to Elias Sports ranks. Philadelphia is now 27-2 in Hurts’ past 29 regular-season starts, a mark only achieved by two quarterbacks in the past 70 years — Jim McMahon and Brady. Notably, the Eagles have won each of their past eight situations with Hurts at center after trailing by 10 points or more.
No other quarterback in NFL history has done that. No one has done so more than four times, according to CBS Sports.
“Great team effort and great team win,” Hurts said after the game. “You know I had a little reflective moment and I was thinking, ‘What do you (reporters) want me to say?’ We just continue to find ways to win. We play together and show our resilience day in and day out . Game by game, game by game, we all face a lot of different challenges. We always find a way, and that’s something you can’t really take for granted. It’s hard to quantify.”
The Eagles and Hurts certainly faced Sunday’s challenge in the first half. The fourth-year pro completed just four of 11 passes in the first half for 33 yards and one pick. His passer rating was in the single digits. Philadelphia fans booed the Eagles from the sidelines.
But they had plenty of reason to cheer soon.
Hurts threw for three touchdowns on four pass attempts in the second half, including a 29-yard touchdown run on third-and-15 by Olamide Zaccheaus ’s score — just one in a series of surreal performances from the Eagles quarterback that seemed routine. The game gave Philadelphia a four-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. But the lead didn’t last long.
With 1:52 left in the game, Bills quarterback Josh Allen combined with Gabe Davis for a 7-yard score. The hurt didn’t hold back.
Hurts completed five consecutive passes to start the drive, setting up kicker Jake Elliott for a 59-yard field goal, which he completed in less than ideal weather conditions. So one of the best games of the 2023 season was stretched out a little bit. The Bills won the coin toss and scored first, and Graham was caught on the broadcast microphone saying it didn’t matter. But in fact, it’s not.
Allen missed a wide-open touchdown pass to Davis on his first drive in overtime for what would have been a walk-off touchdown. The Bills finally made a field goal, the Eagles got the ball back, and Hurts and his teammates did the rest to improve their record to an NFL-best 10-1.
“He made a lot of big plays in the second half,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said of the injury after the game. “And then, obviously, the big guy at the end… you know he’s the key. He’s been the key to us, the key to this city, the key to this team the last three years. He’s just Keep going, keep your head down and work.”
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.