PHILADELPHIA — Jalen Hurts threw two touchdown passes in his first game since a season-ending concussion, Dallas Goedert threw three strong-armed touchdown catches and the Philadelphia Eagles have the best defense in the NFL. They advanced to the wild card playoffs with a score of 22-10. Beat the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night.
Hurts threw for a modest 131 yards, but played without hesitation in his return from a three-week layoff due to a concussion in December.
He got off to a strong start, pitching six consecutive complete games and keeping the Packers at bay in the third quarter with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Goedert. This pass will forever be etched into the team's postseason highlight reel.
Philadelphia's defense took care of the rest.
The Eagles converted a fumble recovered on the opening kickoff into Hurts' first TD pass three plays later, and the defense picked off Jordan Love twice in the first half.
The Eagles held a 19-10 lead in the fourth, but forced a turnover on downs as Green Bay made it 4-3 at 41-41 with five minutes left in the game.
With 1:51 left in the game, Kinyon Mitchell made a final interception of Love, sealing the victory for the NFC East champions. District games will be held at the rink next week.
The Eagles had a book about the Packers, and wide receiver AJ Brown had time on the bench to do some light reading, flipping through the pages of Jim Murphy's “Inner Excellence.'' Brown had one catch for 10 yards.
Love threw for 212 yards and three interceptions while nursing a sore right elbow he suffered in the regular-season finale against Chicago.
Josh Jacobs ran for 81 yards and a score, turning Green Bay's offense around with a 31-yard run in the third, shaking off one tackle, having his jersey pulled over his heel by a defender, and another. This led to the misfortune of two more people. Eagles to the 1-yard line.
Jacobs punched the ball on the next play to make it 16-10.
Aided by an unnecessary roughness flag in Green Bay, Hurts kept the Eagles close until Jake Elliott kicked a 30-yard field goal to take a 19-10 lead.
Elliott needed a short kick to boost his confidence after missing the extra point on Goedert's touchdown.
Elliott, who has struggled to kick from 50 yards or more this season, added 32 yards in the fourth quarter and 31 yards in the first.
Saquon Barkley, who led the NFL with 2,005 rushing yards, gained 119 yards in his postseason debut for the Eagles.
The Eagles were pounding the rink, from the moment the public address announcer briefly looked forward to the command, “Welcome to the Eagles' lineup, Jalen Huertz,” to the fumble that followed.
Green Bay's Keyshawn Nixon flicked the ball to Oren Burks, and Green Bay's No. 28 Jeremiah Trotter retrieved the ball. Hurts found Jahan Dotson for an 11-yard touchdown in just three plays.
Darius Slay carried the ball like an elite receiver over the cornerback's shoulders for an interception, and All-Pro linebacker Zach Baun scored the Eagles' second goal.
The Eagles didn't score any points off these picks, but they kept the Packers off the board.
Hurts erased any immediate questions about his health when he completed his first six passes for 39 yards, including a TD to Dotson.
He then missed his next seven attempts in the first half.
He didn't complete a pass until late in the third quarter, but completed seven of his final eight attempts, including a TD catch by Goedert.
Brandon McManus, who had missed 38 yards earlier, hit one from 26 yards to make it 10-3 at halftime.
