/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73683376/2181422896.0.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,800&ssl=1 "The Linc – “The best Jalen Hurts has looked in a long, long time”")
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73683376/2181422896.0.jpg "The Linc – “The best Jalen Hurts has looked in a long, long time”")
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …
Roob’s Observations: Eagles blow out Bengals in Cincinnati – NBCSP
3. This was the best Jalen Hurts has looked in a long, long time. Probably since the first Dallas game last year. He completed 16 of 20 passes for 236 yards with a 45-yard TD to DeVonta Smith, three rushing TDs and for the fourth straight game no interceptions. He spread the ball around, he made great decisions, he got rid of the ball fast, he just looked super engaged and it seemed like his mind was working quickly. That’s three straight games without a turnover and four straight without an interception. When a quarterback can drive the ball down the field and be aggressive while avoiding turnovers, you’re going to win almost every time. Three games since the bye, Hurts is at 71 percent with four touchdown passes, no interceptions and a 3-0 record. He’s not forcing the ball anymore. He’s not rushing things. He looks as comfortable as he has since 2022 and Kellen Moore and Doug Nussmeier have a lot to do with that, but Hurts deserves a ton of credit for cleaning up the flaws in his game and getting back to doing the things he does well.
Are the Eagles Back? Takeaways From the Best Win of the Year! – The Ringer
The Eagles blew out the Cincinnati Bengals 37-17 on Sunday, securing their third victory in a row. With the Eagles winning in convincing fashion yet again, are they back? Sheil and Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation discuss the victory and what’s been working in recent weeks. Just how good was this victory compared to other ones in recent seasons? Are the Eagles title contenders (02:41)? How impressive was Jalen Hurts on Sunday, scoring four total touchdowns and not turning the ball over once (22:07)? The defense started off shaky but bounced back, causing Joe Burrow to turn the ball over; plus, Cooper DeJean’s tackling efforts (38:37). Finally, a Nick Sirianni temperature check and Cliff’s Flyers update!
Handing out 10 awards from the Eagles-Bengals game – PhillyVoice
1) The ‘That’s More Like It’ Award : Jalen Hurts. Jalen Hurts’ day didn’t get off to a great start, as the Eagles’ first two drives ended with poor throws. The first was a deep ball to A.J. Brown on 3rd and 15 that sailed well over Brown’s head and fell harmlessly incomplete. Brown had a one-on-one opportunity, and ideally you’d like to at least give your elite receiver a chance to make a play on the ball. On the second drive, he threw a ball to the flat to a well-covered Kenny Gainwell, and Gainwell had to transition to being the defender on the play to prevent an interception. Otherwise, Hurts had a terrific performance on Sunday, completing 16 of 20 passes (80%) for 236 yards (11.8 YPA), and a TD to DeVonta Smith. He also ran for three touchdowns. After a mistake-plagued start to the season, Hurts has now gone three straight games with no turnovers. He completed his final 12 passes of the day, he ran hard in moments that called for it, he was decisive, he was accurate, and he out-dueled Joe Burrow in a 20-point road win. It was an odd game in that the Eagles only had eight drives, but they scored on seven of them, including four touchdowns, and only punted once.
NFL Week 8 Recap: Philadelphia Eagles 37, Cincinnati Bengals 17 – PFF
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts delivered one of the finest performances of his NFL career, completing 17-of-21 passes for 243 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Notably, Hurts registered one big-time throw and avoided any turnover-worthy plays. On the ground, Hurts contributed 37 rushing yards, three touchdowns and four additional first downs, forcing two missed tackles and averaging 2.2 yards after contact per carry. Hurts excelled on throws of 10 or more yards, completing six of his seven attempts for 161 yards and a touchdown, earning a perfect 158.3 passer rating on those downfield passes.
Spadaro: 6 takeaways from an outstanding 37-17 victory over the Bengals – PE.com
2. Jalen Hurts – an A+ football performance. In every way possible, Hurts was at the top of his game on Sunday. He outplayed Joe Burrow and, in fact, played as close to a perfect game as can be played. Hurts completed 16 of 20 passes for 236 yards and a 45-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith. He was a perfect 9-for-9 for 150 yards in the second half. Hurts was brilliant in and out of the pocket, he was poised, he avoided traffic, and he was on point throwing the football. Hurts also scored 2 touchdowns on Brotherly Shoves, so in total he accounted for 4 touchdowns. The designed runs were effective – quarterback draws opened things up for the offense – and Hurts finished with 10 carries and 37 yards and those 3 scores. It was an A-plus game for Hurts all the way around. “I’m excited and pleased with how we played as a team, how we played as an offense, and I think Kellen (Moore) did a really good job today. We’re just all in it together, sticking together and communicating and going out there and trying to play efficient ball,” Hurts said.
2024 NFL Season, Week 8: What We Learned from Sunday’s games – NFL.com
Eagles offense deserves praise, too. This game wasn’t all about the Eagles’ defense. After finding themselves in an early hole — and their eighth straight scoreless first quarter on offense to start the season — Hurts and the Eagles’ big dogs came through. Hurts threw for a score and ran in three more TDs, with only four incompletions on the day, which all came in the first quarter. DeVonta Smith caught Hurts’ lone TD pass, a gorgeous over-the-shoulder throw and catch. A.J. Brown and Grant Calcaterra also came up big in the pass game. Saquon Barkley grew stronger as the game wore on, too, with 73 second-half yards. For a team missing three offensive starters ( Jordan Mailata , Mekhi Becton , Dallas Goedert ), the Eagles found their rhythm offensively after another slow start to score 27 points after halftime, which is more than they’ve scored in four entire games this season.
Judging biggest overreactions for NFL Week 8 games – ESPN+
Please note that the Eagles did all of this without two starting offensive linemen; Jordan Mailata and Mekhi Becton both missed the game with injuries. They also did it on the road against a desperate team and without scoring a touchdown until the final minute of the first half. But there is a track record here, people. When your offense has A.J. Brown, Smith, Barkley and Hurts, you’re going to figure out a way to score points eventually. Hurts has a new offensive coordinator for the second season in a row and a new center for the first time since he entered the NFL. Inconsistency on offense in the early going shouldn’t have been a surprise. But the Eagles felt good about the way they ran the offense through Barkley last week against the Giants, and with the Bengals locked in on stopping Barkley on Sunday, Hurts found other ways to get it done. Kellen Moore is a good offensive coordinator who knows how to adapt his system to his players’ skill sets, and we saw just that. The bigger story Sunday may have been the Eagles’ defense and the way it clamped down on Burrow & Co. in the second half. For all of the hand-wringing, this Eagles team is 5-2 and in a pretty good spot the rest of the way.
The Philadelphia Eagles were primed to overtake first place in the NFC East. In what was their most encouraging win in some time, the Birds beat the Cincinnati Bengals by 20 points to advance to 5-2. And then it looked like the Washington Commanders were set to drop to 5-3. Down three points and down to their final play from their own 48-yard line, they needed a miracle. Much to the Eagles’ chagrin, the Commanders got one with Jayden Daniels heaving up a Hail Mary touchdown to Noah Brown.
This game was tied at 17-17. The Eagles dominated after that and Barkley was key. He had his longest runs in the fourth quarter. The Bengals knew he’d be running, but Barkley still moved the ball. There wasn’t one guy who stood out on defense. They really played well as a unit. Zack Baun led the way with 12 tackles. Brandon Graham and Nakobe Dean combined for a key third down stop. Cooper DeJean had a TFL on a fourth down that led to a FG. CJGJ had his first INT of the year. Baun punched a ball loose and Dean recovered it. The Eagles covered well. They tackled well. They got pressure on Burrow and kept him from attacking downfield as much as he wanted. This was smart, sound defense. A win like this doesn’t mean the Eagles are all good and will dominate from here on out. It does show the team is headed in the right direction and can play at a high level. Hurts is starting to figure things out. The defense is coming together. Nick Sirianni seems to be settling into his role and figuring out the right buttons to push. The challenge now is to keep it going and to keep improving. The Lions are the best team in the NFL. After that, things are pretty open. If the Eagles stay focused, they can be one of the best teams in the league.
Eagles didn’t go into ‘panic mode’ on defense in win vs. Bengals: ‘I’m proud of them boys’ – NJ.com
“It’s cool that the young boy is out here balling,” Graham said after the game. “He is out here gaining confidence every week. I’m proud of him. I’m proud of them boys because this game ain’t easy.”
Eagles bury the Bengals to end an undefeated October: ‘The vibes are very high’ – The Athletic
An Eagles offense once devoid of a consistent direction scored on all but one possession in a 37-17 beatdown of the Cincinnati Bengals. A defense once unreliable in coverage, tackling or forcing turnovers strong-armed its opponent into submission after an early struggle, forcing two (three?) fatal takeaways. A team whose coach once seemed at conflict with his city is now 5-2 and keeping pace with the Washington Commanders (6-2) for the lead in the NFC East. “The vibes are very high right now,” safety Reed Blankenship said.
Ex-Eagles Linebacker Nigel Bradham Arrested In Florida – TMZ Sports
Ex-Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham was arrested in Florida earlier this month, TMZ Sports has learned. According to a Florida Highway Patrol incident report we obtained … the 35-year-old was pulled over on Oct. 10 in Tallahassee after allegedly going 78 MPH in a 55 — while his two kids were in a 2023 KIA SUV with him. One officer wrote in the report that after stopping the former NFL player … he admitted to driving despite knowing he had a suspended license. The cop stated in the docs this is not the first time he’s committed the offense.
3 things we learned from the Bengals’ embarrassing loss at home to the Eagles – Cincy Jungle
The defense is, indeed, very bad. Strong defensive outings against the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns gave fans some hope. For a second, it appeared Lou Anarumo’s unit was getting healthy and more cohesive. And then the Bengals went out and gave up big plays after big plays against the Eagles, at home, with the season hanging by a thread. There is absolutely no reason to believe that this defense, with an underwhelming secondary and the inability to stop a good run game for four quarters, will get it together this year.
Commanders move to 6-2 with a Hail Mary finish vs. the Bears – Hogs Haven
Miracles happen, and every Washington Commanders fan watching the game live witnessed one of the rarest finishes to a football game! Washington moved to 6-2 off of a successful hail mary, largely due to Jayden Daniels, who found a way to buy six seconds before launching a throw to a waiting Noah Brown in the endzone. It wasn’t all pretty, though. The Commanders’ offense struggled to finish drives, and it nearly cost the team as the defense, which was outstanding for most of the day, could not hold the Chicago Bears offense out of the endzone on two second-half drives.
Report: Jaguars WR Christian Kirk out for season with broken collarbone – Big Cat Country
The Jacksonville Jaguars receiver room resembled something eerily close to an emergency room on Sunday afternoon, with its top three wideouts (Brian Thomas Jr, Christian Kirk, and Gabe Davis) all leaving the matchup with injuries and never returning to the matchup. After the 30-27 defeat to the Green Bay Packers, veteran receiver and locker room leader Christian Kirk was ruled out for the remainder of the season, per multiple reports. [BLG Note: The Jags will be without their second-most targeted player against the Eagles in Week 9.]
How the Commanders drew up the ideal unconventional blueprint to become elite – SB Nation
The Commanders are 6-2, and playing as well as any team in the NFL. As we approach the midpoint of the season it’s time to stop looking at Washington as a curiosity, or a fun underdog story and take them seriously as a threat to the vast majority of the NFC, with the potential to go all the way. Beating the Bears with a Hail Mary on Sunday might not be anything to write home about In isolation, but that’s the thing about what the Commanders are doing. You can’t simple look at anything this organization has done in isolation. Rather we have a tapestry of decisions, roster moves, and hires — all of which come together to make this team infinitely more than a sum of its parts. It’s not that the Commanders are a perfect team, but more that they are consistently finding ways to stay in games when behind, step on the gas when they’re up, and most-critically, believe in themselves. A play like that which ended the game on Sunday isn’t something that comes from any Washington team over the last three decades, at least not in this way.
It is always difficult to accept when your favorite team is bad. Logic and even cold, hard evidence can tell us this, but suppressing our greatest hopes will always be the most difficult part of being a fan of any one team. My assumption is that you knew the Dallas Cowboys would lose to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night and that they would look rather bad in the process. Maybe you convinced yourself that an alternative reality was possible and in a world of infinite possibilities… it was. The team even made sure to elevate our hopes at different points, especially down the stretch, as a reminder of that. But there is too much data and too much evidence and too much logic to deny that this season’s Dallas Cowboys are not a functional football team and they proved that in their latest outing against the big, bad wolf. The frustrating thing is that the 49ers were the wolf of course, but that the Cowboys were the house of straw. Poorly built with loose structure and no real backbone of stability to hold them up.
The Winners and Losers of NFL Week 8 – The Ringer
Loser: Jerry Jones. If there were any doubts about how cooked this Cowboys team is, they were silenced with a 30-24 loss to the 49ers on Sunday Night Football. The Cowboys did have a shot at mounting a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter—and they may have pulled it off if KaVontae Turpin had been able to hold on to a deep pass from Dak Prescott—but this game was more one-sided than the final score suggests. The Dallas defense gave up 12 explosive plays to the 49ers offense. The Dallas offense managed just one explosive play before the fourth quarter. The passing game hasn’t found any answers against man coverage, which explains why Prescott is throwing more tight-window passes than any other quarterback in the league, per Next Gen Stats. The running game, led by the thoroughly washed Ezekiel Elliott, didn’t produce a single explosive play against a mediocre Niners run defense. After eight weeks of football, it’s hard to find anything to feel good about with this team.
Giants-Steelers preview: ‘Things I think’ before the game – Big Blue View
The common denominator? In both instances, the coaches embarrassed the franchise in ways that went beyond fielding bad teams. Daboll and Schoen should be safe, provided nothing like that happens. Dianna Russini of The Athletic did sound a warning for the coach and GM: “People around the league aren’t buying that Daboll and Schoen should feel secure even after the endorsement, and the duo — known to be outwardly emotional — probably won’t feel any less anxious if they keep losing. … It’s a well-known secret around the league that Mara loves former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick from Belichick’s time as Bill Parcells’ defensive coordinator with the Giants. Many are wondering if Mara would be able to resist if Belichick expressed interest in the job. Though that’s another question: Would Belichick want the Giants job considering how the organization is currently set up? Some around the league believe the answer is no.” My advice to Daboll and Schoen? Handle with care when it comes to locker room situations. Don’t embarrass ownership — with your words or your actions. Oh, and win some games!
Along the way, Haason Reddick also returned to the lineup to fix the pass rush. Adams and Reddick were nonfactors in this game.
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