Every week is a season in the NFL, and happiness and despair always seem one game away — especially in Philadelphia. So, back to happiness.
The Eagles responded to the humiliating loss to the New York Giants by beating the Minnesota Vikings with a historical performance from the franchise quarterback and then re-signing one of the best players in franchise history. They host the Giants in a rematch this week, and the Giants went from dangerous upstart after beating the Eagles to a punch line following an inexplicable collapse. Every week’s a season.
With that in mind, let’s get to Eight Eagles Thoughts…
1. Throughout the past 48 hours, I’ve written or uttered the phrase “one of the best games Jalen Hurts has played in an Eagles uniform” several times, so I figured it would be helpful to consider, what are the best games Hurts played in Eagles uniform?
Here’s my list of the top five, with commentary for each:
- Super Bowl LVII — Yes, the Eagles lost, but Hurts was the best player on the field that night. He went 27 of 38 for 304 yards and one touchdown while also rushing for 70 yards and three scores. The lone blemish was a costly fumble, but Hurts put the Eagles in position to beat a superb Chiefs team. Jeffrey Lurie still wonders what would have happened if Hurts had an earnest chance at a game-winning drive.
- Super Bowl LIX — Hurts earned the Super Bowl MVP by going 17 of 22 for 221 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while rushing for 72 yards and a touchdown. His numbers could have been more prolific had the Eagles not built an enormous lead. This was a legacy-shaping performance. It’s not a coincidence that the top two games on the list are Super Bowls.
- 2024 NFC Championship Game — A sign of what was coming in the Super Bowl. Hurts went 20 of 28 for 246 yards and one touchdown while also rushing for three scores. Saquon Barkley was outstanding in this game, but Hurts pushed all the right buttons. He didn’t turn the ball over and was in complete control. The stakes and stage should matter. They certainly do for Hurts.
- Eagles-Vikings, 2025 — Maybe some recency bias with this one, although it’s hard to argue with a perfect quarterback rating. He went 19 of 23 for 326 yards and three touchdowns. The lack of rushing yards was uncharacteristic, although the way he navigated the pocket was exemplary and the conversions on third-and-long were game-changing plays.
- Eagles-Bengals, 2024 — Facing Joe Burrow on the other side, Hurts seemed to take this personally — to borrow a Michael Jordan meme. He was the better quarterback that day in Burrow’s stadium. Hurts went 16 of 20 for 236 yards and one touchdown, along with 37 rushing yards and three touchdowns. His 45-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith was one of the best plays you’ll see him make.
Honorable mention: 2023 vs. Bills, 2022 vs. Steelers, 2023 vs. Commanders, 2022 vs. Giants
This might be something to revisit during the offseason. The 2022 season should probably be better represented on the list, and one of those regular-season games could get bounced. But the first three are hard to dispute.
2. Want to know something interesting about those two regular-season games on the list? Since the start of the 2022 season, those were the two highest percentages of under-center plays for the Eagles. The benefit of going under-center was apparent on Sunday against the Vikings. It made them less predictable and it especially made the play-action more effective. The Eagles decided to utilize more under-center players during their mini-bye review last week. It’s something that should continue to be incorporated — the Eagles shouldn’t necessarily view it as matchup-dependent.
“I think there’s always things you want to get better at continuously to see if you can do them and develop them into something new,” offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo said. “It’s got to present itself within the game, so you’re not going to put something in or say, ‘Hey, we want to get better at this, but we can’t do it this week. We’ll just have to wait for the next week.’ It’s one of those things that’s kind of organic, you really want to say we want to identify things we need to get better at, but at the same time they’ve got to fit in each week. Then, how much can you do of it within the week, and then just build from there? Kind of how it started and how it went.”
You might ask why they don’t do it more often. One answer I’ve heard over the years is the effect it has on the quarterback run game. Hurts can be a more effective rusher — and the Eagles can utilize the plus-one element — when they’re out of the shotgun. That has validity. Still, the success from Sunday should not be ignored.
3. Three weeks ago, I wrote about the need to pay attention to DeVonta Smith after he had the fewest targets in his career against Tampa Bay. He didn’t cause a stir with a social media post, but his temperature was nonetheless important to monitor.
Since then, Smith has been one of the most productive receivers in the NFL. He ranks No. 3 in receiving yards and No. 4 in receptions during the past three weeks. The record-setting performance on Sunday helped (nine catches, 183 yards), but it should also be an indication of the type of season Smith will have. He had a down year in 2024; he’s poised to bounce back in a big way this season. Smith is on pace to set a career-high in yardage.
“He’s had a lot of opportunities and he has made the most of them,” Patullo said. “He’s a dynamic player, right? He’s a Heisman Trophy winner. He is one of the best players in the league still, obviously. We’re going to use him in any capacity we can, and his energy is just infectious at all times. What he brings to the table is [the] same thing: high football IQ, he gets the game, he gets moved around a lot, he understands what his job is in moments. He makes those plays and he’s been a clutch player for us, and it’s really been fun to watch him.”
No matter how this stint goes, Brandon Graham’s legacy with the Eagles will stay intact. (USA Today)
4. The most interesting part of the decision to bring back Brandon Graham is that he never wanted to retire in the first place. The Eagles saw it as a storybook ending and a chance to move forward — it was, in fact, a storybook ending! — although it was not as if they turned it over to a new wave of edge rushers. They had Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, and a number of players on one-year deals.
If kept in perspective, bringing back Graham makes sense. He played at a high level before his injury last season. Edge rushers tend to age better than other positions. And the leadership and energy he brings is real. I’ve seen it — and I think the Eagles miss that presence. The addition should not be overstated. If he can help against the run and add a few meaningful pass rushes a game, that’s value added for the Eagles.
“You see what kind of shape he’s in, what kind of retention he has from last year,” defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. “Shape comes in two forms. One, just your conditioning, but in football shape to contact shape. So hopefully, the sooner the better. …Well, all the way from the start I was teasing him not to retire all the way back to last February or March. So yeah, I mean I’ve run into him, we’ve talked when he’s come by. I always tease him about it to try and light the fire.”
The Eagles have a two-week roster exemption for Graham, so he doesn’t need to be active this week. It sounds unlikely that Azeez Ojulari (hamstring) will play, so the Eagles might need Graham, or they’d only have Hunt, Josh Uche and Patrick Johnson. It doesn’t seem like Fangio is confident to shift Jihaad Campbell to an edge rusher role on a regular basis.
Also, for the record: I still think Graham left on the perfect note, but I also don’t think this affects his legacy. That has become a convenient narrative, and admittedly one I’m guilty of falling into, but his legacy is entrenched. If this goes awry — whether the Eagles underachieve or Graham is underwhelming in his return — it won’t change the way he’s viewed in Eagles history. He loves playing football and being part of a team. As long as that’s possible, why not?
5. The Graham move should not keep the Eagles from being aggressive in the trade market for an edge rusher. It might be easy to bill Nolan Smith’s return from injury and Graham’s un-retirement as the needed boost at the position. That would be a mistake. The Eagles need to affect the quarterback from the edge, and it’s not happening enough with this group. Plus, edge rusher remains a long-term priority for the Eagles. If they could add someone with term on his deal, it should be of interest. If they could add a top-of-the-rotation edge rusher even on a one-year deal that doesn’t cost them a pick on the first two days of the draft, that would also be worth it. My view is edge rusher is a bigger need than the No. 2 cornerback — and easier to plug in the trade market. We’ll have more next week on potential targets.
6. Pay attention to what the Eagles do at center if Cam Jurgens (knee) misses time. They inserted Brett Toth for Jurgens against the Vikings, choosing a one-for-one, in-game swap rather than moving players around. If Jurgens is out for an extended period, the Eagles could take a different approach. Landon Dickerson can move to center, where he started in the NFC Championship Game last season and excelled at Alabama. The Eagles could activate rookie Drew Kendall. Those two have more center experience than Toth. I’d move Dickerson over and try a different option at left guard.
“You go into a game and you’re always thinking about the players that you have,” Nick Sirianni said. “We have a lot of faith and confidence in Brett Toth. That’s why he was in there. Nothing really changed when Brett got in the game because Brett does such a good job of preparing like a starter and he is always ready when called upon.”
This is what I’m watching when I go to practice on Wednesday.
7. The offensive coaching staff deserves credit for adjusting the plan as the game progressed last week. If the lack of adjustments and the second-half ineffectiveness were an issue in the previous two games — and discussed in this space — then it’s only fair to point out when they adjust midstream as they did Sunday. The thought was that the Eagles would beat the Vikings on the ground. To pivot like they did and put Hurts in position to make plays (going under center was an example; dialing up the touchdown pass to Smith was another) helped the Eagles win the game. I still quibble with the third-and-5 run early in the third quarter when Hurts was in the zone in the passing game. Overall, the adjustments the Eagles made worked. If they can put together a full game, they will be a difficult out in the NFC.
8. Speaking of that, the NFC appears wide open through seven weeks. The Packers are 4-1-1, giving them a conference-best .750 winning percentage. Then the Eagles are one of six teams that are 5-2, joining the 49ers, Buccaneers, Lions, Seahawks and Rams. If you believe point differential is an indication of a team’s strength, then the Eagles’ plus-5 differential is not encouraging. In fact, it ranks ninth in the division and pales compared to the Lions (+64), Rams (+58), and Seahawks (+58). But it’s also worth noting that the Eagles have wins against two of those five-win teams and also against the Chiefs, who are 4-3 with a +62 differential. The Eagles can beat anybody and should be considered a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
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