Jalen Hurts took the hits when the Eagles’ passing game, which had been struggling, was criticized by his own star wide receivers. Hurts and A.J. Brown, one of the receivers who raised concerns, then saw their relationship analyzed and criticized by a teammate, adding to the internal tension that could have hurt the team’s chemistry.
However, this internal pressure might have been just the motivation the Eagles needed to show their strength in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were heading to the playoffs.
“Every opportunity to get better, you use,” coach Nick Sirianni said. “I’m not for one minute saying that all the turmoil on the outside was a good thing. We want to make sure that we’re locked into what we’re doing, and that’s what I felt like.”
Hurts threw touchdown passes to both Brown and DeVonta Smith, helping quiet the critics of the Eagles’ offense. The team also won their 10th straight game, a franchise record, beating the Steelers 27-13.
“So that’s what you all wanted to see?” Hurts said, confirming that he was playing with a broken finger on his non-throwing hand.
The recent tension within the Eagles wasn’t caused by fans or the media, but came from inside the team.
Hurts and the offense made big plays just a week after Smith and Brown had expressed frustration over a lack of catches in a win against Carolina. Later in the week, injured defensive end Brandon Graham appeared on a Philadelphia sports radio station and suggested there were personal issues between Hurts and Brown.
Hurts, who threw for 290 yards after having less than 200 in his last three games, tried to put any team issues to rest on the opening drive. He connected with Smith twice and Brown once, leading to a 34-yard field goal by Jake Elliott.
“Scrutiny is never-ending. It’s nothing new,” Hurts said. “That’s something that I find a thrill in. I appreciate being told I can’t and that we can’t. I know that I lead this team, and it takes a lot out of it. It demands a lot out of you.”
Brown, who limped on the sideline late in the game, had eight catches for 110 yards, and Smith had 11 catches for 109 yards, a big improvement from the previous game when they combined for only eight catches and 80 yards.
“Behind closed doors, we talked about it,” Brown said. “We called each other out. It was very uncomfortable because we don’t want to feel like we’re getting attacked.”
Hurts threw a 5-yard touchdown to Brown late in the first quarter. The two celebrated with the Kid ’N Play dance, and later connected with Smith for a 2-yard touchdown in the second quarter, giving the Eagles a 17-3 lead.
“That was our moment to tell everybody to shut up,” Brown said.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley’s chase of the NFL season rushing record slowed when he ran for just 65 yards on 19 carries. Barkley, who still leads the NFL with 1,688 yards, took a low hit from Pittsburgh’s Minkah Fitzpatrick and missed most of the second quarter. Barkley later said his knee was fine and that Fitzpatrick’s hit didn’t injure him.
Hurts also had a rushing touchdown on a tush push for the Eagles (12-2), but they were denied a chance to clinch the NFC East when Washington defeated New Orleans earlier in the day.
Pittsburgh (10-4), leading the AFC North, lost for only the second time in nine games but secured a playoff spot due to losses by Miami and Indianapolis.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said the playoff berth wasn’t his main focus after the game.
“Not as I stand here today. We had a game to play today. We wanted to win it and we didn’t,” he said. “Some of that other stuff is less relevant to us.”
The Steelers also lost star linebacker T.J. Watt to an ankle injury after chasing down Hurts in the fourth quarter. Watt, who leads the Steelers with 11 1/2 sacks, said he was uncertain about his status for next week’s game against Baltimore. Watt believed the injury wasn’t serious.
Pittsburgh’s quarterback Russell Wilson struggled against the Eagles’ defense, throwing for just 128 yards, his lowest of the season. He did manage to throw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Pat Freiermuth but fell to 6-1 lifetime against the Eagles.
The Steelers missed wide receiver George Pickens, who leads the team with 55 receptions and 850 receiving yards. Pickens missed his second straight game with a hamstring injury.
The Steelers haven’t won in Philadelphia since October 24, 1965.
Wilson mishandled a pitch to Najee Harris in the third quarter, and the Eagles recovered, leading to Hurts’ 1-yard tush push touchdown for a 27-13 lead.
This was the first time the two teams, both among the original eight in the NFL, played each other with both having double-digit wins, but the game was not competitive.
Chris Boswell kicked field goals from 37 and 49 yards, becoming Pittsburgh’s season leader in field goals with 38.
