The Eagles gave up a big lead but ultimately held on for their 6th win of the season.
Doug Pederson helped deliver the Eagles their first-ever Super Bowl victory in 2017, and he and Nick Foles are immortalized with a statue outside of Lincoln Financial Field. On Sunday he returned to help the Eagles get one more win over the Jacksonville Jaguars that he now coaches.
The Eagles looked well on their way to another dominant, multi-score margin of victory when Jalen Hurts ran in his first touchdown of the day at the 9:25 mark of the 3rd quarter to put the Eagles up 22-0. The Jaguars had other plans though, scoring two touchdowns within a minute of each other, and after two successful 2-point conversions found themselves right back in it 16-22.
The second Jaguars touchdown wasn’t without controversy. Running back Saquon Barkley took a carry straight up the gut and appeared to fumble it as he made contact with the ground. The refs allowed the play to continue, and the Jaguars scooped the fumble to return it for a touchdown. Upon replay review, a Jaguars defender made contact with Barkley’s foot, which by rule, doesn’t allow the ground to cause a fumble, but the in-game officials allowed the touchdown to stand.
Despite the controversial fumble, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was electric again on Sunday. Barkley ran the ball 27 times for 147 yards and a score on the ground while adding another 40 yards on 3 receptions with a touchdown through the air. He also added this play-of-the-year candidate which saw him spin for the first down on a 3rd and 6 run and then hurdle backward over a Jaguars defender.
The Eagles’ defense was solid on Sunday, holding a decent Jaguars offense to just 17 total points. Linebacker Zack Baun continues to be a revelation for this defense recording 7 defensive stops and an interception in the game. Fellow linebacker Nakobe Dean also had an incredible game, holding Trevor Lawrence to a 6.3 passer rating while he was targeted and sealed the victory with this sensational interception.
The Eagles will look to keep pace with the NFC East-leading Washington Commanders next week as they travel to Dallas for a division showdown with the rival Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys will be without star quarterback Dak Prescott who suffered a hamstring injury against the Falcons on Sunday, but the Eagles could be without star receiver AJ Brown who is being considered day-to-day with a knee issue.
