How did the veterans react to Sunday’s crushing loss?
Eagles veteran looks forward as trials continue
“We missed the moment, there’s no other way to say it,” Haason Reddick said. “But we still have the playoffs left, we have one more (game) and we have to get it.
The atmosphere in the locker room was somber as the Eagles were unable to secure first place in the NFC East and missed their chance to claim the No. 2 seed in the NFC. The Eagles’ defense scored 29 points in the second half, including the winning touchdown with 32 seconds left in the game. The Cardinals had 449 total offensive yards in 72 games, compared to 47 for the Eagles. “It just wasn’t good enough,” Redick said of his defensive play.
“It’s tough as a quarterback not being able to leave the field,” Brandon Graham said. “I have no excuses, I just didn’t have the time.”
Rather than making excuses, locker room leaders pointed out what went wrong and what could be done to get out of this slump.
The two themes were team football and volatility. “We don’t play complementary football,” said Jordan Mailata. “Right now, I think the offense and defense are hurting each other and putting each other in uncomfortable positions.”
“Offensively, we had some good moments, but we just weren’t consistent enough,” Jason Kelce said. With one game left in the regular season and a playoff berth now assured, it’s time for the Eagles to start playing consistent, complementary football.
The Eagles are currently 11-5 and no longer in control of the NFC East race. If the Eagles and Cowboys, who are also 11-5, are tied after their Week 18 games, Dallas will win the division title with a joint tiebreaker between the opponents.
“Every time you lose back-to-back games, everyone figures it out and tries to move things in the right direction,” Kelce said. “We’re trying to find ways to play at a high level as a unit and as individuals.”
“I’m disappointed, but not discouraged,” Mailata said. “We know we are the best team in football and it’s times like these that we will learn from them. I’ll be back next week and I’ll be back again. »
The Eagles will look to correct their mistakes and bounce back in the regular season finale against the New York Giants.
For now, the final seed for the playoffs will be determined by Week 18, but the Eagles are guaranteed at least one game outside of the regular season. “We know we’re going to make things tough,” Graham said. “I believe in us, we believe in ourselves.”
“We have to take it one game at a time and keep fighting to achieve our goals,” Reddick said. – Written by Owen Boyle
Three touchdowns aren’t enough for Jalen Hurts
Entering Sunday’s game, quarterback Jalen Hurts had thrown the same number of touchdown passes (three) and incomplete passes (three) as he had that afternoon.
But the Eagles needed Hurts’ magic to overcome a 35-31 deficit after Arizona running back James Conner ran from 2 yards out with 32 seconds left to give the Cardinals the lead. Hurts has had success many times this season, winning in the fourth quarter or overtime four times.
But the Eagles barely made it in time as time expired when a Hail Mary pass in the end zone was intercepted by cornerback Joey Blount. “He had a great game,” head coach Nick Sirianni said. “The ball didn’t really touch the ground. I don’t know all his stats, but I do know that the ball didn’t hit the ground.
Hurts was 18-of-23 for 167 yards, three touchdowns and one interception late in the game for a passer rating of 118.4. This was the third highest total of the season and the highest since a home win against the Cowboys in Week 9. The franchise record for most touchdowns in a season with 38 was originally set by Randall Cunningham, surpassing Hurts’ 35 touchdowns the year before. “I’m just thinking about how I can improve. I’m thinking about how I can be better and more efficient,” Hurts said.
“That’s the goal, to make the most of our opportunities, that’s what we’re aiming for. Everyone please take advantage of it. You know, we have to give credit to them and the way they played there and held themselves. It’s a great honor for them.”
The Cardinals nearly doubled the Eagles’ possession time (from 39 minutes, 39 seconds to 20 minutes, 21 seconds), but the Eagles scored on four of their five possessions from late in the first quarter to the fourth. The Eagles led 31-28 after a Cardinals punt attempt, but were unable to get the ball into the end zone. Jordan Mailata’s penalty turned the Eagles from first-and-10 at the Arizona 20 to first-and-20 at the 30. Hurts ran twice and passed to Kenneth Gainwell for a total of 5 yards before Jake Elliott connected on the ball. 43 yard attempt. “It’s just a lack of execution,” Hurts said. “You can attribute it to anything. But I think the motivation is just to do it, whatever it is. You’re doing it at a high level. If you have to win, you have to win.
If you’re not doing that, if you’re not winning, you’re probably not good enough. It’s just a moment of reflection, you know, a moment of reflection.
“We still have what it takes to learn from everything that’s going on within our team and put the right energy into things that we can control and be the best team that we can be. That’s something we need to grow into.
Just two weeks after defeating the Eagles on Christmas Day, the Eagles return to MetLife Stadium for the second time this season next weekend (date to be determined) to finish the regular season against the Giants.
Philadelphia could still win the division and finish second in the standings, but a win for Dallas would ensure the Eagles’ playoff road trip begins against the winning team in the NFC South. But Hearts and Eagles only have their own things to worry about next weekend.
“Focus on what you can control, focus on what you can control. That’s right,” Hurts said. – Focus on your work, challenge yourself and commit to doing your best. And trust the process and leave everything as it is. – Written by Chris McPherson
Sidney Brown recalls the best moments of his young career
Rookie safety Sidney Brown is quickly becoming a fan favorite in Philadelphia due to his powerful and energetic style of play.
On Sunday, his good play this season paid off with a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown. “It’s definitely the first of many,” Brown said.
A smart read by Brown and miscommunication between Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and wide receiver Michael Wilson led to an interception at the Philadelphia 1-yard line. The safety spotted Murray’s movement off Seahawks cornerback Drew Lock in Week 15 and helped Brown read the play perfectly.
“I knew the ball was going to be thrown fast, so I went for it and fooled the post,” Brown said. “I just read the clues, reacted, and moved on.”
Catching the ball in the air without a receiver nearby was just the beginning for the rookie.
Brown used his natural speed to cross the backfield and go from the 1-yard line to the 50-yard line in less than six seconds. With 50 points, Brown moved back to center and got key blocks from the likes of Haason Reddick and Nicholas Morrow.
“Kudos to my guys on the field for blocking me,” Brown said. Brown was one-on-one with Cardinals receiver Rondale Moore at the Arizona 30-yard line. Brown pretended to keep running inside and cut to the outside, leaving Moore behind. The most decisive block occurred at the Arizona 20-yard line when Kevin Byard went after Wilson, who was the intended interception receiver.
Byard used his left hand to confuse Wilson, but that was enough for the receiver to close in on Brown. The final 15 yards were smooth sailing for the rookie, resulting in his first career interception and touchdown.
Brown’s interception led to a touchdown, making it the fourth-longest interception return in Eagles history (99 yards). Malcolm Jenkins (2015 vs. Patriots) and Jerry Norton (1957 vs. Giants) also had 99-yard interceptions for the Eagles, both of which ended in touchdowns. Even after a big game, Brown was only concerned about winning, and his team couldn’t do that at home.
“I didn’t do enough to help the team win, and that was the most disappointing thing,” Brown said. – Written by Owen Boyle
• D’Andre Swift reaches 1,000 yards for the first time in his career (1,049 yards); the Eagles have two receivers with 1,000 yards (AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith) and become the second Eagles to reach 1,000 yards in the same season. There’s a rusher. consecutive years.
The Eagles have back-to-back seasons with a 1,000-yard rusher (Miles Sanders in 2022) for the first time since 2013-14 (LeSean McCoy). Swift, a Philadelphia native who was acquired from the Lions on draft day, is not focused on individual honors after Sunday’s loss.
“Obviously, we have to find ways to improve,” Swift said. \”I’ll get back to work.\”
• After recovering the ball 16 yards on Philadelphia’s second drive, A.J. Brown moved into second place on the franchise’s single-season receiving yards list, behind only himself (1,496 yards) in 2022.
Brown totaled 1,410 receiving yards in his 16th game of the season, breaking Mike Quick’s 16-game record of 1,409 yards set in 1983. Last year, Brown gave up a quick walk in Game 17, the final game of the regular season.
• Julio Jones scored two touchdowns in the first half, marking his 14th career multi-touchdown game (first since Minnesota’s win over Atlanta in 2020). Jones, 34, is the oldest Eagle to score two or more touchdowns in a game since Jacksonville’s Irving Friar (age 35) in 1997. Jones also became the fourth Eagle over the age of 34 to record multiple TD receptions in a game since 1950, joining Friar, Pete Retzlaff and Jack Ferrante.
Jaylen Carter sacked Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray for a 4-yard loss with two out and 3rd base in the second quarter of the game before Sidney Brown scored a 99-yard INT-TD.
Carter has the second-most sacks by an Eagles rookie since 1982 behind Corey Simon in 2000 (9.5) and tied with Derrick Burgess in 2001 (6.0). • Fletcher Cox ranks third in Eagles history with the most regular season games played,behind Brandon Graham (194) and Jason Kelce (192), and behind David Akers (188, 1999-2010). There were many.
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