HOUSTON — Jalen Hurts didn’t make an excessive amount of of the Philadelphia Eagles bettering to 8-0 for the primary time in franchise historical past. As a substitute he reminisced on his freshman 12 months at Alabama in 2016 when his workforce gained its first eight video games throughout a 14-0 begin, however got here wanting the last word objective.
“I do know it’s particular for town of Philadelphia,” he mentioned. “However I’ve been 8-0 earlier than and misplaced the Nationwide Championship. So we simply must take it daily. We haven’t achieved something but. It’s a day-by-day factor of us controlling the issues we will and enjoying to our commonplace and attempting to develop each day.”
Hurts threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns, and the Eagles overcame a gradual begin to beat the Houston Texans 29-17 on Thursday night time.
Hurts misplaced a fumble in a forgettable first half and recreation was tied at halftime.
However C.J. Gardner-Johnson grabbed his NFL-best and career-high fifth interception earlier than Hurts threw a 17-yard landing move to A.J. Brown to offer the Eagles the lead within the third quarter.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni raved about Gardner-Johnson.
“That catch shifted the sport and our momentum,” he mentioned.
Houston (1-6-1) added a subject objective after that however one other scoring toss by Hurts and his 2-point conversion run prolonged the result in 29-17 early within the fourth.
The Texans have been driving late within the fourth when Davis Mills was intercepted once more, this time by James Bradberry and the Eagles ran out the clock to safe the victory.
On the similar time the Houston Astros have been in Philadelphia enjoying the Phillies in Recreation 5 of the World Sequence, Hurts performed his first profession recreation at NRG Stadium. Hurts, who was born in Houston and grew up about 25 miles from the stadium, continued his stable play in his homecoming to win his eleventh straight regular-season recreation, which is the longest lively streak within the NFL.
“It was particular,” Hurts mentioned. “Coming again in a spot the place I constructed a whole lot of reminiscences with my mother and my dad watching ball on this similar stadium… I’m proud that my mom, my household acquired to see that.”
Hurts, who's probably coping with combined feelings, smiled however averted the query when requested what he thought in regards to the Astros taking a 3-2 lead within the Sequence
“I don’t know what to let you know, I actually don’t,” he mentioned. “Y’all are going to do that to me endlessly.”
The Eagles followers appeared to outnumber the Texans followers Thursday night time, a sight that stunned and happy Sirianni.
“I’m beginning to assume we’re not enjoying any away video games,” he mentioned. “I attempted to say thanks to as lots of them as I probably might. I might like to have a drink or high-five all people, each one in every of them. However clearly, there’s too lots of them within the stands for me to try this.”
The Eagles are the twenty ninth workforce within the Tremendous Bowl period to begin 8-0 and the opposite 28 all made the playoffs. Fifteen of these groups went on to win their convention and eight gained the Tremendous Bowl.
Mills threw for 154 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, enjoying with out his high two receivers. Brandin Cooks sat out after lacking apply all week following commerce rumors that by no means materialized, and Nico Collins missed the sport with a groin damage.
Houston rookie Dameon Pierce ran for a career-high 139 yards to bounce again from a tricky recreation final week, when he gained simply 35 yards on 15 carries.
“We knew who we have been enjoying,” Houston coach Lovie Smith mentioned. “Some folks regard them as the perfect workforce in soccer proper now. I believed our guys performed arduous from begin to end. We didn’t all the time play sensible soccer, and there are some errors that we now have to eradicate, however I appreciated the best way they fought.”
Gardner-Johnson acquired an interception for a fourth straight recreation when picked off Mills with about 8 1/2 minutes left within the third quarter and returned it 25 yards.
The Eagles cashed in on the turnover two performs later when Hurts discovered Brown for the rating to make it 21-14 with about 8 minutes left within the third.
Houston reduce the result in 21-17 on a 30-yard subject objective by Ka’imi Fairbairn late within the third.
Hurts discovered Dallas Goedert for a 4-yard TD move on the following drive and Hurts padded the lead together with his 2-point conversion run.
The Texans took an early lead when rookie Teagan Quitoriano, who was making his NFL debut, grabbed his first profession reception for a 2-yard landing on the primary sequence. Quitoriano is a fifth-round decide who missed all season with a knee damage.
That rating was arrange by a 34-yard reception by Phillip Dorsett two performs earlier.
Philadelphia tied it at 7-all on a 2-yard run by Miles Sanders on fourth down late within the first quarter. Sanders completed with 93 yards speeding.
The Eagles have been driving early within the second quarter when Hurts was sacked by Steven Nelson, who pressured a fumble that was recovered by Jaleel Johnson on the Houston 35.
Houston couldn’t transfer the ball and needed to punt. Philadelphia then put collectively a 10-play, 79-yard drive capped by a 4-yard TD run by Kenneth Gainwell to take a 14-7 lead.
The Texans tied it lower than a minute earlier than halftime when Mills linked with Chris Moore on a 13-yard landing move. The play was first dominated in full, nevertheless it was reviewed, and the decision was overturned.
Philadelphia tried a 54-yard subject objective as time expired within the first half, nevertheless it sailed huge proper.
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