6 hours Ago By Rob Parent
PHILADELPHIA — There was a building full of worried voices buzzing in the final minute of the first half Thursday night at Lincoln Financial Field. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, fresh off another disappointing offensive drive amid a sub-par first half, had a brief discussion with a team trainer on the sidelines, then became an X factor in the game – Hurts going to the medical tent easily lit up local Twitter. Unlike what such trips to the tent too often result in, however, Hurts was seemingly out in little more than a blink of an eye.
He was even in time to jog off the field with his teammates to their halftime sanctuary to try to regroup. During the intermission, the Eagles announced that Hurts indeed had been checked for concussion symptoms but was cleared to come back out for the second half. If the announcement seemed somewhat of a surprise, it might have been because Hurts seemed so off in the first half.
His timing with his receivers and even on some handoffs was perhaps a touch slow. He did break free on a few runs (5 rushes for 23 yards in the first half), but at times seemed to do that rather than find a couple of open receivers. At other times, Hurts simply didn’t see potential passing targets, one time on a slant in front of him where an open DeVonta Smith was looking for the ball.
Hurts looked elsewhere. Overall, Hurts was 10 of 19 passing for 101 yards in the half. But at least his head was clear.
• • • Since it was the first time in decades that the Eagles and Commanders (nee WFT, nee Redskins) met while each having impressive records, there was a lot on the line in the game, not the least of which was the NFC East lead. But Nick Sirianni made it known Wednesday that the game would only be looked upon as another step toward the goal of building his team from beginning to end. “You’re constantly trying to come together as a football team,” the Eagles coach said.
“I think there are a lot of good groups of individuals out there, but to do things that you want to be special, it comes down to the team. The team, the team, the team. And understanding that we can’t be great without the greatness of others.
“So (we’re) constantly building up the team, constantly thinking about the team. I think that goes back to our core value number one of connecting, which I’ve been saying ‘team’ a lot more this year.” The Commanders and Eagles last met with both teams at least four games above .
500 back on Week 12 of the 1996 season. The Eagles would lose 26-21, in the middle of a three-game slide, en route to a 10-6 season and first-round playoff ouster. • • • Jordan Mailata, just activated from Injured Reserve, was in the lineup Thursday night.
That gave the Birds pretty much a healthy starting XI on offense for a game in Week 11 against the Commanders. That’s the first time since Week 1. “You always have injuries in this league and in this game; it’s just the nature of the game,” Sirianni said.
“You’re trying to do everything you possibly can to limit those things while still practicing your butt off, because you only get better with the way you practice. “So if we have Jordan and that’s the case this week, then that’s a great sign for Week 11. It means we’re doing a lot of the right things.
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Luck has something to do with that as well, we all have to know that. But we’ve been pretty healthy here the last handful of years.” The Eagles not only had their regular offensive starters all available to start, they had their entire 53-man roster available.
• • • NOTES >> Saquon Barkley entered the game needing only nine yards to hit the 1,000-yard milestone on the season. He surpassed it with an eight-yard jaunt midway through the first quarter. .
.. Eagles’ lowlight of the first half: Jake Elliott missed two field goals.
He pulled both of them, the first from 44 yards out and the second from 51. Two misses in one half, equaling the two misses the standout kicker had ALL OF LAST SEASON. For good measure, when the Eagles finally took the lead with a Hurts tush-push TD in the fourth, Elliott pulled the extra point try, too.
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The Commanders still didn’t have cornerback Marshon Lattimore available. He was acquired from the Saints on Nov. 5.
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Eagles inactives were backup QB Tanner McKee, CB Eli Ricks, S Tristin McCollum, OL Nick Gates, T/G Darian Kinnard and G Trevor Keegan..
