PHILADELPHIA – Adversity certainly got to the Eagles early against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but Philadelphia used an excellent defensive effort to pull out a 29-21 victory at Lincoln Financial Field on a rainy and windy Sunday afternoon . Miles Sanders ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Eagles’ rushing attack, which gained 213 yards on the ground in less-than-ideal conditions. The Eagles (4-0) remain the only undefeated team in the NFL.
Philadelphia, which scored in double figures for the first time this season, rallied from a 14-0 deficit and scored 29 unanswered points to take control of the game. Jalen Hurts had a 3-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line to open the scoring and make it 14-7. The Eagles followed that momentum by forcing a three-and-out. On their next drive, Sanders had a 10-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 14–14. Kenny Gainwell scored from 10 yards out to put the Eagles up 20-14 before halftime.
The Eagles scored 20 points in the second quarter and have totaled 85 second quarter points in four games, the most in NFL history. Second quarter dominance built a lead they would not relinquish.
Jake Elliott added to the lead early in the fourth quarter with a 28-yard field goal before Sanders put Philadelphia up 29-14 with a 5-yard touchdown run, his second of the afternoon. Sanders had a key third down drive that went seven yards on third-and-5 in the final minutes that helped chew several minutes off the clock late in the game.
Jacksonville took an early lead with a 59-yard interception return by Andre Cisco that put the Jaguars ahead 7-0. Jamal Agnew also had a two-yard touchdown catch that put Jacksonville up 14 points in the first quarter. While Agnew finished with two receiving touchdowns on the day, the Jaguars were doomed with five turnovers and a stretch where they went 13 plays for 27 yards as Philadelphia rallied from a two-touchdown deficit to take the lead.
Down 29-21 with 1:48 left, Haason Reddick forced Trevor Lawrence (his second of the game) into a layup to seal the win. The Eagles forced five takeaways and had three sacks on the day.
Here are the key takeaways from the Jaguars-Eagles game. Catch up on all the action in the live blog below.
Why the Eagles won
The Eagles rushed for 213 yards against the Jaguars’ No. 1 defense, despite being without Jordan Mailata for most of the game. Sanders rushed for a game-high 132 yards and two touchdowns in inclement weather, while Jalen Hurts provided 38 yards and a score on the ground. Philadelphia made it their bread and butter to slow down the game by running the football and having long, sustained drives that kept the Jaguars defense on the field.
In addition to the rushing attack, the defense forced five punts, including two Haason Reddick steals in the second half to preserve the victory. Jacksonville had a stretch where it ran 16 plays for 27 yards as Philadelphia erased a 14-0 hole to take a 20-14 halftime lead.
Why the Jaguars lost
Five takeaways ended up dooming Jacksonville, including four fumbles on a rainy and windy afternoon. All of the fumbles led to Eagles touchdowns on the ensuing drive, and Reddick’s last ended up ending the game when Jacksonville had a chance to tie the game with less than two minutes left.
Christian Kirk was also mostly ineffective as he was targeted nine times and had two catches for 60 yards, while Lawrence threw an interception aimed at him in the third quarter. The Jaguars allowed 401 yards as the Eagles wore down the defense, rushing them 50 times.
Crucial moment
The Jaguars went for the declaration on a fourth-and-3 from the Eagles’ 34-yard line early in the second quarter with a 14-0 lead. A first down conversion would have been nearly fatal for the Eagles, but Lawrence mishandled the snap and the play resulted in a 14-yard loss with Fletcher Cox recovering the fumble at the Eagles’ 48-yard line.
That gave the Eagles, and the rain-soaked crowd, momentum as they went seven plays for 62 yards and a score to cut the deficit to 14-7. Philadelphia ended up scoring 20 unanswered points in the second quarter to take a 20-14 lead into halftime.
game of the game
Jalen Hurts scored a 3-yard touchdown on fourth-and-3 to put the Eagles up 14-0 in the second quarter. Hurts took the handoff and ran past the open A gap and into the end zone for the touchdown to cut the deficit to 14-7. Not only did Hurts anticipate Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd’s impact as he crossed the plane, but he also delivered the hit when he was ready to lower his body and score.
The impact ended with Hurts’ helmet connecting with Lloyd’s, but both players were fine afterward. Hurts Courage Game.
the date
“I said to Doug, ‘I really appreciate you and I have a lot of respect for you.’ I said thank you because you’re the reason I’m here, I have a lot of love and respect for him, the way he trains, his coaching style, the way he does things and the great job he’s doing. Jacksonville right now.
“I have nothing but respect for him. I wish him nothing but the best.”
– Jalen Hurts catching up with Doug Pederson after the Eagles’ win over the Jaguars.
Until next time
The Eagles (4-0) will head to Arizona to face the Cardinals, while the Jaguars (2-2) host the Texans next week.