For an Eagles team desperate to stop a losing streak, a coach turned to Scripture the other day to inspire a few members of the one unit that has been pretty much beyond reproach. Jeremiah Washburn, who’s in charge of the Eagles’ defensive line, shared a message with the team’s tackles and ends from Isaiah 6:8: Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
“The perspective of the D-line — it’s like, ‘Send me,’” tackle Moro Ojomo said. “That was kind of our mentality heading into this game.”
So on Sunday against the two-win Las Vegas Raiders, the Eagles sent Ojomo, who had a sack and two quarterback hits. And they sent Brandon Graham, who had two sacks while lining up at tackle. And they sent Zack Baun, who had four tackles and an interception. And they sent the Raiders back to the Strip wearing the scarlet letter of having produced the worst offensive performance of any Eagles opponent ever. It wasn’t just that the Eagles won 31-0 — their first shutout in nearly seven years. It was that they allowed the Raiders to gain just 75 yards of total offense.
Combine those two figures, the 0 and the 75, and you get what was, statistically speaking, the best game any Eagles defense has ever played. You get a game in which the Raiders’ longest gain on any play was 15 yards … on an unnecessary roughness penalty by Cooper DeJean. And as pitiful as Las Vegas was Sunday and has been offensively all season — the Raiders entered the game last in the NFL in points and next-to-last in yardage — you still got a glimpse of what might yet be the Eagles’ saving grace in their quest to win a second straight Super Bowl. As ragged and inconsistent as their offense has been, their defense is good enough to get them there.
“Our mindset, regardless, is, ‘If they don’t score, they don’t win,’” Ojomo said. “You saw that today. That’s the mindset we’ve got to have. The offense has to have the mindset of not necessarily depending on us, and what you get is that perfect marriage. They do their thing. We do our thing. We’re always going to raise the standard.”
“If they don’t score, they don’t win,” Moro Ojomo (right) said after Sunday’s victory.
They have to. Maybe Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and the rest of the offense will raise their level of play over the next three weeks and beyond. Maybe this dominant performance against a terrible team can allow the Eagles to get their groove from last season back. But to be in their locker room after Sunday’s game was to observe a different collective disposition from one side of the ball to the other.
Hurts delivered one curt, clipped answer after another in his postgame news conference, as if he were offended that the people in the room had pointed out that he’d committed five turnovers six days earlier against the Los Angeles Chargers. Nick Sirianni, Landon Dickerson, and other members of the offense kept up that same standoffish pose. Meanwhile, the team’s defensive players were ebullient and enthusiastic and generally have been all season. With the exception of the 281 rushing yards they gave up to the Chicago Bears two weeks ago, they have done their part to keep the Eagles in contention in the NFC.
They let the Eagles get away with victories against the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions. They surrendered a touchdown on the Chargers’ first possession last Monday night, and they haven’t given up another in the 20 possessions since. They have a high standard, and they keep meeting it, and it was telling to hear, for instance, linebacker Nakobe Dean describe a lesson he learned from the unit’s perfect performance Sunday.
“There are plays we’re going to look back at and be like, ‘Oh, man, we could have [done] this better,’” he said. “I had a blitz. I was too high. I didn’t have great pad level. I got blocked by [running back] Raheem [Mostert], and the last couple of weeks I’ve been running through guys. So it’s like, yes, I have something to build on. I got blocked trying to bull [rush]. Now it’s time to stick/swat. Now it’s time to spin, do something like that. At first, I was thinking I was going to do it from the beginning. It was ‘Do this until they block it.’ Now it’s blocked. Now you can add a little something.”
Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean (center) and cornerback Adoree’ Jackson stop Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s win.
The striking aspect of this dynamic — the inconsistency of the offense, the consistent excellence of the defense — is the lack of dissension within the locker room. Dean and Ojomo and their defensive teammates would be well within their rights to resent how much they’ve had to carry the Eagles. But there’s no indication that such a fissure exists. That’s a credit to coordinator Vic Fangio, sure, and it’s a credit to a unit full of young, homegrown players who aren’t surly, cynical veterans, who aren’t mercenaries, who don’t know any better but to ball out.
“We’re hungry, and we run around, and we want to be great,” Ojomo said. “We want to go and get it. It’s like this perfect thing, but the reality is, we’ve got to do it again.”
And again. And again. And again into January, if the Eagles are to have any hope of playing into February. A Super Bowl is still possible for them. Their defense will have to drag them there.
Brandon Graham was going home to an empty house Sunday evening. His family was out of town, and so one of Graham’s first thoughts after he registered his first sacks since coming out of retirement nearly two months ago was: What am I going to eat?
Graham had an answer. He was thinking Chinese. More specifically, he was thinking David’s Mai Lai Wah, the Chinatown staple at 10th and Race Streets.
Graham likes the sweet and sour chicken, the General Tso’s chicken, and the salt and pepper chicken wings at David’s. Why choose one? Graham more than earned himself a whole Peking duck.
The Eagles had their first shutout in almost seven years during their 31-0 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. They allowed just 75 yards, the fewest the franchise has allowed in the Super Bowl era. The Raiders averaged just 1.8 yards on their 42 offensive plays. They did not possess the ball past the Eagles’ 33-yard line.
In the middle of it all was Graham, playing defensive tackle and not defensive end as the Eagles play without Jalen Carter. Graham sacked Kenny Pickett twice, two of the four sacks the Eagles were credited with on the day.
“It just felt good,” Graham said. “I was like, ‘Dang, Kenny, I’m sorry. But, brother, you’re in the way.’”
Brandon Graham leaves the field after the Eagles shut out the Raiders on Sunday.
The Eagles followed up a disastrous Black Friday performance vs. the Chicago Bears — who piled up 281 rushing yards against the Eagles’ front — with two of their best performances of the season. They allowed a touchdown on the Chargers’ first drive last week, but haven’t allowed one since. The touchdown-free streak reached 20 possessions by the end of Sunday.
“Thankful that nobody turned on each other,” Graham said. “Nobody wavered. Everybody continued to keep pressing, bringing the energy.”
Graham has been bringing the energy in a new room. He has, for the last two weeks, lined up as a defensive tackle and has been in the meeting rooms with the other interior defensive linemen. Graham has been learning new techniques, working on his moves after practice. He picks up on things by watching his teammates, too.
It’s quicker, Graham said, rushing from the inside compared to the edge. But he looks the part through two games. Jordan Davis wants him to stick around even after Carter returns. Davis called Graham a “tweener” and is hoping the Eagles can do a “a little custody split” to keep him around.
Graham’s personality has long been infectious around the NovaCare Complex, and his fellow interior linemen are getting a closer look at it lately. “He loves on people, and you want to love on him,” said Moro Ojomo, who picked up his fifth sack of the season Sunday. Graham said the positivity flows both ways. There are days when it’s his teammates picking him up and not the other way around.
Davis was the position group’s elder statesman before Graham’s position switch. He will be 26 next month, 11-plus years younger than Graham, who on Sunday became the oldest Eagles player to register a sack.
“I always say you can teach an old dog new tricks,” Davis said. “I’ve seen it with BG.
“You’re never too old. I know Philip Rivers is playing today. Truly, it’s all about a mindset. BG just comes in to work. He’s getting that juice, he’s getting that flow back. He never lost a step.”
Graham said Sunday would be a confidence booster for the Eagles as they head into the home stretch, trying to close out a consecutive division title and moving toward the playoffs.
“I’m happy to be able to come back, because I feel like we can make another run,” he said.
Speaking of another run, a two-sack performance begged the question: Is this Graham’s last season? He gave a tearful goodbye just nine months ago, only to return seven months later to a defense that needed his leadership and, apparently, his talent, too.
“We ain’t there yet,” Graham said. “I’m just trying to finish this year and enjoy the whole thing. Right now, I’m thankful that we got the win today, and we’re just trying to keep building for the next one.”
Jalen Hurts had the bounce-back performance he needed, even if it came against arguably the worst team in the NFL. Getting back to a run-heavy offense that has proved to be the best formula with Hurts the last five years paid dividends. Having the quarterback carry more, too, gave the unit a facet that had been missing for most of the season.
That allowed Hurts to be more efficient as a passer, despite the windy conditions. He completed 12 of 15 throws for 175 yards and three touchdowns. Hurts’ two best tosses were to his receivers: a 44-yard teardrop to DeVonta Smith and an anticipatory 27-yard touchdown to A.J. Brown on a seam route. But most of his targets went to tight end Dallas Goedert.
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown celebrates his third-quarter touchdown reception with quarterback Jalen Hurts on Sunday vs. the Raiders.
Hurts also ran seven times for 39 yards. He kept on designed runs more than he has all season. He had six carries for 37 yards plus a successful Tush Push in the first half. He also converted two third downs on draw plays — the second with a 13-yard dart around the corner on third-and-12. And most important, Hurts didn’t turn the ball over a week after giving it away five times.
Those that wanted to see Tanner McKee got their wish, although not because Hurts was benched. With the Eagles up, 31-0, early in the fourth quarter, the backup took over under center.
Running back: B
Saquon Barkley was the workhorse on the ground. despite the Raiders often stacking the box, especially whenever the Eagles were in heavy personnel. It was tough sledding to start. Barkley averaged just 2.3 yards a rush in the first half. There weren’t many holes to run through, although he did leave meat on the bone when he cut outside on a blocked-up run off the right. Barkley saw more light after the half, running seven times for 44 yards.
Tank Bigsby did well to hit the hole on back-to-back runs that netted a first down in the second quarter. He finished out the game when the first unit was given the rest of the day off.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley put together a solid second half before the first unit was given the rest of the afternoon off.
Receiver / Tight end: B+
Tight end Dallas Goedert led the Eagles with six catches for 70 yards. He also caught two touchdowns, giving him a team-high nine on the season. Goedert actually could have had a third, but he dropped a wide-open pass off an run-pass option in the end zone. Nevertheless, his first touchdown came on a shovel pass on the opening drive, while the second was via a flip sweep that capped the Eagles’ first series after the break.
Goedert caught a 32-yard pass in the third quarter when two Raiders defenders inexplicably covered second tight end Grant Calcaterra.
Asking Calcaterra to block Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby had a predictable result on a second-quarter, under center run: Barkley dropped for a 4-yard loss. The Eagles had more success running out of three-tight end sets than two.
A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith had quiet days with the pass game a secondary element, but they also shined when targeted. Brown caught two passes for 41 yards and a touchdown. He also drew a pass interference penalty vs. man coverage on Hurts’ first throw. Smith dusted cornerback Darien Porter on the 44-yard catch and finished with two grabs for 50 yards.
Darius Cooper also drew a pass interference on a third down fade into the end zone early in the second quarter. He caught a couple garbage time passes.
Offensive line: B-
The traditional run game numbers weren’t great, but the O-line answered the bell in the second half and put the game away. Hurts dropped to pass only 16 times, but his protection was good.
Fred Johnson finally got a win filling in for the injured Lane Johnson. The right tackle had acquitted himself well over the four games, but it was nice to see him rewarded for his efforts with Johnson expected back from a foot injury next week. The dangerous Crosby recorded a sack on third down after getting around Johnson in the second quarter, but Hurts probably held onto the ball too long. Crosby was otherwise kept in check.
Right guard Tyler Steen struggled in short-yardage run situations. His holding penalty brought back a 9-yard Barkley rush. But Steen also had his moments as a run blocker. Left guard Landon Dickerson is clearly not playing at 100%. His decline has been an issue all season, but he looked fairly spry when he pulled and helped clear a lane on Barkley’s 17-yard scoot off the right in the third quarter.
Center Cam Jurgens led the way on Barkley’s 6-yard run up the middle on the opening drive. Jurgens and Dickerson also got significant push on Barkley’s 2-yard touchdown run before the half. Left tackle Jordan Mailata got driven back by an off-ball linebacker on a Barkley carry in the first quarter. But he was near flawless in pass protection.
Quarterback Kenny Pickett walked into a buzz saw in his first start for the Raiders. He was sacked four times and forced into checkdowns and tight window throws all game. The Eagles front, meanwhile, led a defense that mostly bottled up running back Ashton Jeanty.
The old man in the group, Brandon Graham, led the way with two sacks — his first sacks since coming out of retirement. Heplayed mostly at defensive tackle for the second straight week. Outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips was a pass rushing force. He hit Pickett’s arm and forced an incompletion on fourth down in the first quarter. Phillips drilled the quarterback again from the blind side, and the ball came out short.
Jalyx Hunt had multiple third-down pressures. Outside linebacker Nolan Smith got in on the sack party in the third quarter. Jordan Davis failed to bring Jeanty down on his longest run to that point — 11 yards — but he had four total stops. Moro Ojomo sacked Pickett with an inside spin move.
Linebacker: A
Nakobe Dean led the Eagles with eight tackles — two of them for losses on passes. He recorded a tackle he dropped tight end Brock Bowers in the backfield after a catch. Zack Baun picked off Pickett for his second interception of the season.
Rookie Jihaad Campbell again was an afterthought and only played consistent snaps after the game was no longer in doubt.
Pickett averaged just 2.56 yards per attempt and had no room or time to throw downfield. Adoree’ Jackson had pass breakups on back-to-back plays before the half. Bowers bounced off him and picked up one of the Raiders’ few first half first downs. Quinyon Mitchell shut down his side and was hardly targeted.
Cooper DeJean had a shaky start, but settled down and made numerous plays vs. the run and pass. He had four tackles and a pass breakup. DeJean allowed a third down conversion when he slipped during the Raiders’ first possession. It got worse for him on the drive when DeJean committed two penalties on the same play — holding and an unnecessary roughness personal foul — but the Eagles eventually held.
Safety: A
With the Eagles ahead throughout, both safeties — Marcus Epps and Reed Blankenship — played an ample amount of shell defense. They made plays when called upon, though. Bowers did pull Blankenship for a first down on a third-quarter throw short of the marker.
It was straight A’s for Nolan Smith and the Eagles defense on Sunday.
Special teams: A
Kicker Jake Elliott was perfect on his kicks, connecting on a 27-yard field goal and four extra points in heavy winds. Punter Braden Mann had a light day with just one punt for 43 yards.
Britain Covey averaged 7.3 yards on three punt returns. Will Shipley broke through for 31 yards on his lone kick return. Long snapper Charley Hughlett returned from injury and seemed clear in all his snaps.
Nick Sirianni has his team back in the win column after a three-game slide. The Raiders are brutally bad and lacking in talent, but the Eagles took care of business and are one game closer to clinching the NFC East.
Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo had a solid day calling plays. A workmanlike opening drive showcased some solid play-calling and a commitment to the ground game. Patullo worked in more successful under center runs and dialed up another nifty red zone touchdown on a shovel pass. He dialed up the shot to Smith with deception including two-back personnel.
Patullo probably went with 12 personnel too much early on, but he adjusted and the Eagles went ahead, 17-0, with a strong series before the half.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s unit delivered its first shutout of the season. What more is there to say?
A quick, stress-free Eagles win? Been a while since we’ve had one of those!
The 31-0 shutout victory over the Raiders went by so quickly (2 hours, 31 minutes) that you could’ve blinked and missed it. In case you want to relive the victory, here are the best moments from the broadcast …
Look, would you love to see him only repping Philly? Sure. But if he keeps playing like he played today — even against a Raiders team that’s “not very good,” according to Fox color analyst Greg Olsen — Hurts can wear whatever he wants.
“That even-keeled personality, I think people sometimes have a hard time understanding how to react to it,” Olsen said. “He can be so calm in the big moments, and when you expect a lot of emotion, you expect a lot of fire, that’s just not his personality. But I do think it serves him so well when things do get rocky and everyone else is riding those emotional ups and downs. He’s just so steady.”
Mistaken identity
After firing former Eagles coach Chip Kelly, the Raiders have a new offensive coordinator — Greg Olson. Olsen wanted to stress during the Raiders’ first offensive drive that they are not the same person.
“Not me, I am not calling plays for the Raiders,” Olsen said. “Olson with an O.”
After retiring in the offseason, Brandon Graham came back mid-year, and earned his first sack of the season on Kenny Pickett in the first quarter.
But quarterback Philip Rivers stole some of his thunder, coming out of retirement at 44 and making his first start since 2020 for the Colts against the Seahawks on Sunday afternoon.
“This is the year of retired guys coming back,” Fox play-by-play commentator Joe Davis said. “Philip Rivers saw Graham come back and said, why can’t I?”
“There’s old, and then there’s Philip,” Olsen joked.
Of course, when you think of snow games in Philadelphia, you think of the famous Santa game. But given how the Birds had been playing coming into Sunday’s game, you’d be forgiven for feeling more like the Grinch.
But thanks to the Birds’ shutout victory, even the Grinch’s heart may have grown a few sizes …
To what I imagine was the delight of the fans freezing at the Linc, the Eagles played one of the shortest games in franchise history, clocking in at 2 hours, 31 minutes, give or take a minute.
But it could have been a contender for the all-time record for shortest game, set in 1996 at 2:29 by the Colts and the Chargers. Of course, ad space is king, and a long ad break just seconds after the two-minute warning stretched the game out just enough to block the Birds from setting an NFL record.
When Jalen Hurts hit A.J. Brown in the end zone with the exclamation point touchdown Sunday, he turned to the Eagles’ sideline and, with unusual enthusiasm, he jumped up and down, waved his arms with emphasis, and said several things that seemed out of character for a young man who usually behaves in such a godly manner.
Maybe he was saying, “Bench me? Bench me?!? That’s ridiculous!”
Probably not. But you couldn’t blame him if he was.
After the game Hurts declined to divulge what he said, or even what he felt, after that, his last play of the game.
“Just a natural reaction,” he offered.
Hurts declined to divulge much of anything, in fact. It is part of his personality: When he plays well after a spate of poor play, he retreats into himself.
“Heavy is the head that wears the crown,” said Brandon Graham, unlikely Shakespeare paraphraser. “Everybody thinks they want it until they get it.”
Hurts was benched in the 2018 College Football Playoff Championship Game, was a second-round draft pick projected as a gadget quarterback, and is routinely maligned for his arm strength and decision-making when things go badly. A three-week slump isn’t going to derail his career.
“Everybody needs to remember where I come from,” he said, “and how I’m built. … [Losses] aren’t barriers. They’re just bumps in the road.”
The high road, in Hurts’ case.
Naturally reticent and having long borne the burdens of doubt, demotion, and disappointment, it is all Hurts can do in these moments to not gloat. Small clues provide the only window into Hurts’ world. Like a master gambler, he has few “tells,” but you can always sense the smoldering passion when, after playing under water, he burst to the surface for air.
It’s how he has survived. It’s how he survived the past week.
“You control your own joy when there’s a lot of noise out there,” coach Nick Sirianni explained.
It was impossible for Hurts to not hear the noise.
Hurts’ seven turnovers and 69.9 passer rating were the most apt and most significant barometers of the three-game losing streak the Eagles rode into Sunday’s snow-frosted walkover contest against the visiting Raiders.
Hurts’ slump raised the question about whether, if he continued to struggle, he should be benched. This, despite having gone to two Pro Bowls and two Super Bowls, the most recent of which he was crowned MVP. Still, playing without stars Lane Johnson on the offensive line and Jalen Carter on the defensive line, the Eagles had slipped from 8-2 to 8-5 and had gone from being the No. 1 seed in the NFC to No. 3, with the Cowboys lurking in the weeds of the NFC East race.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts runs past Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Darien Porter during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field.
The question in question was posed by the Eagles’ flagship station, WIP 94.1-FM, during its weekly, contracted interview with Sirianni that follows the most recent game. Hurts had five turnovers in the most recent game, a Monday Night Football loss at the Chargers.
Sirianni’s response: “I think that’s ridiculous.”
The question wasn’t ridiculous. It was legitimate.
Hurts rebounded from the worst game of his career with one of the best. He completed 12 of 15 passes for 175 yards and three touchdowns. Two went to tight end Dallas Goedert, who led the team with six catches for 70 yards. The third went to Brown, only his second official target of the day, a 27-yard dime into triple coverage — by far, Hurts’ best throw of the day.
It was not, however, his best play. That came a few minutes earlier.
Midway through the third quarter, a holding penalty put the ball on the Raiders’ 27 and presented Hurts with third-and-12. At stake: a dagger touchdown or a field goal that would preserve for the Raiders a sliver of hope.
Hurts, in the shotgun formation, saw the middle of the field utterly undefended. He appeared to audible at the line of scrimmage, but later said the play was run as called by offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. Either way, it was the sort of play that only a handful of quarterbacks can make.
Hurts received the snap, took a half-step backward, tucked the ball, and darted up the middle. He then scooted to his left and outraced defenders to the sideline, exiting the field a yard beyond the first-down marker.
Three plays later, he hit Goedert from 4 yards and the Eagles led, 24-0.
The Brown TD was little more than garnish, but might serve the team well. Brown spent the first half of the season complaining, mostly on social media, that he was being underutilized. He then was targeted 45 times in the next four games, but the offense struggled and the team lost three of four.
On Sunday, Brown was underutilized again, but he did catch the TD pass.
He didn’t speak with the press after the game.
Monitor your insta feed.
At any rate, Hurts thrived in a game that unfolded in the proper design for the team’s composition.
He threw just 15 passes, but none was thrown into harm’s way. None was forced to Brown. Hurts’ 154.9 passer rating was the second-best of his 89 starts, including playoffs. He has not thrown more than 28 passes in any of his top four.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley runs for a first down as Raiders safety Isaiah Pola-Mao moves in.
Hurts benefited from an absence of offense from the Raiders, who used backup quarterback Kenny Pickett in place of injured Geno Smith, who’d been piloting the league’s worst scoring offense, at 15.1 points per game. The Eagles’ defense was great, but it was playing a warm-weather dome team in 20-degree weather with 25-mph wind gusts on Pacific Coast time.
Hurts also benefited from a pointed effort to feature running back Saquon Barkley, who ran 22 times for 78 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 14 carries during the losing streak.
Finally, the Eagles incorporated a handful of designed runs, and Hurts ran on his own. His 39 yards on seven rushes were his most since Game 4. He averaged 44.8 rushing yards in the first four games, all of which were wins. The Eagles went 4-5 in the next nine games.
Hurts needs to run. Saquon needs to run. Goedert needs the ball.
If A.J. gets some looks, great. If not, live with it.
“It’s a good formula,” said Brandon Graham, who had two sacks in Game 14 of his 16th season. He’s seen some stuff. “It’s definitely a good formula for us.”
Sirianni understands the formula but wouldn’t commit.
“Next week we could come out and it could be a completely different game,” he said.
The Eagles clobbered the lowly Las Vegas Raiders, 31-0, on a cold, windy Sunday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field. Vic Fangio’s defense dominated, posting the Eagles’ first shutout since Dec. 30, 2018 (a 24-0 victory over Washington). The unit limited the Raiders to 75 yards of offense, a new single-game franchise low for the Eagles and the fewest allowed by any defense this season.
At long last, the Eagles played clean, complementary football. Jalen Hurts rebounded from his five-turnover performance last week against the Los Angeles Chargers, going 12-for-15 for 175 yards and three touchdowns for a near-perfect 154.9 passer rating.
Here’s our instant analysis from the Eagles’ Week 15 win that brought their three-game losing streak to a halt:
Jalen Hurts added value in both the run and pass games on Sunday.
Offensive identity
Don’t look now, but the Eagles might be starting to establish an identity.
Nick Sirianni and Kevin Patullo leaned into under-center runs and run-pass option plays from shotgun to great success, allowing the offense to sustain drives and go three-and-out only once. The Eagles also set up some play-action passes off their under-center looks.
Hurts even kept the ball on some of those option plays, adding 39 yards on seven carries (most of which were designed). He got shaken up on a zone-read keeper at the end of the third quarter when he got hit by former Eagles linebacker Devin White, but he immediately returned to action.
In the passing game, Hurts got all of his favorite targets involved. Dallas Goedert took a 4-yard pitch on a run-pass option for a touchdown in the first quarter that made it 7-0. The 30-year-old tight end scored on another shovel pass in the third quarter, putting the Eagles up 24-0.
Goedert nearly had another touchdown catch in the second quarter, but he dropped the pass, ultimately leading to the Eagles settling for a 27-yard field goal to go up 10-0. He finished the afternoon with six receptions for a team-high 70 yards and the two touchdowns.
Hurts also got his staple deep ball going. Late in the first quarter, he connected with DeVonta Smith on a play-action pass down the left sideline for 44 yards. Fred Johnson (and Saquon Barkley) helped keep Maxx Crosby away from Hurts in the pocket, although Johnson arguably got a bit grabby against the four-time Pro Bowl defensive end.
The fifth-year starting quarterback hit A.J. Brown, aligned in the slot, with a 27-yard touchdown pass deep over the middle of the field on the first play of the fourth quarter. The Eagles went up 31-0, further solidifying their biggest lead of the season.
Brown made other critical plays on third down, drawing a pass interference call against Raiders cornerback Eric Stokes on the opening series to help keep the drive alive. He also caught a 14-yard pass on a slant on third-and-8 in the third quarter that ultimately helped set up Goedert’s second touchdown.
“I think it was just a step today,” Hurts said of the offense building its identity. “We’ve got to treat every game individually and treat every day individually in pursuit of our best self.”
Given the windy conditions at the Linc, the Eagles leaned heavily into the running game, executing a season-high 47 carries. Barkley accounted for 22 of them, racking up 78 yards (3.5 yards per carry) and a touchdown.
Like last week against Chargers, Barkley got going on the ground on under-center runs. He followed a pulling Landon Dickerson on a 17-yard under-center run in the third quarter that led to Brown’s touchdown. Barkley’s touchdown carry in the second quarter, though, came on a shotgun handoff up the middle, putting the Eagles up by 17.
Brandon Graham continued his late-season surge with a pair of sacks in the win over the Raiders.
Old man Graham
With Jalen Carter missing time due to shoulder injuries, 37-year-old Brandon Graham has been spending more time lining up at defensive tackle.
He was dominant in the role on Sunday. Graham posted two sacks, his first since coming out of retirement in late October, on just seven pass rushes. He beat right guard Caleb Rogers on both plays to get to ex-Eagles backup quarterback Kenny Pickett. One of those sacks was essentially wiped off the board when Cooper DeJean incurred an unnecessary roughness call after the whistle on the same play in the first quarter.
But Graham made up for it in the second quarter with his second sack, forcing the Raiders to go three-and-out for a second time. The Raiders would ultimately go three-and-out five times. Just six games into his un-retirement tour, Graham is 1½ sacks away from tying his 2024 total.
“I feel like my training camp is over with now and I’m just trying to contribute, if it’s on the field or off the field, whatever it is,” Graham said. “We’re having some fun right now and I’m happy we got back in the win column.”
The Raiders had no luck sustaining drives in the cold and windy conditions at the Linc on Sunday.
Defensive dominance
Graham’s performance was just one part of the defense’s commanding effort over the Raiders. Pickett was sacked four times, once by Moro Ojomo, and once by Nolan Smith in addition to Graham’s two.
Even the edge rushers who didn’t earn sacks made noise. Jaelan Phillips batted a pass at the line of scrimmage on fourth-and-7 on the Raiders’ opening drive, causing Pickett to throw an incomplete pass and turning the ball over on downs. Phillips, whom the Eagles acquired from the Miami Dolphins at the trade deadline, has three pass deflections in the last three weeks.
In the second quarter on third-and-7, Jalyx Hunt breezed past the left side of the Raiders offensive line on a stunt and hit Pickett. The Raiders quarterback threw an incomplete pass intended for running back Ashton Jeanty, leading Las Vegas to punt.
The back seven took advantage of the Eagles’ disruption up front. With the left side of the Raiders offensive line getting pushed back, Pickett threw an interception to Zack Baun on a pass intended for Raiders tight end Brock Bowers in the third quarter.
“We know we’re a good defense,” Baun said. “A great defense. And we’ve just kind of been ramping it up all season. To have a game like that really showed where we’re at.”
Injury report
Tight end Cam Latu went to the tent late in the fourth quarter with an apparent arm injury.
Jill Biden, who grew up in Willow Grove, is a fervent Eagles fan and has never been shy about her passion for Philly sports. She’s talked about watching the Phillies with her dad, and in 2020, wore an Eagles shirt to a fundraiser with former Dallas Cowboys star Emmitt Smith — as any “good Philly girl” would do.
Husband Joe, a Delawarean, hasn’t been so forthcoming about his allegiance; ahead of the ill-fated Super Bowl LVII, then-POTUS tweeted, “As your president, I’m not picking favorites. But as Jill Biden’s husband, fly Eagles, fly.”
The Eagles host the Las Vegas Raiders in a Week 15 matchup at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday at 1 p.m. Here’s what you need to know about the game:
When the Eagles have the ball: No defense in the NFL stacks the box as much as the Raiders, and it’s not close. Their 50.5% stacked box rate is 13% higher than the next team. What’s that mean for the Eagles? It’s pretty obvious, considering the success other defenses have had concentrating their efforts on stopping Saquon Barkley and the run game, and how Jalen Hurts has performed as a passer — especially over the last five games. If Las Vegas is going to stay in base personnel a lot, it’s imperative that Hurts and Co. use light numbers in the secondary to their advantage. And stop running into heavy fronts on first down! That said, I think Nick Sirianni and Kevin Patullo will have ample amount of short passing concepts to rebuild Hurts’ confidence after his five-turnover performance vs. the Chargers.
Raiders head coach Pete Carroll is one of the greatest defensive minds in NFL history, but his scheme hasn’t evolved as much as it should to counter modern offenses. He doesn’t have his safeties disguise pre-snap or rotate post-snap as much as they should, and his zone coverages lack matchup principles. Hurts should have chances to throw downfield vs. single-high looks, particularly Carroll’s preferred Cover 3. Post safety Isaiah Pola-Mao is no Earl Thomas — Carroll’s linchpin when he was with the Seahawks. Pola-Mao has a 20.3 missed tackle rate, per Pro Football Focus, and has allowed five touchdowns through the air. Carroll has a capable box safety in the Kam Chancellor role: Jeremy Chinn. He’s played more often on the line as the season has progressed. He also has another former safety in quasi-linebacker Jamal Adams to compensate for playing more base.
I like A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith against most cornerbacks, but Carroll doesn’t have Eric Stokes and Darien Porter on islands much. Hurts is likely to see a lot of zone again. Can the Eagles build off the middle-of-the-field concepts that produced chunk yards in Los Angeles? The disparate numbers between shotgun and under-center runs suggest Sirianni and Patullo should lean more into the latter, especially considering how it’s set up play-action passes. Hurts completed both play-action throws for 48 yards vs. the Chargers. Let’s see more of that. The Raiders’ Devin White, who was briefly with the Eagles last season, would be the second-level linebacker I’d target in the pass game.
Maxx Crosby (98) is banged up coming into the Eagles game, but the Birds will likely have to account for him.
If there’s one guy who can wreck the Eagles’ game plan, it’s Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby. Maybe I buried the lede with Fred Johnson starting in place of right tackle Lane Johnson for a fourth straight game. Crosby will line up over Fred Johnson most of the time. He has nine sacks and 18 quarterback hits this season. But with no one else of comparable talent up front, the Eagles should help Johnson enough to keep Crosby at bay. Crosby’s also banged up with knee and shoulder injuries, and no D-lineman has played more snaps (759) in the NFL this season. He was a full participant in practice on Friday.
When the Raiders have the ball: This will likely be the worst offense the Eagles have faced this season. The only variable that could hinder their chances is the new guy under center: Kenny Pickett. You may laugh, but injured starter Geno Smith is ahead of only Titans rookie Cam Ward in total expected points added (EPA) among quarterbacks. Pickett’s become a backup for good reason, but he also has 16 career wins as a starter, including the division clincher for the Eagles last season. In Smith’s defense, he’s played behind a bad offensive line and has few receivers who can get consistent separation. Tre Tucker (46 catches for 574 yards and five touchdowns) is his best downfield threat.
Old friend Kenny Pickett will try to extend the Eagles’ misery on Sunday.
Brock Bowers is easily the Raiders’ best skill position player. The tight end will fall short of his record-setting rookie season when he caught 112 passes for 1,194 yards, but he has 53 grabs for 619 yards despite missing three games and is on target for another solid campaign. He also has six touchdowns and will be Pickett’s best red-zone option. The Eagles have held tight ends to a league-low 428 receiving yards this season. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will use a combination of Cooper DeJean, Zack Baun, and Reed Blankenship — plus some bracketing — to contain Bowers.
As long as the Eagles are consistently out of third-and-short, I fail to see Las Vegas having much chance to put up points. The Raiders have been unable to do much on the ground for most of the season. Running back Ashton Jeanty averages just 3.5 yards a carry. It’s hardly the rookie’s fault his offense is last in the league in EPA/rush. The Raiders’ offensive line has been lacking at least one above-average blocker since left tackle Kolton Miller suffered an injury in Week 4. His possible return could offset an Eagles pass rush that has gotten better since the arrival of outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips, but I see a repeat of what happened against a patchwork Chargers O-line.
Could Sunday bring a shutout opportunity for Vic Fangio’s defense?
Extra point: The Eagles are double-digit favorites (12½ points) for the first time this season — a telling number considering how poor their offense has been since the Week 9 bye. Of course, the spread has as much to do with the Raiders incompetency as it does the Birds’ recent struggles. This is as close to an ideal get-back opportunity as Hurts and the offense could have at this stage of the season. Las Vegas has a decent defense and I suspect all the problems on that side of the ball won’t be solved. But you can’t lose if the other team doesn’t score points, and an Eagles’ shutout is in play. Really.
Weather will be a factor. There might be some snow showers, but 15-25 mph winds will be more the concern. Hurts and kicker Jake Elliott have struggled at times in bad weather games, but also in pristine conditions. I anticipate an outcome that will end up a nothingburger — the Eagles win behind their defense with the offense not performing well enough to satisfy most. Chip Kelly’s expected return to Philly would have brought some drama to the proceedings, but he was fired as Raiders offensive coordinator last month. We now just have “Pickett’s Charge” to write about. I foresee an end similar to that of the Confederate army.
The Eagles are looking to snap a three-game losing skid on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. After the disaster at SoFi Stadium against the Chargers, the Birds are desperate to get back in the win column against a 2-11 Raiders squad without its starting quarterback.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Sunday’s game …
How to watch
The game will kick off on Fox at 1 p.m. from the Linc. Joe Davis and Greg Olsen will call the game from the booth, with Pam Oliver on the sideline.
If you’d rather listen to Merrill Reese and Mike Quick call the game, the radio broadcast can be found on 94.1 WIP, and if you’re not heading to the Linc, but want to watch the game with your fellow Birds fans, here are a few spots to check out.
The Eagles beat the Rams in the snow in the divisional round of the playoffs last year. It doesn’t look like the snow will be a factor, but the wind and cold could be.
Eagles vs. Raiders weather
The National Weather Service is calling for 2-4 inches of snow in the Philadelphia region on Sunday, but it is expected to move out of the area well before the Eagles game kicks off in South Philly. Temperatures are not expected to climb above 30, and the wind chill will likely be in the teens thanks to 15-25 mph winds.
The big injuries for the Eagles are again along the offensive and defensive lines. The Birds will be without right tackle Lane Johnson, who will miss his third game with a Lisfranc injury. The team is 0-3 in his absence. The Eagles will also be without defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who will miss his second straight game after undergoing a procedure on his shoulders.
The Raiders will be without quarterback Geno Smith, paving the way for backup Kenny Pickett to make his first start since Week 17 of last season, when he was a member of the Eagles.
Out
QB Geno Smith (shoulder/back)
WR Alex Bachman (thumb)
T Kolton Miller (ankle)
Questionable
S Jeremy Chinn (back)
C/G Jordan Meredith (foot)
TE Ian Thomas (calf)
Eagles vs. Raiders odds
The Eagles are favored by 11.5 points at FanDuel and 12.5 at DraftKings as of Friday afternoon, with a projected total of 38.5 points at both sportsbooks. For more information on prop bets, check out our betting roundup.
The Rams and Seahawks are tied for the best record in the NFC heading into Week 15.
Eagles playoff picture
With four games remaining in the regular season, the 8-5 Eagles hold a two-game lead over the rest of the NFC East and hold the third seed in the NFC. Elsewhere in the division, the 2-11 Giants and 3-10 Commanders are both eliminated from playoff contention. The Cowboys, at 6-7-1, are the only remaining NFC East team in the hunt, but even with an Eagles win and a Dallas loss, the Birds cannot clinch a playoff berth this week.
NFC East standings
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Meanwhile, in the race for the top seed in the NFC — and the lone first-round bye — the Eagles have some work to do. They’re two games behind the NFC West-leading Los Angeles Rams, and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker thanks to their Week 3 win.
However, even if the Rams falter, the Eagles are also two games behind the Seattle Seahawks, who are in second in the NFC West and the top wild-card team. The San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, and Chicago Bears are also each one game ahead of the Eagles in the win column. The Eagles only hold the tiebreaker over the Packers.
NFC standings
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Can the Eagles offense turn things around against the Raiders?
Story lines to watch
How will Jalen Hurts bounce back from a career-worst performance in L.A.? He plans to stay the course.
“I take the approach I’ve taken for a while, and it’s seemed to work,” Hurts said Wednesday. “I think right now it’s just a matter of being more detailed, more focused.
“When you put forth the work, put forth the effort, good things happen when you need them to happen. That’s my mentality. That’s how I’ve gotten to where I am today.”
Outside the Eagles facility, however, a debate over whether the team should bench Hurts has dominated airwaves, locally and nationally. According to Jeff McLane, it’s a question that has some merit after Hurts’ third straight loss. Others — like Nick Sirianni, who called the idea “ridiculous” earlier this week — aren’t as convinced.
Jake Elliott’s missed field goal against the Chargers proved critical, but the Eagles’ end-of-half conservatism has become a trend.
The defense has been lights out while the other side of the ball has struggled. Jordan Davis still believes in the Eagles offense.
Jason Kelce wasn’t a fan of the “positivity rabbit” that popped up in the Eagles locker room last week. It was gone after their loss to the Chargers.
One number to know
8-1: Pete Carroll’s all-time record against the Eagles as a head coach. Carroll has beaten the Eagles five times at Lincoln Financial Field and went undefeated against the Birds as head coach of the Seahawks. The Birds’ only win over Carroll came in 1998, when he coached the Patriots.
Jeff McLane: “This is as close to an ideal get-back opportunity that Hurts and the offense could have at this stage of the season. Las Vegas has a decent defense and I suspect all the problems on that side of the ball won’t be solved. But you can’t lose if the other team doesn’t score points, and an Eagles’ shutout is in play. Really.” | Prediction: Eagles 24, Raiders 9
Jeff Neiburg: “I think the Eagles did enough positive things offensively Monday to convince me they won’t have trouble moving the ball Sunday. They just need to avoid turnovers. Easier said then done, of course.“ | Prediction: Eagles 27, Raiders 11
Olivia Reiner: “This is a game the Eagles should win, even in the offense’s current state of disarray. But don’t expect it to be a blowout. It’s going to be cold and windy at the Linc (remember how the Eagles fared in those conditions against the Bears?), so it seems unlikely that this game is going to be high-scoring if the weather gets ugly. Perhaps that works to the Eagles’ advantage, seeing as they’ve been practicing in an icebox all week and the Raiders are living it up in temperate Las Vegas.” | Prediction: Eagles 20, Raiders 13
Here’s a look at the latest from our columnists, starting with David Murphy, who thinks talk of benching Hurts is short-sighted, but not as crazy as it sounds.
David Murphy: “You know what’s really, truly, magnificently ridiculous to think? That any quarterback could play as poorly as Hurts has played in back-to-back losses to the Bears and the Chargers without prompting some level of discussion about whether or not he should continue to start. As good as Hurts has played in his two Super Bowl appearances, that’s how bad he has played over the last couple of weeks.” Read more.
Marcus Hayes: “[A.J. Brown] was getting fewer and fewer looks. The ball just wasn’t finding him. He wanted the ball more. Hell, I wanted him to get the ball more. After all, with due respect to the golden oldies and one year of Terrell Owens, the Eagles have never had a receiver quite like him. But getting it to him has spelled disaster.” Read more.
Mike Sielski: “The Eagles are an excellent defensive team, and that is all, and that is not enough, not even close. Not with an offense like this. Not with this team’s tendency to commit untimely and inexcusable penalties. Not with so many questions that don’t get answered and so many problems that don’t get solved.” Read more.
Kenny Pickett started the Eagles’ Week 17 game against the Cowboys last season.
What the Raiders are saying
Pickett, who is plenty familiar with the Eagles as a player and a fan, is looking forward to starting against his former team Sunday — and has a bit of an idea what to expect.
“They’ll be ready to go,” Pickett said. “They have a hell of a team, there’s not a ton of new faces on that team, there’s a lot of really good players, I know the coaching staff, and how prepared they’re going to be for the game, so it’s a great opportunity.”
On what he took away from his Eagles experience: “Seeing what it looks like to be world champions, the dedication, the commitment from every position group, it was really player-led — that was a really cool thing. I think we had a great veteran leadership and a lot of those guys are still there.”
On the potential snowy weather: “I’m a Northeast guy, so this is new to me, going out and practicing in December and it’s 60 degrees every day. It’s unbelievable here, but I’m more used to when it hits November, December for it to be more like what it’ll be on game day, so I’m pretty familiar with it.”
Nationally, this week’s main character was Hurts, who took the mantle from offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. Things didn’t get off to a good start for the Eagles quarterback, with many, including ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, placing blame for their latest loss squarely on Hurts’ shoulders.
“You can’t make that throw,” Smith said of Hurts’ game-sealing interception in overtime. “You’re in field-goal range, in a position to tie. You know how much is on the line.”
“Do your job,” former Eagle Emmanuel Acho said on his Speakeasy podcast. “… He’s been average all season, and he was atrocious today. He was the reason they lost today.”
Nick Sirianni called the idea of benching Jalen Hurts “ridiculous.”
However, by the end of the week, Smith found himself on the other side of the debate, explaining why Hurts would continue starting to those calling for him to be benched.
“Jalen Hurts ain’t going to be benched,” Smith said Thursday on First Take. “The backup quarterback’s name is Tanner McKee, right? We all know Tanner McKee ain’t playing. We just know this, OK? Down the line, in the future, sure, but this year, Tanner McKee is not going to replace the reigning defending Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl MVP.”
Here’s what else the national media had to say about Hurts this week …
Dan Orlovsky: “I was probably the most critical person of Jalen Hurts early in his career. He … was the MVP of the Super Bowl. And 10 months later — 10 months later from doing that — we’re going, ‘Do you think we should bench the quarterback?’ … Do you know how stupid of a question that is?”
Colin Cowherd: “The truth is, the more Jalen Hurts throws, the worse Philadelphia is. Those are the facts.”
LeSean McCoy: “Did he play bad? Yes. Did he play horrible? Hell yeah, but he ain’t no four-pick-type quarterback. He had a bad game. A lot of quarterbacks have that.”
Three seismic developments occurred over the past three Eagles games, all losses. Seismic, because the developments involved the Eagles’ best current defender, the best receiver in club history, and perhaps the best player in the history of the franchise.
First, in an apparent response to complaints about his role in the offense, the Eagles began force-feeding wide receiver A.J. Brown. He was targeted 35 times in the three games in question. He’d been targeted 37 times in the five previous games.
Second, right tackle Lane Johnson, who might be the greatest Eagle in history, injured his foot. The Eagles win 66% of the time when Johnson plays, while their winning percentage without him is 34%, and falling.
Third, defensive tackle Jalen Carter was either hurting or absent. Carter missed the loss Monday night against the Chargers after undergoing a procedure on his shoulders, which had rendered him virtually useless in the two previous games.
Nothing can be done to remedy the conditions of Johnson or Carter. Johnson issued a cryptic Twitter/X message after Monday night’s game that indicated his return might come sooner than later, and he wasn’t put on injured reserve, but he’s going to miss Sunday’s game against the visiting Raiders. Carter isn’t on IR either, but he’s out, too.
Which leaves A.J.
He was getting fewer and fewer looks. The ball just wasn’t finding him. He wanted the ball more. Hell, I wanted him to get the ball more. After all, with due respect to the golden oldies and one year of Terrell Owens, the Eagles have never had a receiver quite like him.
But getting it to him has spelled disaster.
Me, Me, Me
After the Eagles beat Tampa Bay in Game 4, Brown, who had two catches for 7 yards, posted a passage of scripture that indicated he was being ignored: “If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.”
Three games later, after a win at Minnesota, Brown posted, “Using me but not using me.” He had four catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns.
A week later, after a win in Green Bay, Brown was seen on a livestream playing a video game with a friend and saying the offense was a “(bleep)-show” and that he was “struggling” after catching two passes for 13 yards.
Brown might have been indiscrete, but he wasn’t wrong: He needs to be included, if not featured, in order for the Eagles’ offense to function properly. What the past three games proved is that he does not need to be featured in order for the football team to win.
A day after the “(bleep)-show” scandal, very publicly, on the sideline at practice, owner Jeffrey Lurie convinced Brown to stop publicly humiliating the team. Brown has gone silent.
He also has been targeted a whopping 46 times. The first 11 times came against the Lions, a game the Eagles won.
That was also the last time the Eagles had a healthy Lane Johnson and Jalen Carter.
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown has been targeted 35 times over the past three games, up from 37 in his previous five.
Correlation equaling causation?
How do the issues fit together?
Well, while the Eagles beat the Lions, they scored only 16 points — not exactly an offensive feast. They won not because Brown was targeted 11 times but because Carter had his second-best game of the season and the defense surrendered just nine points. The Birds scored just 10 in Green Bay the week before, but Carter & Co. limited the Packers to seven.
The offense wasn’t humming, but neither was it hurting the cause, in large part because the offensive line remained viable.
Before Johnson was injured, Hurts had committed three turnovers in 10 games. The team was 8-2.
Since Johnson’s injury, Hurts has seven turnovers in three games. The team is 0-3.
The defense has been pretty good in the past three games, but just before Carter wore down it had again developed into the type of elite unit that led the Eagles to their second Super Bowl win.
The defense has not been good enough to compensate for Hurts, who is playing the worst football of his career.
But is it because he’s trying to force the ball to A.J. Brown?
What about us?
Before Brown’s bellyaching got him more looks, bookend receiver DeVonta Smith was on pace for a career-high 1,241 receiving yards. That pace has been cut in half in the past four games.
Asked Friday why his inclusion and production had slowed, Smith paused, then replied:
“Um … ” five seconds passed as he looked into the distance and mused: ” … I don’t know. I don’t have an answer for that.”
No one can accuse Smith of being indiscrete.
Similarly, tight end Dallas Geodert was on pace for 72 catches, 13 more than his career best, and in a contract year, to boot. His pace has slowed by about 25%.
First-time playcaller Kevin Patullo runs an offense that is both predictable and flavorless.
Meanwhile, after projecting to fewer than 900 yards for 2025, Brown now has a chance for a fourth consecutive 1,000-yard season.
There are plenty of issues with the Eagles’ offense.
The biggest problem: The offensive line, due to rampant injury and aggregate fatigue, has declined from being the league’s best to being the league average.
Another problem: First-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, who has never before called plays, runs an offense that is both predictable and flavorless.
The most recent problem: Hurts has become hesitant unless he’s throwing to Brown, usually on the first read.
All three of those problems get diminished the minute Lane Johnson returns. All three of those problems matter less if Jalen Carter is on the field.
But the only thing the Eagles can do Sunday is let the ball find A.J. when the ball finds A.J.
