Eagles pound Jags on the ground in dreary conditions, rally from 14-0 hole as Trevor Lawrence loses 4 fumbles
Jalen Hurts was the star of the Philadelphia Eagles' 3-0 start.
On Sunday it was Miles Sanders' turn.
The Eagles running back paced the offense in dreary conditions as Philadelphia rallied from a 14-0 deficit to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 29-21 and improve to 4-0. They remain the NFL's only unbeaten team.
The game got off to an ominous start for the Eagles as Jalen Hurts threw a pick-6 on Philadelphia's first possession. Trevor Lawrence then led an 80-yard touchdown drive to take a 14-0 Jaguars lead. But the Eagles responded with 20 unanswered points in the second quarter and didn't relinquish the lead.
The Eagles kept the ball on the ground as the remnants of Hurricane Ian led to rainy, windy conditions at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field. Philadelphia outgained Jacksonville, 401 yards to 219, with 210 coming on the ground. Sanders led the effort with 134 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries.
The weather made an impact on gameplay and coaching decisions throughout, including the game's decisive final sequence. Philadelphia faced a fourth-and-3 at the Jacksonville 21 with 1:54 remaining in the fourth quarter. A successful 38-yard field goal would secure a two-possession lead and all but ice the game.
But head coach Nick Sirianni had already watched kicker Jake Elliott miss a first-half extra-point attempt. He opted instead to go for it on fourth-and-3, and the Eagles didn't convert after Hurts' pass intended for A.J. Brown fell incomplete.
Jacksonville's last chance was short-lived. The Eagles sacked Lawrence on first down and pounced on a fumble when Lawrence lost control of the ball. The turnover allowed the Eagles to run out the clock to secure the win.
.@Haason7Reddick can't be stopped!#JAXvsPHI | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/lJqjHcz6AA
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 2, 2022
The lost fumble was the fourth of the day for Lawrence, who struggled with ball control in the sloppy conditions. Per ESPN, he's the only NFL player to lose four fumbles in a single game this century.
It was another impressive win for the Eagles, who managed the win despite Hurts' failure to find the end zone through the air. The Eagles quarterback completed 16-of-26 passes on the day for 204 yards and the lone interception that led directly to Jaguars points. He added 38 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
With the passing game limited, the Eagles flexed their versatility on offense and saw their defense force five turnovers while limiting Jacksonville to 219 yards. It was a balanced win over a good Jaguars team that came into Philadelphia and opened a 14-0 lead. Until proven otherwise, the Eagles continue to look like the team to beat in the NFC.