Jalen Hurts Has 3 Touchdowns, Eagles Come Back To Beat Washington Football Team
PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) -- Jalen Hurts ran for two touchdowns and threw for another, helping the Eagles come back from an early deficit to beat virus-ravaged Washington 27-17 Tuesday night in a critical showdown with NFC playoff implications.
In his first game back from an ankle injury, Hurts scored on a pair of 1-yard QB sneaks to set the single-season franchise record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 10 and connected with Greg Ward on a 19-yard TD pass. He was 20 of 26 for 296 yards passing with the TD and a bad-luck interception when Dallas Goedert dropped a catchable pass and the ball bounced off his right foot and into the hands of Washington's Landon Collins.
That was a bad bounce for Philadelphia that helped stake Washington (6-8) to a 10-point lead after the first quarter. Behind a dominant effort from their offensive line, it was all Eagles (7-7) from there: They outgained Washington 435-136 the rest of the way and shut down an opponent missing a handful of starters because of COVID-19 protocol.
Miles Sanders exploited the holes in Washington's defense left by those absences and additional injuries, carrying the ball 18 times for a career-high 131 yards. He became the first Eagles player with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games since LeSean McCoy in 2014.
Well-rested coming off its bye week, Philadelphia finished with 238 yards rushing, becoming the first team with 175-plus yards on the ground in seven consecutive games since the 1985 Chicago Bears. That's also a first in Eagles franchise history.
Goedert made up for his early blunder and a later drop by catching seven passes for 135 yards, including a 45-yard completion.
Meanwhile, Tuesday night football was not something Eagles fans are used to, but they'll take it.
"I think Tuesday night football needs to happen more often," one fan said.
The game was moved from Sunday to Tuesday following COVID-19 issues within the Washington Football team.
"Things happen in life. It is what it is," one fan said, "and there is nothing you can do about it."
Tuesday night's Flyers game at the Wells Fargo Center was postponed. Fans are hoping COVID-19 doesn't spark another comeback of canceling more sporting events in the future.
"I have a lot of games coming up that I am going to so it will suck if they get postponed," a fan said.
Fans also dodged double trouble traffic.
Dual Flyers and Eagles games would have gridlocked South Philly.
Many people CBS3 spoke with say they found alternative ways of transportation just in case.
"We took the train anyway," one fan said.
But as more COVID-19 cases surface, fans are looking on the bright side for now.
COVID-19 ABSENCES
Washington played without five starters who remained in NFL COVID-19 protocol: Heinicke, 2020 All-Pro right guard Brandon Scherff, center Tyler Larsen, cornerback Kendall Fuller and safety Kamren Curl. Reserve defensive tackle Tim Settle and third-string tight end Sammis Reyes were cleared but inactive.
Philadelphia's only virus-related absence was starting left guard Landon Dickerson.
INJURIES
Washington: CB William Jackson left late in the second quarter with an ankle injury and did not return. ... DE Daniel Wise injured his right knee on a cut block in the first half and was ruled out early in the second. Collins left briefly with a foot injury. ... WR Curtis Samuel (hamstring) was inactive, and RB J.D. McKissic (neck) was put on injured reserve before the game.
Eagles: TE Jack Stoll was shaken up early in the fourth quarter and walked off the field gingerly after getting medical attention. ... WR DeVonta Smith limped off late in the first quarter after an incomplete pass into the end zone but came back on the following drive.
UP NEXT
Washington: Visits the division-leading Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.
Eagles: Host the New York Giants on Sunday.
CBS3's Kerri Corrado contributed to this report.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)