Jalen Hurts had barely sat down and was still shifting in his seat when he gave a brief but telling opening statement.
“So that’s what y’all wanted to see, huh?” Hurts said.
Well … yeah.
A week after the Eagles struggled mightily to pass the ball against the lowly Carolina Panthers, Hurts and the offense had a statement performance through the air in their 27-13 win over the Steelers on Sunday afternoon.
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The Eagles came out firing in the passing game and Hurts finished his afternoon completing 25 of 32 passes for 290 yards and 2 touchdowns. Both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith went over 100 receiving yards and each caught a touchdown pass.
For a team that has leaned into featuring a run-first offense during what is now a 10-game winning streak, it was important for the Eagles to show that when they need to pass the ball they can still do it at a high level.
“As I’ve said, when you're able to win in multiple ways, obviously talented, and the opportunities are there, but it comes down to having good discernment of when to do something and when not to,” Hurts said. “I've always said and believed that you want to make sure that all of your tools are sharp when you need them, so when it's time to use them, you can go. I don't think there's a doubt in that. I think, frankly, there's an effort there.
“The approach was a little different this week. The grass will be green where you water it. We decided to water it and saw the fruits of our labor in that. Obviously we've been watering the running game a good bit. It’s natural to put emphasis on one thing and take emphasis off of another and see what you guys have seen. We want to continue to be well-rounded, push to be well-rounded, and water all areas of our yard.”
A week ago, there were pockets of frustration in the Eagles’ locker room after a too-close-for-comfort win over the Panthers. In that game, the Eagles had just 83 net passing yards and they looked disjointed in the passing game.
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Then A.J. Brown’s “passing” comment took on a life of its own after Brandon Graham went on the radio Monday night and created a drama-filled week.
But Brown, Hurts and Smith put on a show on Sunday afternoon.
“I said it for a reason,” Brown said on Sunday. “I didn’t have ill intentions behind it. It wasn’t for me to get the ball. It was just for us to all get on the same page and put our best foot forward. We know what we’re capable of. Last week wasn’t our standard.”
Against the Panthers, it was clear that the Eagles were not on the same page as a passing offense but they certainly were on Sunday. Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore had a great game plan against a Steelers defense the Eagles knew was going to sell out to stop Saquon Barkley and the run game.
How were the Eagles able to get on the same page in a week?
“A lot of tough conversations,” Smith said. “Have those uncomfortable conversations with each other. I think that’s why this team is so close and that’s what makes this team so good. Everybody can have uncomfortable conversations with each other and nobody feels no type of way.”
The Eagles still ended up with 42 rushing attempts but it was tough sledding on the ground. Barkley had 19 carries for 65 yards in this one.
This was a game where the Eagles needed to pass to win and they did it brilliantly.
“Everyone knows what this team is capable of doing,” Barkley said. “Finally, we showed it. I said earlier in the week, if a team does figure out how to slow down the run, we’re more than capable of passing. And if teams are able to stop the pass, we’re more than capable of running. That’s the beauty of the team we have.”
There was no doubt that the Eagles have all the ingredients to be a well-balanced offense. They have an elite offensive line, an MVP candidate running back and two of the best receivers in the NFL. They also have a quarterback who, despite a broken finger on his non-throwing hand, just had his best game of the season.
On Sunday, the Eagles proved they can beat teams in different ways.
And as the playoffs near, that’s a big deal. This has the makings of a dangerous playoff team.
“We had a phase this year where we said we were going to be a run team and a play-action team,” Hurts said, “so we started watering that and stopped watering another part.”
Well, Hurts made it rain on Sunday.
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