A Sunday at the Linc felt more like a round at the Masters, where someone keeps yelling in your backswing. The Eagles were scrambling, their rhythm utterly broken. The home crowd’s early energy had curdled into a grumbling tension. Something was clearly off, a dissonant chord in the middle of a championship symphony.
Then, the Eagles scripted a magical comeback with a 33-26 victory over the Rams. But that didn't stop Jalen Hurts from calling out his own team over their first-half flop show. His post-game tone was stern. He called the team’s first-half effort "unacceptable."
Hurts dissected the performance with surgical precision. He pinpointed the core issue immediately. "We completely did that to ourselves in the first half," he told Pam Oliver. The Eagles had managed a paltry 33 total yards before halftime. They trailed 19-7, looking nothing like a defending champion. Besides, his critique went deeper than just execution.
Hurts identified a troubling mindset. "We gotta get out of this 'play not to lose.' We gotta come out aggressive and play our game. You saw our game in the second half," he stated. This was a direct challenge for the coaches and players to shed their conservatism. And some would say it's especially directed towards Kevin Patullo. The second-half comeback proved the team's resilience, however.
Hurts led three touchdown drives, showcasing their potent capability. The win required monumental effort from every unit. Jordan Davis became an instant legend. His blocked field goal returned for a touchdown sealed the game. It was a defensive lineman’s dream. "I knew he was gonna block it. I just knew he was gonna block it," Hurts said about the play. Meanwhile, star receiver A.J. Brown echoed his quarterback’s sentiment.
A Wake-Up Call for the Eagles in Disguise
Brown advocated for a more aggressive offensive philosophy. "Let your killers do their thing and play fast and play aggressive," Brown said. His second-half revival was key. After a quiet start, Brown exploded for 109 yards, proving why he shouldn't have been doubted after just 2 weeks. Meanwhile, the narrow win exposed real vulnerabilities.
The offensive line, minus an injured Lane Johnson, struggled mightily. Rams sophomore player Jared Verse wreaked havoc, highlighting a sudden area of concern. These are not small issues to fix. They nearly cost the Eagles their undefeated record. But the team’s character shone through in adversity.
They authored a stunning 26-7 second-half run. The victory itself is a powerful data point for the season. And Hurts’ leadership is the ultimate takeaway. His refusal to accept sloppy play sets a powerful standard. He acknowledged the grit but demanded more.
Read more: A.J. Brown calls out Kevin Patullo after Jalen Hurts grills Eagles' OC
Philly survives September scars better than most; they’re 19-1 since last October. But Hurts keeps receipts. As Coach used to say in Hoosiers, “If you put your effort and concentration into playing to your potential, to be the best that you can be, I don’t care what the scoreboard says at the end of the game.”