6 Eagles who were the hammer in Week 9 win over Cowboys, four that were the nail

Hours after the Philadelphia Eagles' most recent win, one that improved their record to 8-1, we aren't going to lie to you. Our heart rate hasn't really improved much. Truth be told, we rocked out with a little Tylenol.

Sure, this one tastes a little sweeter. After all, our Birds beat the Dallas Cowboys, but we'd be lying if we said this didn't test every emotion. Oh well... Let's discuss a handful of Week 9 hammers (and a few nails).

Game balls definitely needed to be tossed out after this one.

Here are three Eagles that played the role of the hammer in Week 9.

1. Brandon Graham. defensive end

When you stick your head in on a pair of sacks late in the fourth quarter during a potential go-ahead Cowboys drive (or, a sack and a half if we're being technical), we can certainly say you brought the hammer.

Brandon Graham definitely came up big when his team needed him to.

2. Jalen Hurts, quarterback

23 pass attempts... 17 completions... Two passing TDs... Another record-setter with his legs. QB1 ignored the pain caused by an injury sustained late in the first half, shook it off, and again played like a hero. Kudos are in order for Jalen Hurts after this one.

3. Josh Sweat, defensive end

Let's be honest. Had Josh Sweat not been named as one of the heroes after this one, this list would have been needed to have been thrown out immediately.

4. A.J. Brown & DeVonta Smith, wide receivers

Philly's dynamic duo shines again. They combined for ten catches 117 yards and two touchdown receptions. The only thing they didn't do was complete the alley-oop attempt on the A.J. Brown TD celebration.

5. Tyler Steen, right guard

Tyler Steen made his first start in this one, and we didn't mention him until he jumped on what could have been a tragic fourth-quarter fumble. That alone could have earned him a spot on our list of heroes, but here's the thing.

Ask any old-school football fan, and they'll tell you, when you don't mention offensive linemen, that means your guy did a doggone good job.

We could name a few more heroes. This team was tested in all three phases, and they pulled through. Heck, let's just cut up a couple of game balls and toss them around the locker room.

Three Eagles that didn't play their best games in Week 9

6. James Bradberry, cornerback

There's no nice way to say this. James Bradberry was ABUSED in this one. Regardless of whether you're a fan of Pro Football Focus' stat engine or not, we can promise you'll want to see their grades of the 2022 All-Pro after this one.

He wasn't beaten for first downs. He was beaten for a fourth-quarter TD score. Yeah, he came up big on the Cowboys' final offensive drive during a must-win fourth-down attempt, but one may need to ask if we should continue to be worried after this one.

7. Eli Ricks & Sydney Brown, cornerback/safety

Yeah.. We can restate a lot of what we said in relation to James Bradberry here. Eli Ricks and Sydney Brown struggled in this one while trying to play coverage, and that's putting things mildly.

We NEVER want to see him or Sydney Brown or Eli Ricks matched up with CeeDee Lamb after this one.

8. Sean Desai, defensive coordinator

Truthfully, we didn't think we'd be discussing Mike McCarthy's mastery of Sean Desai in this one. Philly's D.C. was taken to school though.

His defense came up with a huge stop in the fourth quarter, but this game didn't need to be as stressful as it was.

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