Hurts Leads Eagles to 16-9 Win With Late First-Half TD Push

The Philadelphia Eagles won another close and hard-fought game as they defeated the Detroit Lions 16-9 on Sunday night. This victory continued the Eagles’ strong season and showed once again how powerful their defense can be when the game becomes tight. The Lions also played with great energy, but they could not finish important plays, especially on fourth downs.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts scored the most important touchdown of the game just before halftime. The Eagles used their famous “tush push” play, where the quarterback is pushed forward by teammates from behind. Hurts completed the push from one yard out with only 16 seconds left in the second quarter. That play helped the Eagles take a 13-6 lead at halftime, and they never allowed the Lions to come back fully into the game.

Philadelphia extended their strong record against NFC North teams. Since head coach Nick Sirianni took over in 2021, the Eagles have not lost a single game to any NFC North opponent. With this win, their record became 11-0 against teams from that division, including in playoff matches. The victory also marked their fourth straight win of the current season, bringing their overall record to 8-2.

Jalen Hurts passed for 135 yards and rushed for 31 yards. Wide receiver A.J. Brown had a season-high seven catches, although for only 49 yards. The offense did not produce many big plays, but they managed long drives when needed. Kicker Jake Elliott was also very important. He made three field goals, including a long 49-yarder in the fourth quarter that gave the Eagles a 16-6 advantage with over ten minutes left.

The Detroit Lions gained more total yards than the Eagles, finishing with 317 yards compared to Philadelphia’s 272. However, the Lions struggled badly on fourth downs, finishing 0-for-5. Three of those failed attempts came on back-to-back drives in the third quarter, where the Lions had opportunities to take control but missed every chance. One of their biggest missed chances came when they reached first-and-goal at the eight-yard line but still could not score.

Lions quarterback Jared Goff had a rough game. He completed only 14 of 37 passes, which was the lowest completion percentage of his entire career. Still, he threw for 255 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown pass to Jameson Williams in the second quarter. Williams celebrated by hugging the goalpost and received a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Rookie kicker Jake Bates then missed the extra point, leaving the game tied at 6-6.

The Eagles defense made several important plays that helped seal the win. Early in the game, defensive lineman Jordan Davis tipped a pass from Goff, which was then intercepted by Cooper DeJean. That turnover led to the Eagles’ first points of the game. Later, with less than two minutes left in the match, a defensive pass interference penalty on the Lions allowed the Eagles to keep possession and run out the clock.

The Eagles tried a risky fourth-down play from their own 29-yard line with three minutes remaining but failed to convert. This allowed the Lions to attempt a long 54-yard field goal in windy conditions. Bates made the difficult kick, bringing the score to 16-9. Detroit had a chance to get the ball back, but Philadelphia was able to finish the game by keeping the ball until time ran out.

The victory was the Eagles’ 14th win in their last 15 home games, showing how comfortable they are playing in front of their fans. With another strong performance from their defense and solid work from Hurts, the Eagles continue to look like one of the top teams in the league.