PHILADELPHIA — Jalen Hurts didn’t discriminate.
It didn’t matter which Giants defender he targeted — Hurts carved up each like a Christmas ham during the first half of the Giants’ 33-25 Christmas Day loss to the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
Hurts, who entered Monday’s clash on the back of his worst stretch of the season, received the perfect Christmas present to get back on track in what was a far overmatched and sieve-like Giants defense.
Hurts finished with 301 passing yards for a touchdown and interception as well as 34 rushing yards and a touchdown, and made history as well.
His 1-yard touchdown run to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, on Philadelphia’s vaunted “Tush-Push” play, was his 15th rushing touchdown of the season — now the most ever in a single season by a quarterback.
Cam Newton previously held the record with 14 in 2011.
Hurts’ only blemish came at the end of the third quarter, a pick-six to Adoree’ Jackson that cut the Giants’ deficit to 20-18.
Though the Giants’ defense certainly solidified in the second half, it was far too little, too late.
And once it was cut to 20-18, the Giants were carved up again on an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to go back down 27-18.
Hurts, who had completed just 59.2 percent of his passes with one touchdown and two interceptions during the Eagles’ three-game losing streak entering Monday, even managed to turn mistakes into positives.
On third-and-3 from the Giants’ 17-yard line late in the first quarter, Eagles center Jason Kelce snapped the ball way too high and it went careening off Hurts’ hands.
But Hurts somehow managed to corral the ball, while facing his own end zone, spin back around and evade two Giants defenders before throwing across his body and finding Grant Calcaterra for a first down.
The Eagles soon kicked a field goal to extend their lead to 10-3.
That magician-like play to pick up the first down also encapsulated the Giants’ woeful tackling struggles throughout the evening.
Jackson had a chance to tackle Calcaterra short of a first down, but completely whiffed.
Hurts began the Eagles’ next drive with a 16-yard run, easily shedding a tackle try from Jason Pinnock in the process.
Two plays later, Hurts found DeVonta Smith for a 36-yard touchdown pass to extend the Eagles’ lead to 17-3.
On the Eagles’ next drive, their last of the first half, Hurts got it started with an 19-yard pass to Kenneth Gainwell.
Hurts, of course, brushed Micah McFadden right off him before he was able to find Gainwell.
The Eagles soon kicked a field goal to extend their lead to 20-3.
A missed tackle by Dane Belton on the Giants’ first punt of the game also allowed a 54-yard return by Britain Covey, setting up the Eagles’ first touchdown.
Hurts spread the ball around, shredding nearly all members of the Giants’ secondary.
He found Smith four times for 79 yards and a touchdown, A.J. Brown six times for 80 yards, Gainwell three times for 38 yards and Dallas Goedert seven times for 71 yards.
Hurts was successful on all three of his “Tush-Push” attempts. With how easy it was for him throughout the night, why would anything else be expected?
Read more
