The Linc – Jalen Hurts getting more MVP buzz after game-winning OT drive

Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 11/27/23.

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …

Judging biggest overreactions for NFL Week 12 – ESPN+
Jalen Hurts will win the MVP award. The Eagles might be unstoppable. Missing right tackle Lane Johnson, who showed up with a groin injury on Sunday morning and couldn’t play, they fell behind 24-14 to Buffalo in the third quarter. They trailed 31-28 with just under two minutes left and needed a 59-yard field goal from Jake Elliott to force overtime. And they fell behind 34-31 in overtime. But Philadelphia then marched down the field for a rushing touchdown that capped an incredible day for Hurts, who finished with five total touchdowns (three passing, two rushing). The Eagles improved to 10-1 on the strength of back-to-back comeback wins against Kansas City and Buffalo, and all of that talk about whether the schedules would help Dallas catch them is fading, as the Eagles keep winning games against their tough slate. Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION. Heading into Monday night’s game in Week 11, I felt that the quarterback of the winning team would become the MVP favorite. And after Hurts’ Eagles beat Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs, that’s exactly what happened. Hurts obviously helped his own case with Sunday’s masterpiece too. He’s tough. He’s clutch. He’s flat-out fantastic at every aspect of his game, throwing 15 touchdown passes and rushing for nine scores this season. And his team has the best record in the league. If the Eagles hold off the Cowboys to become the first repeat NFC East champions in 19 years — as it very much appears they might — and secure the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the second season in a row, I’m not sure how this award is going to anyone else.

Handing out 10 awards from the Eagles-Bills game – PhillyVoice
Hurts has now won eight straight regular-season games where he has faced a deficit of 10 points. That is an insane stat. “That dude should be [the MVP],” Jordan Mailata said. “I don’t know the requirements, but I know he’s got the best record out of the f***ing MVP candidates. I love him, man. There’s no words that can describe the love I have for this guy. He really embodies the perseverance and he leads by example.”

What a Game – Iggles Blitz
Another week, another comeback. The Eagles trailed by 10 points at halftime and again late in the third quarter. As the Eagles do, they battled back each time and kept the game close. They took their first lead in the fourth quarter. They eventually sent the game to overtime and won it on a walk-off TD. What a game. The Eagles struggled mightily in the first half. They had 99 yards of offense and 7 points. They gave up 278 yards and 17 points. A blocked FG helped keep the game as close as 17-7. I don’t know what adjustments were made at halftime. Whether schematic or simply getting players to settle down, the changes worked. The Eagles scored 30 points in the second half/overtime. Jalen Hurts showed once again what a special player he is. Hurts overcame a poor first half to lead his team to victory. He made some really impressive plays along the way.

Roob’s Observations: Eagles fight back, force OT and pull off incredible feat against Bills – NBCSP
2. Jalen Hurts can throw a ball really well and he can run really fast, but Hurts’ greatest ability is forgetting. Forgetting turnovers. Forgetting mistakes. Forgetting sacks. Forgetting adversity in whatever form it takes. He was terrible in the first half Monday night in Kansas City – just 20 net passing yards and an interception. He was terrible in the first half Sunday vs. the Bills. Just 30 net passing yards and an interception. It doesn’t matter. It just doesn’t. Hurts has this insane ability to remain confident and focused and determined no matter how bad things are going unlike anybody I’ve ever seen. Things never snowball. They just get better. Hurts is different. And his calmness in the face of adversity rubs off on all his teammates and really everybody in the building. I’ve never seen anything like it.

2023 NFL season, Week 12: What We Learned from Sunday’s games – NFL.com
Jalen Hurts lifts clutch Eagles over Bills in a thriller. In what might have been the game of the regular season thus far, the Eagles overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to tie the game with a 59-yard field goal in the waning moments of regulation — then won it on Hurts’ back in overtime. Hurts threw three TD passes and ran for two more scores, the final one a walk-off score in OT. Hurts didn’t have a whopper of a statistical game otherwise, and his second-quarter pick fueled a 14-0 Bills run. But when it was money time, Hurts delivered. He led four TD drives after halftime and set up the game-tying kick, even if the Eagles’ execution in the rain wasn’t pristine. Hurts drifting to his left and hitting Olamide Zaccheaus on a 29-yard TD fade was just silly. But DeVonta Smith was Hurts’ preferred target in other clutch situations, as that connection has come alive in recent games. One way or another, no matter who is on the field, the Eagles seem to find a way late.

Spadaro: 12 takeaways from a wild overtime win vs. Bills – PE.com
1. Let’s begin with quarterback Jalen Hurts, who is scrutinized for every step he takes. His first half was not one to remember – 33 passing yards, the offense unable to convert on four third downs, just 99 total net yards and 73 of them on one drive. He looked completely at ease sitting on the bench when the defense was on the field, just sitting there in the pouring rain. Like he was meditating. Like he knew what was about to come. Hurts got things going for sure in the second half and overtime with 14 completions on 20 attempts for 167 yards and 3 touchdown passes. He also ran 12 times for 43 yards and the quarterback draw that he had late in overtime for 12 yards and the winning points. He set a new career high with five total touchdowns. The guy just gets it done in the most supernatural way. He has now won 14 straight games against teams with winning records. “Once we held them to a field goal in overtime and our offense took the field, we knew Jalen would find a way to put the ball in the end zone,” safety Kevin Byard said. “No doubt at all.”

Jalen Hurts has MVP moment in Eagles’ improbable comeback win over Bills – The Athletic
Mailata shook his head at his locker reciting the memory. On first-and-10 at the Buffalo 12, the Eagles turned to a staple in their playbook: a designed quarterback run in which Swift motions out of the backfield toward the sideline. Hyde, the only safety on the left side of the field, followed Swift. Mailata and left guard Landon Dickerson caved their defensive linemen downward. Kelce cleared the backside. Hurts completed the comeback with his 12-yard run, a play nickel corner Bradley Roby said was “definitely an MVP moment.” “Jesus,” Mailata said. “I can’t believe that happened.”

BGN Instant Reaction Show – Week 12: Eagles beat Bills, 37-34 – BGN Radio
Shane Haff and Chris Deibler share their initial reactions to the Eagles hectic overtime win against the Bills, 37-34.

Week 12: Jason Kelce’s ‘Any Given Sunday’ and Philly’s Rocky Balboa Season – FMIA
Who admits guilt at a time like this? Jason Kelce. “I think they were good calls, if I’m being honest,” Kelce said. “I flinched. That’s the bottom line. You know, our stadium, our fans are incredible. But it’s kinda been some of the problems sometimes when we go no-huddle. The fans are revved up. It’s a game! Big game! The fans are really excited and you’re trying to make a play and all of a sudden it’s difficult sometimes to hear the quarterback. Matter of fact, we went silent snap-count right after that second one. We should’ve gone silent right after the first one to be safe. Especially with [Bills coach] Sean McDermott, he likes to blitz in the last two minutes. Now all of a sudden, I’m looking and trying to make sure I pick up things. We were doing a phenomenal job of getting things directed and then you’re expecting the play to happen quicker, and you’re not ready for that cadence, it can be an issue. That was exactly what happened on the first one. The second one I just flinched. Not good.”

The Eagles are the toughest mudders around. That will serve them well as another long playoff run looms. – Inquirer
“We had to figure out a way to win,” Davis said. “I saw him running, and it was now or never.”Four yards later, Allen stepped out of bounds as 335 cramp-ravaged pounds crashed to the ground at his feet. Lying on his back in the sideline mud, a gaggle of concerned teammates crouching above him, Davis felt the searing clench of his overextended muscles. He also felt the first down marker, still six yards away. “I just had to get him down,” Davis said. “By any means necessary.”By any means necessary. Those four words have become something of a mantra for this Eagles team. Not only are they 10-1, but they are the best kind of 10-1, a hard 10-1, a 10-1 that leaves you wondering how they aren’t something worse.You saw it all night, for a second straight week. Another double-digit deficit. Another offensive showing that looked stuck in the mud. Another MVP-caliber opponent doing MVP-caliber things.

NFL Week 12 Game Recap: Philadelphia Eagles 37, Buffalo Bills 34 – PFF
Jalen Carter didn’t deliver a sack in this game but did come up with three pressures and two defensive stops on 80% of the team’s defensive snaps, playing a season-high 76 snaps this week — all pending review.

Eagles 37, Bills 34 (OT): Three things we learned – Buffalo Rumblings
Let’s just keep dumping on the defense, actually. Credit where it’s due: McDermott’s defense had Philly dead to rights in the first half, bottling up Hurts and the Eagles’ passing attack en route to a 17-7 halftime lead … and then they gave up 30 second-half points, including 17 points in the fourth quarter and the score in overtime. McDermott has been quick to defend his defense in games where Buffalo’s offense has let down this season — and there have been more of those than anyone would like. But on this day, Buffalo’s much-maligned offense put up 34 in a tough road environment, in a driving rain storm, and there was no complementary play from the defense to pull out the win.

The Cowboys will host free agent LB Shaquille Leonard on Tuesday – Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys had some misfortune at the linebacker position in 2023 with the rookie DeMarvion Overshown tearing his ACL during the preseason, and veteran Leighton Vander Esch out for the year with a neck injury. They are looking into filling some of the void left by the two, though. Linebacker Shaquille Leonard, who was recently released after playing for the Indianapolis Colts since 2018, will visit the Cowboys this upcoming week according to a source.

Draft watch: Giants fall to No. 6 in 2024 NFL Draft after beating Patriots – Big Blue View
The Giants currently have four picks in the first three rounds (6, 37, 53, 70), and could be forced to use them as trade chips if the front office wants to select a top quarterback. The New England Patriots seemingly have to draft a quarterback after Mac Jones’ incredible regression this year. The Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders could both select passers, while the Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers could look to trade up for a quarterback as well. We know the Giants have scouted quarterbacks extensively this year and have paid particular attention to Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy, Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix, and Bo Nix. One of them would still be around, even in the unlikely event that five quarterbacks go in the first five picks. However, if the Giants are set on getting a quarterback, they might have to move up to ensure they get “Their Guy”. Per Bill Barnwell, the Giants have just a 1% chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick.

Tommy DeVito’s family is the best part of Giants-Patriots – SB Nation
New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito has become one of the most unlikely characters of the 2023 NFL season. DeVito was pressed into action after starting QB Daniel Jones went down with a torn ACL, and backup Tyrod Taylor suffered a rib injury. Now the 25-year-old rookie QB who went undrafted after five years at Syracuse and Illinois is starting for his hometown team, and has already led them to one win against the Washington Commanders a week ago. DeVito grew up a Giants fan, and his family lives less than 10 miles from the team’s practice facility. DeVito still lives with his parents, and the whole family was in the stands on Sunday against the New England Patriots. DeVito and his family are about as New Jersey Italian as it gets, and they showed it before and during the game with the Pats. After DeVito threw a first half touchdown pass, both DeVito and his dad were shown doing the pinched fingers, ‘chef’s kiss’ Italian hand gesture.

What are the odds? Washington Commanders are big home underdogs against the Miami Dolphins – Hogs Haven
The Commanders get a mini-bye week following their Thanksgiving loss, and they’re returning home to FedEx Field for a Week 13 matchup against the Miami Dolphins. They played in the NFL’s first-ever Black Friday game, and will also be coming into the game on extra rest. Washington hasn’t won at home since Week 1, and are coming into this game as big underdogs against a top team in the NFL. Washington opens as 9-point home underdogs against the Dolphins. The over/under is 49 1/2, which is up 1 point from last week.

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