Raiders to the Rescue: Eagles ‘get right’ with a 31-0 shutout at The Linc
This is exactly what the Philadelphia Eagles needed.
After three straight losses and a week of absolute insanity from the national media, the Birds came home and buried the Las Vegas Raiders 31-0 at Lincoln Financial Field.
No drama. No nonsense. No late-game heart attack. Just a clean, old-fashioned beatdown of a team that quit on its season a long time ago.
If you were looking for a cure to the doom spiral, the Raiders were the perfect prescription. The Eagles improved to 9-5, snapped the losing streak, and reminded everyone that yes, they are still very much in control of the NFC East.
The magic number is down to two. Any combination of two Eagles wins and three Cowboys losses clinches the division. Let us all take a deep breath.
This Looked Like an Actual NFL Offense
The biggest takeaway from Sunday was not just that the Eagles won, but how they did it. This offense finally looked functional. Balanced. Purposeful. Adult.
The Eagles ran the ball 47 times and threw it just 18 times. On a cold, windy December day, that is exactly how football is supposed to be played. Lean on the run game. Control the clock. Wear down a bad defense. Do not put the ball in harm’s way.
Jalen Hurts was nearly perfect in his role. He finished 12-of-15 for 175 yards and three touchdowns with zero turnovers, good for a 154.9 passer rating, the second-highest of his career.
After last week’s disaster, this was the ideal response. Calm. Efficient. Confident.
The offensive line deserves credit. Maxx Crosby got his sack, because of course he did, but Hurts was clean for most of the afternoon. This is now six straight games the Eagles have allowed one sack or fewer, tying the longest streak in franchise history. That includes most of that stretch without Lane Johnson.
The Defense Was Flat-Out Disgusting
If the offense steadied things, the defense slammed the door. The Raiders finished with 75 total yards. That is not a typo.
It is the fewest yards the Eagles have allowed in 70 years. Kenny Pickett had absolutely no chance. He threw for 64 yards, averaged 2.6 yards per attempt, and was swallowed whole by a defense that is peaking at the right time.
Over the last two games, the Eagles have seven sacks after having 24 in their first 12 games combined. Pressure and coverage are finally married, and when that happens, quarterbacks look helpless.
This secondary is playing at an elite level right now. Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Reed Blankenship, Marcus Epps, and Adoree’ Jackson have turned this into a complete unit. Over the last three games, opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of 52.6. That is absurd.
Vintage Jalen Hurts
Jalen Hurts also reminded everyone who he is late in the third quarter. After getting banged up on a tackle by Devin White, he limped off the field, then walked right back on and threw a 27-yard touchdown dart to A.J. Brown on the very next snap. Vintage stuff.
Jalen Hurts to AJ Brown. Dart.
Shoutout BG
Brandon Graham deserves his own standing ovation. At 37 years old, he became the oldest Eagle to record a sack in franchise history and logged a two-sack game. He now has 78.5 career sacks and is inching closer to Trent Cole.
Dallas Goedert
Yes, Dallas Goedert dropped the easiest touchdown of his life. It happens. What matters is how he responded. He finished with six catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns and now sits second all-time among Eagles tight ends in single-season touchdown catches.
Nick Sirianni also deserves acknowledgment, whether people want to hear it or not. With this win, the Eagles clinched their fifth straight winning season under Sirianni. That does not happen by accident. He gets buy-in and builds culture. Teams that do that tend to win football games.
Was it the Raiders? Absolutely. Do we care? Not even a little.
The Eagles needed a reset, and they got it. The offense looked coherent. The defense looked terrifying. Jalen Hurts looked like himself. The vibes are back where they belong.
Now it is about stacking wins. Beat the Raiders. Done. On to the next one.
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