Eagles Shake Off Two-Game Losing Streak, Vanquish Thoughts Of 2023 Collapse
PHILADELPHIA – It’s OK to admit that the Eagles’ two losses in five days felt like a familiar movie, the one where you know the ending, the one where the main character dies in the end. That was the Eagles’ script at the end of the 2023, when they could not avoid a death spiral, and one loss was followed by another loss that was followed by another loss … well, you remember.
So, when the Eagles lost two in a row earlier this season to turn 4-0 into 4-2, it felt like the house was about to fall from the sky again and land on all our heads. It didn’t happen. The house never fell.
“I don't think from an inside perspective there was ever any like, 'Oh man, this is like '23,' you know what I mean?” said head coach Nick Sirianni. “But were there lessons learned in '23? Absolutely. We continue to try to learn lessons from '24 and '25.”
So, the Eagles rose from the mortuary slab and won two in a row to head into their bye at 6-2. They are three games clear in the race to win the NFC East and become the first team to repeat as division champs since another Eagles team ran off four straight from 2001-04.
On Pace To End NFC East Drought
The Commanders and Cowboys have just three wins, and the Giants just two. It’s the Eagles’ division to win and end the incredible drought of not having a repeat champion in decades. Did the Eagles learn from the errors of 2023?
“I think there were lessons that we learned in '23,” said Sirianni. “I'm not so sure that it applied the exact same way. I know there were lessons, we learned a lot of lessons in '23. Just because we didn't lose two games in a row last year, we know the reality in this league that you can lose multiple games in a row because of the parody of this league and the good players and the teams and the coaches in this league.”
If you are looking for something more tangible for the Eagles shaking off two straight losses, look no further than Jalen Hurts. The quarterback has completed 34-of-43 passes (79 percent) for 505 yards with seven touchdown passes and no interceptions. His passer rating in beating the Vikings 28-22 was 158.3, and in Sunday’s 38-20 win over the Giants, it was 141.5.
“The goal is to be playing your best ball at the end of the season and there's a process that you have to go through to get that,” said Hurts. “There are going to be tests along the way, but you have to embrace those challenges as they come. And I think we do that as a group.”
Hurts has thrown only one interception all season while accounting for 20 total touchdowns – 15 passing and five rushing.
Commanders Star Jayden Daniels Expected to Return to Practice Wednesday
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels missed his third game of the season on Monday when his team fell 28-7 on the road against the Chiefs.
Daniels, who is dealing with a hamstring strain after a minor knee injury caused him to miss two other games earlier this season, had a good rehab session on Tuesday according to head coach Dan Quinn.
Quinn told the media that he expects Daniels to practice on Wednesday, which could potentially pave the way for a return to the lineup on Sunday night against the Seahawks.
Washington is 3-5 on the season and sits in third place in the NFC East. Daniels's return to full health would give the Commanders a fighting chance to getting back into the NFC playoff picture.
Daniels has completed 61.0% of his passes for 1,031 yards and eight touchdowns to one interception in five games this seaso
