PHILADELPHIA − If the Eagles were going to remain the only undefeated team in the NFL, they’d have to do it on an emotional homecoming for former coach Doug Pederson, the loss of two stars to injury, a driving rainstorm with winds whipping up to 28 mph.
And they’d have to do it by overcoming a 14-0 deficit in the first quarter against the NFL’s stingiest team against the run in the Jacksonville Jaguars.
No problem. Jalen Hurts overcame a first-quarter pick-6 and threw for 127 yards in leading the Eagles to a 20-14 lead. And the Eagles ran for 112 yards, more than double the 55 yards that Jacksonville gives up on average in an entire game.
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It certainly was a poor start for the Eagles. They fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter. Hurts threw an interception that was returned 59 yards for a touchdown by Andre Cisco, and Trevor Lawrence then led the Jaguars down the field before completing a 4-yard TD pass to Jamal Agnew.
Then the Eagles got back into the game with two crucial plays. The first came when they stopped the Jaguars on 4th-and-3 from the Eagles’ 34. Lawrence dropped the ball and Fletcher Cox recovered at the 42. Hurts then completed an 18-yard pass to A.J. Brown, followed by a 26-yard pass to Dallas Goedert down to the Jaguars’ 10.
But Goedert’s offensive pass interference penalty negated a TD pass to Brown. Facing a 3rd-and-goal from Jacksonville’s 15, Hurts escaped pressure and gained 12 yards to the 3.
The Eagles passed on the field goal as Hurts took off up the middle. He bounced off Devin Lloyd and into the end zone, halving the Jaguars’ lead.
The Eagles tied the game on Miles Sanders’ 10-yard run. Then they took the lead after Lawrence fumbled a snap at the Jaguars’ 35, which Haason Reddick recovered with 3 minutes remaining in the half.
Kenneth Gainwell eventually ran 10 yards for a touchdown with 26 seconds left in the half. Just like that, the Eagles were in front for the first time.
2 Eagles injured
The first series for the Eagles on offense couldn’t have gone much worse. Hurts, who had thrown just 1 interception through the first three games, tried forcing a pass into Zach Pascal on 2nd-and-7 from the Eagles’ 36.
But the ball deflected off Pascal and into the arms of Cisco, who returned it 59 yards for a touchdown. Just like that, the Jaguars had a 7-0 lead with 11:15 remaining.
The Eagles also lost left tackle Jordan Mailata during that series. The Eagles disclosed that Mailata suffered a shoulder injury and is questionable to return. Jack Driscoll replaced him. Cornerback Darius Slay left soon after with a forearm injury. He, too, is questionable to return. He was replaced by Zech McPhearson.
Neither returned in the first half.
Eagles inactives: Starting CB sitting out
The Eagles ruled out starting slot cornerback Avonte Maddox for the game. Maddox suffered an ankle injury in practice on Thursday. That could be a potentially big loss for the Eagles as he was expected to spend most of his time covering Christian Kirk, who ranks 8th in the NFL in receiving yards with 267.
Josiah Scott replaced Maddox, and that could mean Kirk lines up in the slot even more than usual. Expect safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to help out on Kirk when Kirk lines up inside.
The Eagles also didn’t have running back Boston Scott, ruled out with a rib injury. Trey Sermon, signed off waivers on Aug. 31, was on the game-day roster for the first time. His first Eagles carry went for 14 yards late in the second quarter.
In addition, the Eagles signed Britain Covey to the 53-man roster. He has served as the punt returner while getting the practice-squad elevation each of the first three games. The Eagles had to add him to the roster because a player is only allowed three game-day elevations.
The Eagles’ other inactives are: QB Ian Book, S Reed Blankenship, DE Janarius Robinson and G Josh Sills.
The Jaguars will be without WR Zay Jones, who leads the team with 19 receptions. In addition, OLB K’Lavon Chaisson is also sitting out with an injury.
Pederson’s reception
Pederson received a standing ovation from the Lincoln Financial Field crowd when he walked onto the field with his team before the game. It was well deserved.
After all, Pederson coached the Eagles to the only Super Bowl victory in franchise history. And that far outweighed the travesty of the 2020 season that ended with an embarrassing fourth-quarter tank job.
As Pederson put it during the week: “I was with the Chiefs and coach (Andy) Reid, we came back (in 2013), and he got a standing ovation, so hopefully it’s in that realm. But look, it’s Philly, anything’s possible with these fans.” Then he laughed.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
