The Eagles were in a bigger struggle than they might have anticipated as they tried to start off a season 8-0 for the first time in 90 years of existence.
The Eagles had to battle back from allowing an early touchdown, then losing their first fumble of the season, before finally getting going, only to see the Houston Texans score a late touchdown to tie the game at 14-14.
For the first time this season, the Eagles didn’t have a lead at the break. Jake Elliott missed a 54-yard field goal as time expired.
All of this came against a Texans team missing its top two wide receivers in Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins.
Yet the Texans methodically marched down the field as quarterback Davis Mills found Phillip Dorsett for 34 yards down to the Eagles’ 6 before scoring on the next play to tight end Teagan Quitoriano.
The Eagles responded with an 18-play, 91-yard drive that used up 8 minutes, 4 seconds, all season highs. Miles Sanders capped off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run on fourth down.
Jalen Hurts, playing for the first time as an NFL player in his hometown of Houston, started off strong on the Eagles’ next drive, hitting A.J. Brown for 31 yards and DeVonta Smith for 22 down to the Texans’ 27. But Hurts fumbled the ball away on the next play as former Eagle Steven Nelson knocked the ball away.
The Eagles seemed reluctant to run the ball against the NFL’s worst rush defense, as Houston came into the game allowing an average of 186 yards per game.
That is, until the Eagles’ next drive, when Miles Sanders started it with runs of 13 and 25 yards. That got the Eagles going as Kenny Gainwell ended the drive with a 4-yard TD with 4:32 left in the first half.
But the undermanned Texans, behind running back Dameon Pierce, scored again with 37 seconds left in the first half. Pierce had a 36-yard run down to the Eagles’ 27 at the 2-minute warning. Then Mills capped the drive with a 13-yard TD pass to Chris Moore.
Hurts was 14-for-18 for 176 yards, while Sanders had 54 yards rushing on 8 carries. Pierce led the Texans with 82 yards rushing on 12 carries.
Gardner-Johnson an INT machine
Eagles safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson set up the Eagles’ go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter with an interception. For Gardner-Johnson, it was his fifth interception of the season, an NFL high. It was his fourth INT in the last three games.
The interception set the Eagles up at the Texans’ 17 yard line. Two plays later, Hurts hit A.J. Brown for the touchdown.
Eagles walkthrough week
Exercise bikes and massage beds were set up in the locker room within minutes after the Eagles (7-0) finished off their 35-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
Then instead of holding live practices on Monday, Tuesday and/or Wednesday, the Eagles held walkthroughs each day. In addition, the Eagles had a big enough lead in the fourth quarter against the Steelers, so they were able to rest their offensive starters for the last nine minutes of the game.
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The Eagles did all of this despite just having their week off. That gave the coaches extra time to prepare not only for the Steelers, but for the Texans.
The players appreciated it, too.
“It’s never the physical part of it,” defensive end Brandon Graham said. “I feel like we always get our body back by Thursday anyway. It’s more mental. It’s about the game plan, carrying out the game plan. So just making sure you don’t have any hiccups there, because that’s what can get you beat for real, on top of not making the plays when your plays come to you.”
Eagles take slow route
The Eagles took the slow and steady approach on their first drive, which came after the Texans marched down the field for an early lead.
The Eagles tied the game, going 18 plays for 91 yards in 8 minutes, 4 seconds. It was the Eagles’ longest drive of the season in terms of plays, yards and time. The previous highs were 16 plays against Arizona on Oct. 9, 88 yards against Washington on Sept. 25, and 7:58 against Arizona.
During the drive, the Eagles converted three third downs before scoring on 4th-and-goal from the 2 on Miles Sanders’ TD run.
Eagles rookie on IR, Texans missing more
Rookie defensive tackle Jordan Davis went on injured reserve Wednesday, meaning that he’ll have to miss a minimum of four games. Davis injured his ankle in the win over Pittsburgh on Sunday. The earliest he can return is Dec. 4 against Tennessee.
The Eagles didn’t fill Davis’ spot on the roster, but they gave defensive tackle Marvin Wilson the practice squad elevation for the game. Wilson, the Browns’ undrafted free agent in 2021, spent last season and this season on the Eagles’ practice squad. Wilson got into one game last season.
The Eagles’ inactives were QB Ian Book, DB Josiah Scott, RB Trey Sermon, G Josh Sills and G Sua Opeta.
The Texans, meanwhile, played without their top two wide receivers in Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins. Cooks didn’t practice this week, apparently unhappy that he wasn’t traded. He was listed as missing practice for personal reasons. Cooks leads the Texans with 354 yards receiving. Collins, who has a groin injury, is right behind him with 305 yards.
That leaves tight end Jordan Aikens, with 159 yards, as the Texans’ leading receiver. Even with Cooks and Collins, the Texans were ranked 31st in total offense, averaging just 289 yards per game.
Owning the Texans
The Eagles have never lost to the Texans, going 5-0. The last time the Eagles were in Houston, on Nov. 2, 2014, they won 31-21 as backup quarterback Mark Sanchez replaced the injured Nick Foles. Only four players − Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham − remain from that game. The last time the two teams met, on Dec. 23, 2018, was at Lincoln Financial Field. Foles lead the Eagles to a 32-30 win.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
