By DAN GELSTON, AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA — PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts feigned memory loss. What raced through his mind when a helmet crashed into his already bruised left knee and sent him hobbling toward the sideline — and sent edgy Eagles fans into several anxious moments?

“I don’t remember,” a stone-faced Hurts said.

Watch a replay as a reminder. The strength shown made a lasting impression and gained respect within the Eagles’ locker room for all those in Philadelphia who witnessed Hurts endure more brutal tackles, then break through a bewildered Dallas defense.

Hurts expressed uncertainty about what to say, stating that the win was determined and challenging.

Despite his injured left knee, Hurts persevered and threw for 207 yards and two touchdowns. He also scored a rushing touchdown, helping the Philadelphia Eagles defeat the Dallas Cowboys 28-23 on Sunday night.

The Eagles are the sole team in the NFL with a record of 8-1.

The Eagles made every effort to prevent Dallas from scoring on their last drive. Dak Prescott had to advance the Cowboys 86 yards in 46 seconds in order to potentially win the game – and quickly gained 56 yards due to penalties against the Eagles, bringing them to the 6-yard-line.

Just as Prescott was about to make a remarkable comeback, he was taken down by Josh Sweat for a loss of 11 yards.

Following a penalty on the Cowboys with a record of 5-3, they advanced to the 27 yard line where Prescott connected with CeeDee Lamb for a 22-yard gain. However, the play was cut short when Darius Slay of the opposing team tackled Lamb at the 5 yard line, resulting in the end of the game.

Prescott passed for 374 yards and recorded three touchdowns. Lamb made 11 receptions for a total of 191 yards.

The Cowboys coach, Mike McCarthy, expressed satisfaction with our team. He emphasized the importance of learning from our mistakes in order to succeed in games, especially during playoff season.

The Eagles, current NFC champions, are displaying the potential for another successful playoff run. However, this could be jeopardized if Hurts were to sustain a major injury.

Hurts has minimized the seriousness of his knee condition and dismissed any inquiries, even regarding the timing of the injury. He has not appeared on the injury report yet.

Hurts expressed his dedication to his city and teammates, stating that he is willing to do whatever it takes.

During the end of the first half, Hurts experienced a moment of concern when he was tackled by DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons. He stumbled and appeared to be in pain as he left the field limping. After taking a moment to regroup on the sideline during a timeout, Hurts, who was named the runner-up for 2022 NFL MVP, continued playing and handed the ball off.

His fellow players still admire Hurts’ perseverance.

According to wide receiver A.J. Brown, if the person is able to stand up and walk away, they are fine. Brown also mentioned that the person spoke a few words and then immediately after, they were laughing and joking.

Hurts showed determination and resilience despite his injury, using the opening drive of the third quarter to demonstrate his ability to be just as effective with one injured knee as he is with two healthy legs. He ran for four yards and a first down, completed an 11-yard pass, and then made a precise throw to DeVonta Smith in the end zone for a 29-yard touchdown and a 21-17 advantage.

Hurts threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Brown, giving them a 28-17 lead in the final minutes of the quarter. Brown had previously set a new NFL record with six consecutive games of 125 or more yards receiving, but his streak ended with only 66 yards in this game.

The defense of Philadelphia then took control of the situation. Zach Cunningham, a linebacker for the Eagles, stopped a score and threw Prescott to the 1-yard line. On the fourth attempt, Prescott threw a pass to tight end Luke Schoonmaker, which was initially ruled as a touchdown. However, upon further review, it was shown that Schoonmaker’s left knee was down just short of the goal line, and the touchdown was reversed.

The crowd at The Linc erupted in cheers, a familiar sound to Phillies player Bryce Harper, who observed from a suite.

Prescott connected with Jalen Tolbert for a 7-yard touchdown, bringing the score to 28-23. The quarterback attempted a 2-point conversion by scrambling, but upon review, the call was overturned. This was a crucial moment for the Cowboys, as the Eagles maintained their lead of five points.

Prescott stated that by making small increments, they will eventually find a way to achieve their goal.

The Eagles would have to experience a major setback for the Cowboys or any other team in the NFC East to have a chance at catching up to them for the top spot.

Dallas put up a strong effort. The team’s owner, Jerry Jones, refrained from making any potentially motivating statements this week, stating that he didn’t want to provoke the opposing team.

Prescott replied, “Please pour honey on me. In the event that you witness me in a confrontation with a bear, pour honey on me.”

Perhaps bears, but birds, not really.

In the first quarter, Kenneth Gainwell performed a somersault into the end zone, scoring 12 yards and giving the Eagles a 7-0 lead.

In the second quarter, Prescott made two back-to-back touchdown passes, one for 4 yards to tie the game with Jake Ferguson and another for 5 yards to KaVontae Turpin, giving them a 14-7 lead.

Hurts tied the game with the now-familiar — and wildly successful — tush push. It was his seventh rushing touchdown of the season, six on the tush push. He also set an Eagles QB rushing record with 33 career touchdowns.

Despite having only one functioning knee, Hurts remains resolute in his efforts to continue breaking his own record.

Jason Kelce, the center, stated that if he is capable and it is safe, he will not be deterred from returning to the field.

INJURIES

Nakobe Dean, a linebacker for the Eagles, had to leave the game due to a foot injury. The team’s tight end, Dallas Goedert, also suffered an injury to his forearm.

UP NEXT

The Dallas team will return to their home field for a game against the Giants in another NFC East match-up this Sunday.

The Eagles will have a one-week break before their upcoming game on Monday, November 20 against Kansas City, in a rematch of the Super Bowl.

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The AP NFL can be found at the following link: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL.

Source: wralsportsfan.com