HOUSTON — After he took care of business by tossing a 17-yard, go-ahead touchdown to A.J. Brown, Jalen Hurts paid homage to his hometown upon his return.
The victory moved the team to 8-0 for the first time in franchise history and further legitimized not only Hurts’ grip on the Eagles’ long-term plans at the most important position in football, but also his candidacy as the NFL’s most valuable player through the first half of the season. “There’s rarity in me on reflecting on things and having emotion towards it,” Hurts said. “But I’m proud that my family got to see that today. I’m proud my dad got to see that. I know that’s special to him because my family knows the memories that we’ve had with the Houston Texans.”
Moments after the final pitch, a Houston-area reporter asked for his reaction to the Astros being a game away from the title.» READ MORE:Hurts, in his typical manner, showed little emotion this week, according to most of his teammates. But wide receiver Greg Ward, who played college football at Houston, and Brown, his best friend, said they could tell the game had extra meaning for him.
“I said, ‘Don’t let this be a distraction. You’re the last person I worry about with this, but don’t let this be a distraction to you,’” Sirianni said. “And he had the same look on his face as if it didn’t matter.” Hurts’ turnover wasn’t all his fault. Center Jason Kelce’s snap caught the quarterback off guard, and it may have distracted him from cornerback Steven Nelson blitzing off the edge. Houston went three-and-out after the fumble and the Eagles scored another rushing touchdown on their next series.