Only MVPs can pull that off. 

Jalen Hurts’ passer rating was seven at halftime Sunday. Both him and the offense were dreadful in the first half, to say the least. The defense was making stops early on, but offensive mistakes were costly.

At halftime, it just looked bleak. 

But one thing we learned about this team is the Eagles do not give up and continually find ways to win games, especially Hurts. He just forgets every play and drive, bad or good. It really is the next play for him, and Hurts again proved that. 

Hurts threw three touchdowns in the second half and helped set up the tying field goal (Jake Eliott is clutch!!!) and rushed for the winning score in overtime to lead the Eagles to a 37-34 victory over the Buffalo Bills. Hurts finished with 200 yards, three TDs, a 96.2 quarterback rating and 134.8 passer rating, which is remarkable considering what his halftime stats were. Hurts added 65 rushing yards and two scores. 

Hurts has now won 14 straight regular-season games against teams with winning records, the first quarterback to do that since 1950. Hurts has now won eight straight games when trailing by 10 or more points, including last week against the Kansas City Chiefs. He has a 27-2 record in his last 29 regular-season games, and led the Eagles’ to a 10-1 start for the second straight season. 

Hurts’ second-half performance is the reason he should be at the top of the MVP voting. He threw an interception that led to a Bills’ touchdown to give them a 10-0 lead. After Jalen Carter blocked a Bills’ FG, Hurts fumbled on a handoff to Kenny Gainwell. That turnover led to Stefon Diggs’ TD to give the Bills a 17-7 lead. 

The defense forced three punts in the first half and, who knows, without those turnovers, the Eagles could have been in the lead at halftime. But nothing fazes Hurts, even after going three-and-out on the first drive of the second half. The next three dives, Hurts stepped up, moved the ball and threw touchdowns to A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Olamide Zaccheaus to give the Eagles a 28-24.

The Bills eventually took a 31-28 lead, but Hurts  led the Eagles down the field and, despite two Jason Kelce false starts, gave Elliott a chance to tie it… and how can you not trust Elliott? Yes, even the elite kickers miss. But, for the most part, Elliott is pretty automatic. His 59-yard field goal, in really terrible conditions, was very difficult to make, though. Even for him. 

Then in overtime, Hurts orchestrated a game-winning drive with the pressure on his shoulders.

Hurts is just so calm.

He is so special. 

Even without Lane Johnson, a crucial piece on the offensive line, and Dallas Goedert, who is huge in both blocking a passing game, Hurts still stands out. He faces adversity head on. Again, the word is remarkable. 

What wasn’t remarkable was the defense?

The Bills finished with 505 yards of total offense. The Bills were 13 for 22 on third down, which was not good, especially in overtime when they converted two third-and-9s. The Eagles only sacked Josh Allen once, and he dropped back 51 times. He had 339 passing yards! It just was a bad performance from the defense, despite forcing two turnovers. 

But overall, this was a huge win for the Eagles. They are now two games up on Dallas in the NFC East and two games up on the Cowboys, Lions and Niners in the conference. That provides the Eagles with even more cushion heading into a big Week 12 matchup with the Niners, a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship game.