Eagles' Jalen Hurts makes quip about 'beating' concussion protocol vs. Commanders
The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Washington Commanders last night to earn a critical NFC East victory, and while Saquon Barkley was the star of the night , Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts played no small part in the win. Hurts threw for 221 yards and ran for another 39, including a one-yard sneak in the fourth quarter to give Philadelphia the lead.
But Hurts very well may have never even played in the second half had he been diagnosed with a concussion in the second quarter. The quarterback's head violently hit the ground on a pair of plays, one near the beginning of the second quarter and another near the end.
In the first instance, on first down just a few minutes into the quarter, Hurts was sacked by Frankie Luvu, who dragged Hurts down at an angle, which caused the back of Hurts' head to snap back and into the ground. Hurts stayed in the game and would again take another blow to the head in the final minute of the first half.
On a third-and-goal with less than 30 seconds left, Hurts threw an incompletion as Washington's Quan Martin jumped on his back. When Hurts and Martin went to the ground, Martin's force pushed Hurts' face into the grass. Hurts was slow to get up from the ground, but following halftime, he stayed in and led the Eagles to victory.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts tested for concussion during win vs. Commanders
Hurts had to be tested for a concussion in the first half, and after the game, the quarterback made it seem like he may have suffered a concussion despite passing the concussion protocol.
"I guess I beat the protocol," Hurts said, via the Associated Press.
After the game, Hurts could not remember a specific play, which compelled a laugh from the quarterback, who possibly coincidentally wore sunglasses during his postgame interview with ESPN's Scott Van Pelt.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Hurts said about the play he couldn't recall. "Probably not the right thing to say right now."
With Thursday's win, Philadelphia is now 8-2 on the season, riding a six-game win streak, and has a 1.5-game lead over the Commanders, the team's only legitimate threat to the NFC East title this season.
Despite starting the season with a 2-2 record and then an ugly win over the struggling Cleveland Browns following a bye week, the Eagles have seemingly hit their stride over the last month. Philadelphia crushed the New York Giants in Week 7 before beating Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals by 20 on the road. The Eagles then beat the Jacksonville Jaguars and embarrassed the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington.
