When what to my wondering eyes did appear, but competent quarterback play and Miles Sanders hitting all gears!
In a sight akin to a bearded man steering a reindeer-led sleigh through the sky, the Philadelphia Eagles executed on offense, did not surrender any sacks and intercepted the opposing quarterback en route to a 24-21 upset win over the New Orleans Saints.
Making his first start in place of struggling starter Carson Wentz, rookie Jalen Hurts sparked the offense and stopped the Eagles’ four-game losing streak. He threw for 167 yards and added 106 rushing yards. At 4-8-1, the Eagles still have a chance to win the NFC East.
Of course, as soon as Wentz showed signs of regression, the Twitter community was calling for Hurts. They finally got their wish in Week 14 and reacted to his solid debut against the Saints, who were on a nine-game winning streak.
Saints got majority of money for Week 14
The Wentz-led Eagles were bad for bettors, going 4-8 ATS. Hurts won his first career start, and the Eagles — who were big underdogs — also covered the spread.
Green Bay, Kansas City and New Orleans had the most lopsided betting percentages as of Sunday morning at FanDuel Sportsbook. Betting splits at FanDuel for Eagles vs. Saints:
- 84% of the money was on the Saints (-7.5) to cover the spread.
- 65% of the money was on the Saints (-360) moneyline
- 72% of the money was on the under (42.5)
At BetRivers, the Eagles were backed by just 8% of the ML handle and 20% of the spread handle.
Miles to go
Running back Miles Sanders had 14 carries for 115 yards and two touchdowns. With Hurts also hitting the century mark on the ground, it was the first time that a pair of Eagles gained 100 rushing yards in the same game since 2013. Sanders’ 82-yard touchdown run was his third run of at least 74 yards this season.
Hurts eases Eagles’ pain
Wentz still getting sacked
The Eagles’ $128 million backup quarterback was still taking hits, albeit from Twitter, on the sidelines.
Lead image credit: AP Photo/Rich Schultz