3 Takeaways from Eagles' Week 11 Win

When the Philadelphia Eagles were 2-5 earlier this season, it seemed like there was little chance they could make it to the playoffs. But since then, they have been rolling, and their odds of making the postseason have greatly increased with their improved play.

The Eagles continued their recent surge Sunday afternoon, as they cruised to a 40-29 victory over the New Orleans Saints at Lincoln Financial Field. It was Philadelphia's third win in four weeks and its first home victory of the season.

After the first quarter, the Eagles had a 14-0 lead thanks to a pair of Jalen Hurts rushing touchdowns. They had a 20-point lead at halftime and a 26-point advantage after three quarters before Hurts' third touchdown run of the game sealed the win in the fourth after a spirited Saints comeback bid.

Here are three takeaways from Philadelphia's Week 11 victory.

Hurts Makes Balanced Rushing Attack Tough to Stop

Derik Hamilton/Associated Press

Hurts can be a tough quarterback for opposing defenses to try to stop when he uses his legs to mix in some impressive runs along with his passing attempts. And that was on display Sunday, as he rushed for 69 yards on 18 carries and scored three touchdowns.

The Eagles kept the ball on the ground for much of the game, finishing with 242 yards on 50 rushing attempts. Miles Sanders had a game-high 94 yards on 16 carries in his return from injured reserve, while Jordan Howard (10 carries for 63 yards) and Boston Scott (six carries for 16 yards) also stayed in the mix.

But Hurts' effectiveness on the ground was a primary reason for Philadelphia's rushing success.

"It's a big impact," Sanders said, per Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press. "It opens up big holes for all of us. Having Jalen makes it 10 times easier, but you have to give credit to the offensive line."

A lot is clicking for the Eagles offense right now, as they have scored at least 30 points in each of their past three victories. It seems Philadelphia has discovered how to be successful when it has the ball, which could lead to more big showings on the ground down the stretch.

Slay's Impact on Defense Has Been Huge

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Darius Slay touchdowns are becoming a common occurrence. The Eagles defense has been playing better, and the unit's 30-year-old star cornerback has been a big reason for that, especially because he's finding ways to impact games in major ways.

In Week 10, Slay returned a fumble 83 yards for a touchdown in Philadelphia's road win over the Denver Broncos. He followed that up by notching a pick-six against New Orleans, intercepting quarterback Trevor Siemian in the second quarter and returning it 51 yards for the score.

According to ESPN's Tim McManus, Slay is the first Eagles player to score a defensive touchdown in consecutive games since Sheldon Brown in 2009, and he's the first to do it in the NFL this year. Slay is also the first Philadelphia player with three defensive TDs in a season since at least 2000, per McManus.

"We knew he wasn't getting caught," Eagles linebacker T.J. Edwards said, per Dave Spadaro of the team's official site. "It was just a really good play by him. Again, he's a guy who's been doing that for a long time, and he's coming up big for us right now."

Slay's day ended when he exited with a head injury in the second half, so he will be in the NFL's concussion protocol this week. But once he's healthy and back leading the defense, he could be poised to make some more big plays before the season is over.

This Winning Streak May Keep Going for a While

Derik Hamilton/Associated Press

With back-to-back victories over the Broncos and Saints, the Eagles are on their first winning streak of 2021. And it's clear that they are also playing their best football of the season by far.

"All those times I was saying this team's close...we're just showing it," Philadelphia tight end Dallas Goedert said, per The Athletic's Zach Berman. "We're fixing the little things that everybody was so concerned about early on, and now we're on a roll."

That roll may not stop anytime soon, either. The next two games, the Eagles have winnable road matchups against the New York Giants (3-6) and New York Jets (2-8). After a Week 14 bye, Philadelphia's final four games are against Washington (4-6, twice), the Giants and the Dallas Cowboys (7-3).

It's possible the Eagles could still make a push for the NFC East title. But if not, they should at least be in the wild-card mix considering their schedule down the stretch. So despite its early struggles, Philadelphia could end up making a postseason push, especially if it keeps up its recent level of production.