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Tim McManus, ESPN Staff Writer
LOS ANGELES — Quarterback Jalen Hurts set season highs in both rushing attempts (15) and rushing yards (72) to power the Philadelphia Eagles to a 23-14 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
It was his most complete game of the season — a performance reminiscent of last season’s near-MVP campaign. He also threw for over 300 yards and a touchdown with one interception on 25-of-38 passing. It was his fifth career game with 300 passing yards and a rushing TD, passing Michael Vick for most in Eagles history, per ESPN Stats & Information research.
“Overall, I think he had a really good performance,” said Philadelphia wide receiver A.J. Brown, who finished with six catches for 127 yards. “Picking up third downs with his feet, strong runner as he’s always been, but just having that will just to stay up on his feet, just staying poised the entire game.”
Hurts’ legs were particularly critical on third down. He rushed a career-high eight times for 45 yards and tied a personal best with six first-down conversions.
“The relief is like, first down, we’re not getting off the field, hell yeah, continue the drive, let’s go get some points,” Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata said. “That’s how I feel when he does that. I’m like, ‘I love you. Thank you for doing that.’ He bailed us out, man.
“He just used football IQ. He knows the routes, he knows how far they’re going; and if he doesn’t like what he’s seeing, he’s just going to take off and use his legs. That’s him.”
Hurts had been relatively quiet on the ground over the first four weeks, totaling 134 yards on 40 attempts (3.35 yards per carry), sparking speculation about his health and whether something had changed in his game.
“What did you-all say? He couldn’t do it anymore or something,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni joked afterward.
Hurts, who has been quicker to slide this season in an effort to protect himself and stay healthy for the long haul, showed he can still utilize the run element of his game when he needs it.
“Things come when they’re supposed to,” Hurts said. “I think it’s as simple as that.”
The Eagles improved to 5-0 on the year, with a trip to the 2-3 New York Jets up next.
Sunday’s contest marked one of the better all-around performances for Philadelphia, with the defense limiting the Rams (2-3) to 14 points and the offense surpassing 400 yards for the fourth consecutive game.
“I watch him all the time. It’s always magic,” Philly cornerback Darius Slay said of Hurts. “Every time I get the corrections [on the sideline], I stand there and go watch Hurts work.”