Eagles Make History by Running Record to 8-0
HOUSTON – The last time the Eagles were 8-0…well, they’ve never been 8-0.
That’s where they are now after beating the Houston Texans 29-14 at NRG Stadium, breaking free from a 14-14 halftime tie with a second-half surge that saw Jalen Hurts throw two touchdown passes, the defense intercept two passes, and Javon Hargrave collect two of his career-high three sacks.
Since being born in 1933, the best any Eagles team could do was start 7-0, and only one team had done that until this version of the Eagles came along. That team was in 2004, which ended up in the Super Bowl.
To get to 8-0, the Eagles had to hit the NFL’s curveball out of the park. That curveball being these Thursday night specials, with just four days of rest between games.
“These Thursday night games are always tough,” said head coach Nick Sirianni. “However you got to get it done, you got to go get it done. Our guys played hard, played physical.”
And speaking of hitting it out of the park, it was a weird game to cover because of what was going on with the baseball teams that represent these two respective cities – the Phillies and the Astros.
Game 5 of the World Series was being played 1,500 miles away from what the locals call H-town.
One reporter had the game on a screen next to his laptop on the press row.
Then, when the locker room opened, Brandon Graham said to one reporter, “what’s the score of the game?”
Players everywhere started watching the television that had the game on. It was the bottom of the eight and the Phillies were threatening, trailing 3-2.
Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox stood nearby and wondered why you don’t see more teams use a safety squeeze or a suicide squeeze anymore.
Then Kelce said, "I'm not leaving until this game is over."
The Phillies lost and now trail the series 3-2 as it shifts back to H-town with the Astros needing one more win to wrap t up.
As fans poured down the escalators and streamed to the exits, they were cheering wildly, jubilant because their baseball team had won. To them, it didn't matter their football team fell to 1-6-1.
The Eagles, well, they are 8-0 and off for 11 days until Monday Night Football on Nov. 14 against the Commanders.
“I know it's special for the city of Philadelphia,” said Hurts, who is now 11-0 in his last regular season games, which is a new team record.
“I mean, I've been 8-0 before and lost a national championship. Just take it day by day. Take it day by day. We haven't accomplished anything yet. It's a day-by-day thing of us controlling the things we can, playing to our standard, trying to grow every day. I think that's truly what it's about.”
There’s one big ugly wart on the end of these Eagles' noses that seemed to grow three times larger than it had been coming in, and that’s the run defense.
Dameon Pierce gashed it for 139 and the Texans gained 168. As a team, the Texans didn’t go quietly.
“It’s the NFL,” said Hargrave. “We preach it every day, any day can be anybody’s day. Everybody can play good football and everybody can win in this league.”
A fight like the one the Texans put up can only serve to help strengthen the team’s resolve.
In other words, it was needed.
“We’ve been winning a lot,” said pass rusher Haason Reddick. “Some games we’ve been tested, some games we haven’t. Against a team like this we knew could run the ball well, it was good to get that test because now we know like, OK, we have to get that part of our game together, and I have no doubt we will.
“I’m glad the game ended up the way it did and I’m thankful we were able to come out on top with a victory to keep this streak going.”
How long this streak can continue no one knows, but 8-0 is 8-0 and that is something that’s never been done before by any Eagles team in 89 years.
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
