Eagles-Saints takeaways: Philly misses Jalen Hurts in brutal loss
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Eagles' offense played their worst game of the season on Sunday in a 20-10 loss against the New Orleans Saints at Lincoln Financial Field.
Here are five takeaways from the game:
Eagles fail to clinch No. 1 seed, NFC East
The Eagles blew another opportunity to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC to secure a first-round bye in the playoffs and a division title in their loss to the Saints.
With a win, the Eagles could've elected to rest their starters next week against the New York Giants with a first round bye and NFC East title locked up.
But now, Jalen Hurts, who missed his second straight game with a shoulder injury, could return next week with the No. 1 seed on the line.
Hurts returned to practice last week for the first time since suffering the injury in limited fashion. He was doubtful before officialy being ruled out prior to kickoff.
The Giants clinched a playoff berth with their victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, which means they could rest their starters next week. But that remains to be seen.
Regardless, the Eagles will need a win to earn a first-round bye and the NFC East title.
Loss to Saints hurts 2023 first round pick
Besides potentially locking up the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, the Eagles had other motivations to beat New Orleans.
The Eagles own the Saints' 2023 first round pick thanks to a trade before the 2022 NFL Draft. But with the Saints earning a win, it made the draft pick worse for the Birds.
Entering the game, the Saints were slated to have the 10th pick in the draft.
But now they sit at 7-9 and the pick could land outside the top 10 if they beat the Carolina Panthers next week.
Minshew, offense struggles
On Christmas Eve, the Eagles offense was in a shootout with the Dallas Cowboys, but their performance against the Saints didn't resemble that team at all.
The Eagles struggled to move the ball all game against New Orleans and they subpar play-calling didn't help. They didn't pick up a first down against the Saints until late in the second quarter.
The Saints controlled the ball for most of the first half to keep the ball away from the Eagles' offense. As a result, the Eagles weren't able to establish a rhythm at all and looked nothing like the team we've seen all year.
Overall, the Eagles went 3 for 12 on third down and 0 for 2 on fourth down, including a quarterback sneak they weren't able to convert in the fourth quarter.
It was the Eagles' worst performance of the season by far, and the lowest amount of points they scored in a game all season. It was also the second time this season they scored less than 20 points.
Gardner Minshew made some mistakes against the Cowboys, but he played well enough for them to win the game last week.
But against the Saints, he had a very poor outing.
Minshew went 18 for 32 for 274 yards, one touchdown to A.J. Brown and one interception.
The interception pretty much sealed the game for the Eagles.
Trailing 13-10 midway through the fourth quarter, the Eagles offense had a chance to take the lead or tie the game.
But Minshew threw an interception that Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore returned it for a touchdown.
The decision by Minshew cost the Eagles a chance at a late comeback, and it could cost them the No. 1 seed if they can't beat the Giants next week.
Jalen Hurts' absence shows he's the MVP
Hurts most likely won't win the MVP award because he's missed two games, but the past two weeks have shown how valuable he is to the Eagles' offense.
The Eagles are a completely different offense with Hurts under center. He allows them to be more versatile team and is a plus-one in the running game.
Philadelphia's offense was pretty lethargic all afternoon. They needed a big play. They got one with Brown's 78-yard touchdown, but they needed much more than that on Sunday to get it done and Hurts could've provided that spark.
Minshew was sacked six times against the Saints. Some of that might've had to do with Lane Johnson being out, but it also could've been due to his lack of mobility.
If Hurts is in, maybe he's able to scramble and make plays with his legs like he's done all year for the Eagles?
The system quarterback stuff with Hurts should also be put to rest after the past two weeks.
For all the chatter about how the weapons around him make the offense go, his weapons could've used Hurts on Sunday big time in their loss to the Saints.
Franchise record in sacks
Despite the loss, there was one positive outcome in this game: the Eagles set a franchise record for sacks in a single-season against the Saints.
Philadelphia's seven sacks on the day puts them at 68 on the season, which tops the record of 62 previously held by the 1989 team.
Haason Reddick and Brandon Graham each had two sacks, while Javon Hargrave and Fletcher Cox and Milton Williams each had one apiece.
Reddick now has 16 sacks on the season, adding to his career-high. Graham now has 11 on the year, which is the first time he's hit double-digit sacks.
The Eagles also became the first team in NFL history to have four players with at least 10-plus sacks in a single-season. To go along with Reddick and Graham, Hargave and Josh Sweat each have 11.
In the first drive of the game, Sweat was carted off the field with a neck injury, the Eagles said. It was a scary site on the field as the whole team came out while Sweat was on the ground.
Sweat is expected to be released from the hospital on Sunday, the team announced, but if they lose him for an extended period of time, it would be a huge blow to the Eagles' pass rush.
