Jalen Hurts adds another chapter to his legend with a gutty performance as the Eagles scrape by the Cowboys

Jalen Hurts would rather crack a smile than talk about his knee injury. The sphinx-like Eagles quarterback feigned ignorance when asked what happened when Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence’s helmet rammed into his already-bruised left knee and he hobbled to the sideline just before the half.

“I don’t remember,” he said.

Everyone else who cares about the Eagles and watched the play, of course, won’t forget the image of Hurts struggling to his feet, staggering to the sideline, and backup Marcus Mariota warming up as trainers tended to the starter.

“I saw him limping off pretty heavy,” tackle Lane Johnson said. “And I’m like, ‘Oh, [bleep]!’”

Johnson spoke for most of the 69,879 fans at Lincoln Financial Field who came to watch the matchup between the NFC East’s top two squads, the many more watching from home, and collectively for all of Eagles Nation.

“What was going through my mind?” wide receiver A.J. Brown said of Hurts’ reinjury. “Marcus going in.”

» READ MORE: Eagles grades: Jalen Hurts returns from injury scare to deliver win over Dallas Cowboys

Mariota, though, did not enter. Hurts returned following a timeout for the next play. He handed the ball off, the Eagles punted, and the quarterback went to the locker room early with his team trailing, 17-14.

But any doubt that Hurts would emerge from the tunnel after the half was dispelled when he was the last player to jog out. And any uncertainty that the knee would limit him was again dismissed by the 25-year-old as he guided the offense to consecutive touchdowns to open the second half.

The Eagles nearly coughed up an 11-point lead on multiple occasions with multiple mistakes by players on both sides of the ball. But they persevered and prevailed, 28-23, over the 5-3 Cowboys on Sunday and head to the bye still with the NFL’s best record at 8-1.

“Selfishly,” Hurts said in a brief moment of candidness, “I don’t think the bye week could have come at a better time.”

The divisional victory over the Eagles’ rival was in many ways similar to the seven preceding wins, mostly in that it was marred by repeated errors. But they continue to win in spite of them, and increasingly because of Hurts, who has had only one blip — against the New York Jets — since he first injured his knee against the Rams in Week 5.

» READ MORE: Eagles prove they’re once again the NFL’s best team with win over Cowboys

He continues to wear a soft brace, but he has yet to miss practice and allow himself one play off despite the obvious pain he has played through over the four-game stretch.

“He’s tough as heck,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “Never been on the injury report though because his play status has never been in doubt. Great leader, great player, rises to the occasion in big time moments.

“That’s who he is. And so, whether his body is feeling 100%, whether his body is not feeling 100% — which nobody’s body is at this particular time — he’s a warrior.”

Even better than that, he’s a winner. The Eagles are now 25-2 (.926) in their last 27 regular-season games with Hurts at the controls, making him the fifth NFL quarterback since 1950 to win 25-plus over that span, joining Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Jim McMahon, and Joe Montana.

Hurts was efficient despite the offensive line’s inability to protect him against Dallas linebacker Micah Parsons (1½ sacks), Lawrence, and one of the league’s best defensive fronts in the first half. For the game, he completed 17 of 23 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns without an interception for a passer rating of 130.2.

And he ran 10 times for 36 yards and another Brotherly Shove touchdown. In less than four seasons, Hurts has set the franchise mark with 33 rushing touchdowns, passing Randall Cunningham.

But none of that seemed possible with just seconds left before the half when he dropped to pass. The pocket collapsed, Lawrence fell forward into the side of Hurts’ knee with his helmet, and center Jason Kelce blocked him to the ground.

“I thought I was dumping him. He was out of control,” Kelce said. “I didn’t realize I was that close to Jalen when that happened.”

Hurts buckled and bounced back where Parsons was waiting for the sack. He lay on his face for a moment, used only his arms and his head to pull himself up, and stumbled to the sideline hunched over.

Left tackle Jordan Mailata said he thought that it was Parsons who had hurt his quarterback. He had allowed a strip-sack earlier that Hurts had recovered, and here it was again that his man had gotten the quarterback.

“The guy’s a [bleeping] machine, man,” Mailata said of Hurts. “Everybody can see that on the field. But the one thing that you can’t see that’s so impressive about him is his mentality to win.

“He’s on the sideline, ‘Believe, believe. We can do this.’ I said, ‘My bad on that sack.’ And he’s like, ‘Next play, baby.’”

Sirianni told Fox Sports at the half that Hurts didn’t have any testing done on his knee during the break. He did say that he had taken an IV in his office.

“After I saw him in the locker room at halftime walking around better, I knew he was going to play,” Johnson said. “He might have a bruise there and any time to get a helmet to those places it’s one of those pains that lingers. It feels like it’s just settled in your bones.”

Sirianni and offensive coordinator Brian Johnson have dialed back on designed quarterback runs over the last several weeks, but on the first possession of the second half, Hurts kept on a zone read and rushed 4 yards on third-and-2.

Three plays later, he threw his best pass of the game: A 29-yard bull’s-eye to receiver DeVonta Smith in the back corner of the end zone.

“They came out with a lot of man [coverage] on that drive,” Smith said. “We saw the opportunity and we took advantage of it.”

On the Eagles’ ensuing drive, Hurts drove the offense 87 yards on 11 plays. He capped the scourge with a short option pass and Brown barreled into the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown and a 28-17 lead.

But the Cowboys were undaunted. They marched up and down the field on the Eagles’ defense, while the offense couldn’t manage a single first down on three possessions in the fourth quarter. On the second series, Hurts threw a deep fade to Brown on third-and-3 that sailed out of bounds.

“I thought it was a good call by Brian,” Sirianni said. “It was a good ball by Jalen. I thought A.J. had his eyes around and the right timing, but sometimes you just don’t get it. But I know this: When you are aggressive like that, it opens up everything, and shoot, A.J. Brown has been on a tear with the ball vertically in the past five games.

“So hey, they got us on that one.”

Catastrophe almost struck several times, the potentially most devastating when Brown motioned into running back D’Andre Swift, causing him to fumble with 59 seconds remaining. But rookie right guard Tyler Steen, who was making his first career start, pounced on the loose ball.

“We can’t be repeat offenders,” Hurts said. “We can’t make the same mistakes over and over again. We’re having these conversations.”

When the locker room opened to reporters, Hurts was at Kelce’s stall having a long talk, not unlike after most games. There will be a lot to clean up moving forward. But Hurts has helped cover for the sloppiness in recent weeks. He has been playing close to his MVP form from last season.

“It’s certainly a good feeling when he comes back out,” Kelce said, “there’s no question about that.”

And with that, Hurts headed to the trainer’s room. He’ll have an extra week to rest. The Eagles will need it, as well. The Chiefs await in Kansas City for a Super Bowl LVII rematch.