Inside Eagles stats: Jalen Hurts’ best; third-down struggles; Nicholas Morrow’s sackfest and more

After a nail-biting, 34-31 overtime win against the Washington Commanders on Sunday afternoon, the Eagles are 4-0 to start the season for a second straight year.

Here are four stats (plus one bonus figure) that matter from the Week 4 victory.

After a relatively quiet start to the season, Jalen Hurts had his best day as a passer against the Commanders, posting a season-high 112.3 passer rating (his best since Week 13 in 2022 against the Tennessee Titans, 130.3). Hurts went 25-for-37 (67.6%) for a season-high 319 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Six of his completions were for 20 or more yards, including 59- and 28-yard touchdown passes to wide receiver A.J. Brown in the second half.

Hurts has 8,865 career passing yards. He has surpassed Nick Foles (8,703) for ninth on the team’s career passing list. Hurts’ 736 completions also move him into eighth place on the franchise’s all-time list, ahead of Tommy Thompson (723, 1941-50).

“I thought he played clutch,” coach Nick Sirianni said of Hurts. “Just clutch. I think that’s the best way to say it. Whether it was the overtime drive, whether it was the drive where we scored with about a minute-plus left. We didn’t have a lot of possessions in the first half, and we needed that end-of-half drive to get going. Clutch.”

The Eagles converted 33% of their third downs (4-for-12) on Sunday, which is their worst performance since Week 1 against the New England Patriots (31%). As a result, they either relied on Jake Elliott to kick a field goal (4-for-4), called on punter Braden Mann (three for 129 yards), or went for it on fourth down (2-for-2).

Seven of the Eagles’ 12 third-down attempts were and-long situations (7 or more yards to a first down), including three attempts of 11 yards or more. The Eagles didn’t convert on any of those 11-plus-yard situations. One of those situations was a third-and-11 in the fourth quarter in which the Eagles opted to hand the ball off to running back Kenneth Gainwell for no gain. Gainwell fumbled the ball on the play, but right tackle Lane Johnson came up with it.

» READ MORE: Sources: Eagles punt returner Britain Covey is in concussion protocol

Against the Buccaneers on Sept. 25, the Eagles ran the ball successfully on third-and-6, but it was D’Andre Swift who picked up 13 yards on the play.

“Hey, we convert on those, we’re high-fiving,” Sirianni said. “If we don’t convert, I understand there could be criticism there. All those calls — again, Brian [Johnson, offensive coordinator] and I make those — we do those throughout the week. That’s what we thought would give us the best chance to get the first down.”

Inside linebacker Nicholas Morrow racked up three sacks on Sunday, which was one short of tying his previous career total of four. Morrow, a sixth-year veteran, signed with the Eagles in free agency. Although he did not make the initial 53-man roster, he was signed to the practice squad on Sept. 4 and was eventually added to the active roster on Sept. 12 with starter Nakobe Dean (foot) on injured reserve.

Morrow finished with 11 tackles Sunday, which tied with cornerback Darius Slay for second on the team behind Zach Cunningham (13). Although the Eagles have taken criticism for their lack of talent at inside linebacker, Morrow said that the outside noise doesn’t affect him.

“No matter what it is, every game is the same approach,” he said. “So it doesn’t change, whether people on the outside are saying this or that. I just go in and approach the game the same way as I’ve always approached it.”

In his last two games, Brown has racked up a total of 306 receiving yards on 18 receptions. He had 175 yards (second-best of his career, behind 181 vs. Chicago last Dec. 18) on nine receptions as the Eagles’ leading receiver Sunday, including two touchdown receptions. The two-game stretch marks Brown’s best performance in terms of yardage in his five-year career.

According to the team, Brown is the first Eagle to have at least 175 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns in a game since Jeremy Maclin on Oct. 26, 2014, against the Arizona Cardinals (187 yards). He is the fifth Eagle since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger to post at least 130 receiving yards in two consecutive games, joining Maclin (2014), DeSean Jackson (2009, 2010), Mike Quick (1983, 1985), and Harold Jackson (1972).

After the 5-foot-9, 167-pound Elliott kicked the game-winning, 54-yard field goal, left tackle Jordan Mailata hoisted the kicker as if he were the Stanley Cup. Mailata, who is listed at 6-8, 365, estimated after the game that he could have completed five Elliott overhead presses if given the opportunity in the moment.

“That guy was a little bit heavier than I thought he was,” Mailata said. “Initially I got stalled here, and I was like, ‘Hang on. Something’s not right. I just have to push through and make it to the end.’ It’s like a Simba moment. A little Lion King press. Maybe five times. I was tired at the end of the game.”