PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns, including a go-ahead 45-yard toss to DeVonta Smith in the fourth quarter, and the ragged Philadelphia Eagles held off the Cleveland Browns 20-16 on Sunday.
Hurts also threw a 22-yard TD to A.J. Brown, who returned along with Smith after both wide receivers missed time with injuries. The Eagles can’t afford to lose either for any more lengthy stretches if they want to make a deep postseason run.
Coming off a bye, the already maddening Eagles (3-2) had to tough one out against the Browns (1-5) in front of a mostly listless crowd. Before Smith’s TD, Eagles fans only showed some fire when they chanted for coach Nick Sirianni to get fired.
Trailing 20-13, the Browns moved into Eagles territory late in the game, only to settle for Dustin Hopkins’ 31-yard field goal. Deshaun Watson was pushed out of bounds at the 2-yard line on a scramble, and he threw incomplete on third down.
The Eagles took over with 3:54 remaining and didn’t let Cleveland get the ball back, with Hurts finding Brown for a 40-yard gain to put the game away.
Sirianni promised changes coming out of the bye week and he delivered — the fourth-year coach shaved his head.
On the field, it was mostly the same old Eagles, who turned running back Saquon Barkley into a bystander, couldn’t get Hurts to consistently connect with his star receivers, and had shoddy execution — notable on special teams.
The saving grace? They played the Browns.
Watson’s dismal play did not nothing to quiet the calls that the team’s $230 million quarterback should be benched. He finished 16 of 23 for 168 yards, and the Browns failed to score an offensive touchdown — they still haven’t scored 20 points in a game this season.
Cleveland got its only touchdown on a blocked field goal by All-Pro Myles Garrett that Rodney McLeod Jr. scooped and returned untouched to the end zone. Watson was sacked three times and threw for just 49 yards in the first half.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, who decided last week he’ll hang on to play-calling duties, has been steadfast in his commitment to Watson, who is in the third season of a fully guaranteed, five-year contract.
Brown had six catches for 116 yards and the score after he missed the last three games with a hamstring injury. Smith had three catches for 64 yards after he sat out a game with a concussion.
Jake Elliot kicked a 44-yarder in the third quarter for the Eagles and Hopkins hit a 49-yarder in the fourth that made it 13-13.
After a scoreless first quarter for the fifth game this season, Elliott broke through with a 49-yarder. The Eagles found a rare offensive spark on their second drive of the quarter: Hurts to Grant Calcaterra for 34 yards, Hurts to Brown for 16 yards, and Hurts to Brown for a 22-yard strike that made it 10-0.
Hopkins kicked a 43-yarder for a Browns, making it 10-3.
The Eagles seemed poised to nurse a small lead headed into halftime when Elliott lined up for a 57-yard attempt. Garrett got his hand on the ball when he jumped over Tyler Steen — a nice effort for a 6-foot-4, 272-pounder — for the block. Former Eagles safety McLeod scooped the loose ball and ran 50 yards for the score, topped with a somersault into the end zone, to tie it 10-all with 14 seconds left in the half.
Eagles fans, fed up with Sirianni since last season’s late collapse, booed the team off the field. The real angry ones started a “Fire Nick!” chant, while those at home mused on social media if a coach could get fired at halftime.
Injuries
Browns: C Nick Harris was carted off the field with an ankle injury on the opening drive. Third-stringer Michael Dunn replaced Harris. RB Jerome Ford suffered a hamstring injury. Harris only got the start because starter Ethan Pocic was inactive with a knee injury. Pocic was out along with safeties Grant Delpit (concussion) and Ronnie Hickman (ankle).
Eagles: TE Dallas Goedert suffered a hamstring injury. CB Darius Slay left with a knee injury. OT Jordan Mailata left in the fourth, also with a hamstring injury.
Up next
Browns: Host Cincinnati next Sunday.
Eagles: At the New York Giants next Sunday.
