The house of cards finally tumbled. For 287 days, the Philadelphia Eagles crafted an aura of invincibility, winning close games. They found ways to win, even when things looked ugly. But every winning streak, like a long summer, must eventually face a fall. The cracks they had been papering over were about to be exposed in a fourth-quarter collapse that left a stadium in stunned silence.
The Eagles surrendered a 14-point fourth-quarter lead to the Denver Broncos, losing 21-17. In the aftermath, quarterback Jalen Hurts stood tall, not with excuses, but with a stunningly frank admission. He looked into the cameras and placed the entire weight of the loss on his own shoulders, delivering a message that resonated far beyond the final score.
Jalen Hurts Takes Accountability
Facing the media, Hurts didn’t point fingers at the play-calling or the penalty flags. He looked inward, offering a raw assessment that defined his leadership.
"I can't tell you what the issue is. Ultimately, I can take accountability for everything and take responsibility for it all. The lack of execution, the lack of the sense of urgency. I take responsibility for all of it, and I'm just trying to find solutions for it," Hurts simply stated.
And this was a franchise player accepting the blame for a systemic failure, setting a powerful tone for his team. Now, the offense initially showed a new spark in the game.
Jalen Hurts connected with DeVonta Smith on a 52-yard deep ball, the team’s longest pass play this season. This set up a quick touchdown toss to Dallas Goedert. The momentum seemed unshakable after halftime when Hurts hit Saquon Barkley for a 47-yard wheel-route touchdown. A 17-3 lead felt secure. Then, the wheels fell off.
Eagles' Fall From a Promising Start
The offense produced just nine total yards on its next four drives. The aggressive play-calling vanished, replaced by a predictable and stagnant attack. Meanwhile, the defense completely unraveled.
After stifling Denver for three quarters, they had no answers in the fourth. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix engineered two long touchdown drives. The Eagles’ run defense, a season-long concern, allowed 130 rushing yards. Critical penalties mounted at the worst possible moments. And each flag was a self-inflicted wound.
The final minutes were a masterclass in frustration. A miraculous 30-yard completion to Smith on 4th down was nullified by an illegal shift on Barkley. Later, a late hit penalty on Zack Baun gifted Denver a critical first down to ice the game. The Eagles’ final Hail Mary fell helplessly to the turf. And the historic 10-game winning streak was over. Now, the question now is how this team responds.
Read more:Nick Sirianni clears air on Jalen Hurts–A.J. Brown bond ahead of Broncos clash
They travel to face the Giants on Thursday night with a chance to immediately correct course. Hurts’ powerful act of accountability has given them a clear blueprint. He ended his admission with a promise, not a plea:“I’m just trying to find solutions.” The rest of the locker room better hop in the lab fast; big brother Buffalo is now the league’s only unbeaten, and Philly’s cushion is gone. Sometimes the truth hurts—tonight it wore midnight green and still hadn’t blinked.