Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was hesitant to provide an injury update after requiring a knee brace in Sunday's win over the Los Angeles Rams, but smiled when saying: "I finished the game."
The Eagles held on to beat the Rams 28-22 and advance to the NFC Championship game, where they will face the Washington Commanders on Jan. 26. However, the Eagles almost threw the game away in the fourth quarter as Hurts appeared to struggle after suffering a knee injury.
Hurts was sacked in the third quarter by Rams duo Desjuan Johnson and Jaylen McCollough, but his knee buckled after he was dragged onto his back. Hurts briefly entered the blue medical tent to be evaluated, and returned wearing a knee brace.
The Eagles quarterback was asked about his injury after the game, and said to Melissa Stark of NBC Sports: "I’m sure I’ll get asked about it later. I don’t know if I can answer that now. I just want to enjoy this win with my teammates."
When pressed for an answer on whether he's OK, Hurts added: "I finished the game. I finished the game." Although Hurts did finish the game, he struggled in the fourth quarter and the Rams were handed a potential game-winning drive, but quarterback Matthew Stafford failed to deliver.
Initially, Hurts made the perfect start to the game after rushing for a 44-yard touchdown in the first quarter. The Eagles prioritized the run game due to the snowy conditions in Philadelphia, as Hurts only had 126 passing yards, completing 15 of his 20 passes for zero touchdowns or interceptions.
With emphasis on the running game, up stepped Saquon Barkley, who rushed for 205 yards and two touchdowns in a record year for the ex-New York Giant. The starting running back for the Rams, Kyren Williams, also had a strong game with 106 yards but failed to find the end zone.
Rams quarterback Stafford went 26-for-44 with 324 yards and two touchdowns, finding tight ends Tyler Higbee and Colby Parkinson in the end zone. He couldn't convert on the final drive despite reaching the red zone with one minute remaining, ending the Rams' season.
The Eagles will now face familiar opposition in the NFC Championship game but already have one advantage over their NFC East rivals. Due to the Eagles being the highest-ranked seed remaining in the NFC Conference, they will host Sunday's game in Philadelphia.
The Detroit Lions were the No. 1 seed heading into the weekend, but were stunned by the Commanders who won 45-31 at Ford Field. This season's series between the Eagles and the Commanders is 1-1, but Philadelphia won't want to enter Sunday's game without Hurts.
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