PHILADELPHIA — As quarterback Jalen Hurts’ postgame news conference wrapped up Monday night following the Eagles’ 33-25 win over the New York Giants, members of the media and Eagles staffers were wishing each other a merry Christmas, to which Hurts quipped as he walked out of the room:
«Is it Christmas?»
It was certainly not festive inside the locker room even though the Eagles had snapped a three-game losing streak. Much of the frustration was being felt on the offensive side of the ball after some untimely miscues nearly cost Philadelphia another win.
«We have 11 wins but we’re not playing good football right now,» DeVonta Smith said. «As an offense, we’re not where we want to be … It needs to be better for what I want to do, whatever everybody else in here wants to do, where we want to be. And we’re nowhere near that. So no, I’m not happy.»
Fellow receiver A.J. Brown declined to talk to the media. And Hurts engaged in long, seemingly serious conversations throughout the locker room postgame, first with Smith, then offensive coordinator Brian Johnson and finally center Jason Kelce.
«I think we’re hungry. I think we’re motivated, eager,» Hurts said. «It’s just a matter of being together and committing ourselves to that excellence and chasing that.»
The Eagles held a players-only meeting during the week leading into the game, sources said, in the name of holding one another accountable. Smith talked of «uncomfortable conversations» that were had amongst the group.
«You don’t expect to have a talk and then everything is clean, no,» Smith said. «You’re still going to have problems and things like that. But it’s going in the right direction.»
The Eagles generated nearly 500 yards of offense against New York. But a pick-six by Hurts in the third quarter — tight end Dallas Goedert lost his footing on the play, leading to the interception — and a lost fumble on special teams were two of the most prominent blunders that allowed the Giants to creep back in the game.
Philadelphia has looked vulnerable of late but at 11-4, it has the NFC East title in its sights and is pushing for a top seed in the NFC with games against the Cardinals (3-12) and Giants (5-10) remaining.
«I would love to say we are close [to reaching the standard,» Hurts said. «I think it is trending in the right direction. We demand such excellence of ourselves. When you have the type of guys we have on our team, everybody is going to be eager to grow, everybody is going to be eager for more.»