The clutch final drive saved the Eagles after a poor performance against the Browns

The clutch final drive rescued the Eagles after a lackluster performance against the Browns originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

It was the Eagles' best drive of the day.

And they didn't score.

With 3:57 left Sunday, after an impressive goal-line stand by the Eagles defense, Browns kicker Hopkins made a 31-yard field goal that cut the Eagles' lead to 20-16.

The Browns never got the ball again.

On a day where the offense faltered for much of the game, they came up big when they needed to.

The Eagles got the ball back at their own 24-yard line with 3:48 left and had a four-point lead. They chipped in for six plays and gained 20 yards before ending with an audible signal from Jalen Hurts' 40-yard strike to AJ Brown to the Browns' 12-yard line after the two-minute warning.

Ball game.

“We lost a couple games in a four-minute span where we gave the ball back to the offense,” Nick Sirianni said. “We had the mindset of, 'Hey, we've got this ball in our hands at the end.'”

The drive started with a four-yard run by Saquon Barkley and then Hurts ran for four and six yards to move the chains. Barkley gained a yard on 1st^st-and-10 to give the Eagles a 2^nd-and-9 alone 39 at 2:14.

Then Hurts found Jahan Dotson just behind the post on the left sideline. Dotson – who had a total of 25 receiving yards in the Eagles' first four games – deftly pulled his left foot at the very last moment to make the catch legal and give the Eagles a new set of downs and a first down right at midfield.

The 10-yarder was Dotson's longest reception since Howie Roseman converted a 3^approx-Round pick to commanders in August for former 1st^st-Runb pick.

“When I went out at halftime, I told (Dotson) to just stay ready,” Hurts said. “Be ready. “I don't know when it's going to come, I don't know what it's going to look like, I don't know where it's going to strike, but it's going to come at some point, we're going to need you.” And he showed up, got the toe and pulled it in.”

The Browns only had one timeout left, so another first down would secure things for the Eagles. And that happened two plays later, after Barkley lost a yard at the 1^st-and-10.

Hurts threw a deep ball to Brown, who darted into the air with Browns corner Greg Newsome landing the ball at the 12-yard line.

“We saw a look we liked and we made the play,” Brown said. “Whenever I’m one-on-one, I want the ball because I’m trying to change the game.”

It was the Eagles' longest pass play in the final two minutes of a game they had led in at least 30 years, and it came with Hurts audible at the line of scrimmage when he saw man coverage against Brown.

“It was a good job by Jalen and AJ talking at the line of scrimmage and figuring out what play was best,” Sirianni said. “A little check there. Good players making great plays.”

Brown caught six passes for 116 yards in his first game since the opener in Sao Paulo. As an Eagle, he has already surpassed 100 yards in just 36 games. Only six players in franchise history have more (Pete Retzlaff, Mike Quick, DeSean Jackson, Harold Carmichael, Tommy McDonald, Pete Pihos).

Hurts has the 2nd^nd-Most 40-yard completions in the NFL this year with five – one fewer than Jared Goff. Brown now has 11 catches of at least 40 yards as an Eagle.

“He’s really good at catching the deep ball,” Hurts said. “He follows it well. He knows how to use his body well. He’s very strong and I think he’s gotten quicker too, so he’s made some great catches.”

Barkley went 3-for-4 on the final drive (and 6-for-5 in the second half), but Hurts completed both pass attempts for 50 yards and had two productive scrambles.

“Kellen played a perfect game at the end of the game,” Sirianni said. “He threw it when he had to throw it, he ran it when he needed to, our guys ran it.

“(The Browns) did a good job stopping the run. I can't say enough good things about Jim Schwartz (Brown and former Eagles defensive coordinator). I think this city would agree he's a damn good defensive coordinator. … Our guys just made a play in a four-minute scenario.”

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