Jalen Hurts, in first NFL start, enables Eagles to run over the Saints as Carson Wentz watches from sideline

Check out some early NFL headlines from week 14. USA TODAY

PHILADELPHIA – It would be hard to see the Eagles going back to Carson Wentz any time soon.

That’s because rookie Jalen Hurts, making his first career start, was effective as both a passer and runner, leading the Eagles to a 24-21 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Hurts completed 17 of 30 passes for 167 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 106 yards on 18 carries, becoming the first Eagles quarterback to surpass 100 yards since Michael Vick ran for 130 yards against the Giants on Dec. 19, 2010.

Miles Sanders added an 82-yard touchdown run in the first half and finished with 115 yards rushing on 14 carries.

All of this came against the NFL’s top-rated defense in the Saints.

“I’m just so excited we got this win,” Hurts said on Fox.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts might hold onto the starting job for a while after beating New Orleans.

 (Photo: James Lang, USA TODAY Sports)

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New Orleans had gone 55 games without allowing an opposing rusher to gain 100 yards. The Eagles did it with two players. It was the first time the Eagles have had two players surpass 100 yards rushing since LeSean McCoy and Bryce Brown did it in 2013.

In all, the Eagles rushed for 246 yards. The Saints (10-3) came into the game allowing an average of 76.1 rushing yards per game. They also lost ground to the Packers in the race for top seed in the NFC Playoffs.

Eagles coach Doug Pederson had said he was hoping that Hurts could provide a spark for the offense. He did that and more.

Still, the Eagles (4-8-1), had to hold on for dear life as the secondary lost three of the four starters to injury. That enabled New Orleans to climb back from a 17-0 deficit with two third-quarter touchdowns.

The Eagles led by 10 when Hurts fumbled with 1:42 left, and the Saints capitalized with a touchdown to make it 24-21. The ensuing onsides kick hit off Corey Clement’s leg.  Somehow Jalen Mills ripped the ball away from a Saints player to recover.

The Eagles ended a four-game losing streak and moved up into second place in the NFC East.

The Saints had a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter, getting to the Eagles’ 42 yard line on 4th-and-2. But defensive end Josh Sweat sacked quarterback Taysom Hill, forcing a fumble that Javon Hargrave recovered at the Eagles’ 47.

The Eagles then took advantage, marching down the field, helped by a 19-yard run by rookie Jalen Reagor on a jet sweep. Sanders finished off the drive with a 1-yard TD run.

That was the Eagles’ only scoring drive of the second half after a dominating first half in which the Eagles had a 17-0 lead. Sanders’ 82-yard TD run with 1:35 left in the half gave the Eagles that lead.

The Eagles had a chance for more, but Jake Elliott missed a 22-yard field goal just as the half expired.

Still, It was the first time the Eagles had a lead of 10 points or more in the first half since the season-opener against Washington. In that game, the Eagles led 17-0 in the first half before losing 27-17.

But Hurts clearly injected life into an offense that mostly struggled under Wentz, and this came against the top-ranked defense in the NFL.

That included Hurts’ first TD pass, a 15-yard to Alshon Jeffery on fourth down early in the second quarter. It was Jeffery’s first touchdown catch since last Dec. 1 against Miami.

Sanders’ touchdown run came on an option play, something Hurts is dangerous at because the defense has to respect him as a runner and passer. Hurts read the defensive end, then placed the ball in Sanders’ belly and he took off down the left sideline while Hurts went to the right.

When asked during the week what would make for a successful performance for Hurts, Pederson replied: “Ball security is something we talk about each week. We want to see him execute the offense. Again, I’m not going to ask him to be Carson Wentz. I want him to be Jalen Hurts, how he views the offense.”

Hurts did all of that and more.

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