PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles didn’t just stop a three-game slide Sunday. They looked like a team that finally remembered what it wants to be. With wind chills in the teens cutting through Lincoln Financial Field, the Birds leaned on the run and a dynamic defensive front, quickly turning a frigid af ternoon into a comfortable 31-0 shutout of the Las Vegas Raiders. Weather conditions didn’t deter a packed house that included actor Bradley Cooper, Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout and former president Joe Biden (all devoted Philly fans). The opponent felt like an afterthought as coach Nick Sirianni clinched his fifth-straight winning season in as many years here as the Eagles improved to 9-5. These are five things we learned. 1. Hurts was under center — and ran For much of this season, the Eagles’ offense has lived in shotgun, often looking predictable and one-dimensional. Against the Raiders, Hurts spent noticeably more time operating under center, mixing in quick play-action looks and downhill run action that helped the offense stay on schedule and avoid the sloppy, turnover-heavy football that sunk them in recent weeks. Just as important, Hurts was a real part of the run game again. Not as a last resort, but as an ingredient — scrambling when the wind and coverage dictated it, and punishing soft edges when the Raiders tried to rally. “I think it was just a step today,” Hurts said. “You have to treat every game individually and treat every day individually in pursuit of our best self.” He finished with seven carries for 39 yards, his most rushing yards in months. It was a reminder that the Eagles are harder to defend when the quarterback is a runner you must account for. 2. The defense erased Las Vegas Seventy-five total yards. The Raiders finished with just 42 plays from scrimmage, 1.8 yards per snap, seven first downs and a passing game that never threatened the middle of the field — or anything else. QB Kenny Pickett threw for 64 yards and was under siege all afternoon, and Las Vegas managed only 29 net passing yards once sacks were included. The Eagles tallied four sacks, including two from Brandon Graham (playing at defensive tackle instead of on the end), and Zack Baun’s interception only tightened the vise. “It always starts with stopping the run,” Eagles nickel corner Cooper DeJean said. “Put them in predictable situations. And when we’re able to use our coverages to match routes the way we do, I think it helps. And those guys up front getting after the quarterback, when we do force them to pass it, makes it easier on us on the back end. “Just everybody working together I think is the biggest thing.” 3. Goedert still tilts matchups The Eagles didn’t need volume in the passing game — Hurts attempted only 15 passes — but they got efficiency and punch, especially through Dallas Goedert. The tight end caught six balls for 70 yards and scored twice, both on short/shovel throws that showed the Eagles can still be ruthless inside the 10 when the design is clean and the ball comes out on time. With A.J. Brown commanding attention outside and DeVonta Smith stretching the field, Goedert feasted in the in-between spaces that have been too quiet lately. 4. The Eagles played clean football After a week defined by turnovers and self-inflicted wounds, the Eagles delivered a corrective. Hurts didn’t turn the ball over, the offense avoided drive-killing mistakes, and the unit overall was sharp situationally, converting 10 of 13 third downs while holding the ball for more than 39 minutes. Against an overmatched opponent, that discipline mattered. The Eagles never gave the Raiders life, never let the game tilt, and never had to chase momentum. 5. A get-right win still counts Yes, the Raiders are a two-win team that lacks talent all over the roster. But the Eagles didn’t play down to them. They played above them, and that’s the point. The lead grew fast, the defense strangled the game, and Hurts was able to exit early in the fourth quarter. If the Eagles are going to make anything out of the rest of December, this is the template: under-center variety, a quarterback run threat, no self-inflicted chaos, and a defense that can drown a game before halftime. “No doubt we had a good offensive and defensive game, good team performance,” coach Nick Sirianni said. “Excited to be able to do that, and look to build upon that.” Bonus: Raiders need to keep losing The Raiders should want to keep losing so they can draft Fernando Mendoza, the Indiana quarterback who just won the Heisman. They desperately need a franchise QB, and he checks every box and then some. Right now, they’re No. 2 behind the Giants, who don’t need a quarterback, and ahead of the Titans, who also don’t need a QB. But the Browns, Jets and Saints are among the teams close behind. The Jets have major draft assets to trade up. — Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X at @the_defranc for the latest updates. ...read more read less