Jalen Hurts took his place on the podium.

Without breaking a smile, the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback quipped, “So that’s what you all wanted to see, right?”

Hurts knew the noise surrounding the Eagles’ recent reduction in passing game last week had touched a nerve. Hurts’ own receiver, AJ Brown, had expressed his dissatisfaction with a passing attack that was actually very efficient but (to Brown’s dismay) was used selectively.

Entering this week, the Eagles ranked last in passing attempts and first in rushing attempts. The offseason acquisition of running back Saquon Barkley brought huge benefits … but frustrated teammates whose targets had shifted to their former division rival.

So Philadelphia made a change.

In a 27-13 victory over the playoff-bound Pittsburgh Steelers, Hurts scored a season-high 12 times for Brown and 11 times for DeVonta Smith. Each scored a touchdown and more than 100 yards on a day in which the Eagles racked up 270 net passing yards, marking their second-most goals of the season and their highest total in more than two months.

The results were undeniable, the effectiveness of the switch from run emphasis to pass emphasis being an integral part of the Eagles’ franchise-record 10th straight win.

But the reason for this shift may not be as intentional as the narrative around it seems. Maybe it doesn’t matter. But it’s fair to say the Eagles, and Brown in particular, got lucky.

The luck factor wasn’t about performance, Brown fully earned his 110 yards thanks to immense talent and additional meetings this week.

“When you talk about something 10 times, you’re like, ‘Okay, I get it,'” Brown said after his fifth 100-yard receiving game of the year. “But it is necessary. And who cares how long we stay in there if we come out and do a performance like we did today?”

The luck wasn’t in beating the Steelers either. Pittsburgh’s offense was anemic without George Pickens (who was sidelined with a hamstring injury), and the Steelers were unable to capitalize, although their defense and special teams each forced a turnover. Pittsburgh knew it was supposed to lose.

“They played a lot better than us tonight,” Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson said.

Rather, the Eagles were lucky because in a week where they needed the passing game to answer, a defense that did just that came to town. As the Eagles improve to 12-2 and finally tie the Detroit Lions for the NFC’s best record, what they’ve learned from a combination of luck and work could carry them deep into the playoffs.

“There are multiple ways to win,” Hurts said.

A changed game strategy helped the Eagles beat the Steelers – and re-establish themselves

Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has a core philosophy: “Aggressively take what the defense gives us.”

To put it another way: game plans should be adjusted weekly based on the opponent and the match. But they don’t have to do this passively; You can anticipate instead of just reacting.

The “aggressive” element of Moore’s philosophy alone would have encouraged an emphasis on the pass against the Steelers, as highly compensated and highly talented receivers began to resent their use. The Eagles need look no further than last season to see what happens when their locker room and coaching staff disintegrates.

But it was in the defensive matchup element of the philosophy that luck came into play. In a week in which the Eagles decided Brown and Smith were worth pepping up, the Steelers came in with the 18th-ranked passing defense and fourth-best rushing defense. Complaints or not, more emphasis on air would be warranted.

“The way they play defense is they put a lot of people in the box, so we knew they were coming in,” Smith said. “It was just a matter of finding the one team that wanted to stop the run and wanted us to win the game through the air.

“The confidence was always there. It was just about getting a chance.”

The line of trust could border on revisionist history. But excuse the Eagles if they look through Kelly Green glasses after the win. Philadelphia outgained a 10-win Steelers team 401 yards to 163. The Eagles were eight seconds short of doubling Pittsburgh’s time of possession and never trailed.

Hurts found Brown for seven yards on the second play of the game and later in the first quarter on a 24-yard back-shoulder fade that cornerback Joey Porter Jr. couldn’t handle. The duo scored a touchdown for just the second time in the last seven games, and Smith had also scored before the end of the first quarter.

Hurts’ 32 pass attempts were his most since September.

The quarterback, who often speaks in metaphors, had his pictures ready.

“The grass will be green where you water it,” Hurts said. “We decided to water it and saw the fruits of our labor. Obviously we’ve watered down the running game a little bit, and it’s natural to put emphasis on one thing and let the other distract from the other.

“We want to continue to have a well-rounded position. Make sure to be round and water all areas.”

As the Eagles put disagreements behind them: ‘Everyone kissed and made up’

If the Eagles beat the Washington Commanders next week, they will clinch the NFC East.

Philadelphia has already secured a spot in the playoffs and is well-positioned to secure the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC.

The Eagles are reaching their peak at a time when fellow NFC 12-2 Detroit continues to lose more defensemen to injuries. Philadelphia doesn’t have perfect health, with Hurts playing with a broken left ring finger and Barkley receiving a medical and some rest during Sunday’s win. But the Eagles only have division games left and should be able to win any of them. They could have Week 18 and maybe the wild card round to give injured players a break.

The varied recipes for success reflect the peak of the Eagles. Head coach Nick Sirianni said he believes their response to conflict and noise is different this week.

“What appeared to be chaos on the outside … served as something to wake us up and restore us,” Sirianni said. “If you can stay calm in the chaos – that’s great.”

The Eagles appear to be far more capable of dealing with ups and downs than they were a year ago.

They also seem more schematic.

Philadelphia has stars at every level of its defense, from 2023 first-round pick Jalen Carter on the line to special teams player and likely Pro Bowl linebacker Zack Baun cleaning up the next level. Rookie cornerbacks Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell have helped strengthen Philadelphia’s secondary.

And that’s just the beginning of the team, which has settled impressively into defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s plan in its first season.

Offensively, a team that was already stacked at the line of scrimmage and behind it became even deeper with the addition of Barkley. The Eagles’ quarterback and their weapons can win in the air or on the ground. They’ve been proving that all year long – and just this month they shared both recipes.

Hurts appreciates that.

“I have always said and believe that you want to make sure all your tools are sharp,” Hurts said. “I just want to be diverse and make sure all of our tools are sharp when we need them. You may not need every tool in the toolbox. But just knowing it’s in good condition doesn’t hurt.”

The Eagles’ running game is sharp. Also their passing game. And that conflict resolution muscle?

Brown emphasized that their shared goals make it “easy for us to have these difficult conversations.” Smith said that “the team’s awkward conversations with each other are why this team is so good.”

The Eagles weren’t stressed after another big win against a playoff contender.

“Olive branches have been extended,” right tackle Lane Johnson said. “Everyone kissed and made up. Sometimes brothers fight. We have a lot of great players on this team.

“So that’s how I look at it: Brothers disagreed, and we came out and answered the bell tonight.”