The Philadelphia Eagles recorded their best start to a season by beating the Houston Texans 29-17 to remain the only unbeaten team in the NFL.
The score was 14-14 at half-time, but the Eagles pulled clear with Jalen Hurts completing 21 of 27 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns.
Hurts, who grew up in the Houston area, said the Eagles need to take their historic 8-0 record “day by day”.
“We haven’t accomplished anything yet,” the 24-year-old quarterback said.
The Eagles are top of the NFC East, ahead of the second-placed Dallas Cowboys (6-2).
Hurts, who has thrown at least two touchdown passes in three straight games, added: “I know it’s special for the city of Philadelphia. I mean, I’ve been 8-0 before and lost the [college] national championship.
“It’s a day-by-day thing of us controlling things we can, playing to our standard and trying to grow every day. I think that’s truly what it’s about.”
Texans head coach Lovie Smith called Hurts an “outstanding player” and thinks the quarterback has improved “maybe more than every player in the NFL”.
However, there were early nerves for Hurts in his first professional game on home soil, including his first lost fumble of the season and being sacked four times, twice by the Texans defensive end Jerry Hughes.
The Eagles started slowly in Houston and it was the first time this season they had not led after the opening two quarters.
They began to pull away after the break to outscore the Texans 15-3 in the final two quarters, intercepting quarterback Davis Mills twice to claim victory.
Dallas Goedert and AJ Brown caught Hurts’ touchdown passes while running back Miles Sanders rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown.
The Texans are bottom of the AFC South with a 1-6-1 record.
