The Eagles are atop the NFC East standings even with turnover-prone QB Hurts

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts can thank Saquon Barkley, Dallas Goedert, Reed Blankenship, Zack Baun and a few other clutch Philadelphia teammates for a win in New Orleans.

Hurts did make some late throws under pressure that helped rally the Eagles to a 15-12 win and improved them to 2-1. He also finished 29 of 38 for 311 yards passing and scrambled for 25 yards.

Yet, the big-time playmaking again was absent — he failed to throw a touchdown — while turnovers remained a sore spot for the Eagles QB.

Hurts and the Eagles continue to lose the turnover battle, one aspect that has kept the team under coach Nick Sirianni from reaching greatness. Hurts turned the ball over twice in the first half Sunday, intercepted by Tyrann Mathieu in the end zone and losing a fumble on a sack by Carl Granderson.

He has a whopping 26 giveaways in his last 20 games.

“You have to understand that there is a lot those goes into an interception,” Sirianni said in defense of his QB. “It’s more than meets the eyes.”

Perhaps, but Hurts has a knack of forcing throws into coverage. Mathieu picked off Hurts’ pass on a throw to a covered DeVonta Smith. There was no excuse for the fumble. Even Sirianni conceded, “we have to get two hands on the football.”

Hurts’ failure to consistently protect the ball has been a fatal flaw for the Eagles over the last two seasons. But few quarterbacks are as collected and self-assured in the face of so many mistakes as Hurts, one reason he’s able to push aside adversity and lead late-game rallies, like the one fueled in large part by Barkley against the Saints.

“It’s just something that, when your quarterback has that much confidence, when the game’s on the line, he’s going to make the play,” Goedert said. “He’s calm, and that brings everybody else back down, you know, just level-headed. We can go out there and move on to the next play. And he’s a big part of that.”

The running game. Barkley rebounded from a game-changing drop against Atlanta to rush for fourth-quarter touchdowns of 65 and 4 yards against the Saints. He finished with 147 yards rushing, the fifth most in a game for his career.

It was his sixth career game with two rushing scores and his 19th career 100-yard rushing game.

Usually the steadiest part of any Eagles game, special teams was a rare miss in New Orleans. Jake Elliott missed a 60-yard field goal attempt (his career best is 61 yards) and Braden Mann had a punt blocked.

Goedert. The Eagles tight end — forgotten in the first two games of the season — set up the winning score when he got free across the middle on third-and-16 for a 61-yard catch-and-run that gave him a career-high 170 yards on 10 receptions. He set single-game career highs in receptions and receiving yards. It was the most receiving yards by an Eagles tight end since Pete Retzlaff on Nov. 14, 1965, vs. Washington (204 receiving yards) and the most by an Eagles receiver since A.J. Brown on Oct. 1, 2023, vs. Washington (175 receiving yards).

Sirianni. Not even a win can keep Sirianni off the hot seat in Philly these days, especially when his decisions are more head-scratching than point-producing for the Eagles. Some weird calls against Atlanta cost the Eagles a win in their home opener. Just days later, Sirianni and his staff did it again, notably going for it on two (failed) fourth-down plays well within Elliott’s range. Sirianni left points on the board when the Eagles went for it on fourth-and-1 from the New Orleans 15. Barkley was stopped for no gain and the Eagles trailed 3-0 at halftime.

Sirianni credited offensive coordinator Kellen Moore for calling the play that led to Goedert’s 61-yard reception. Sirianni, though, fell on the sword and said he was to blame for the botched fourth-down attempt.

“I thought that was what was best for our football team in that particular case. It was my decision. I did it. It didn’t work,” Sirianni said. “I’ll get better from it. It was the play I thought was going to work in that particular case. It didn’t work. It’s not on Kellen. It’s not on the players. I put them in a bad spot and I made that call.”

His decision to let Elliott try a 60-yarder backfired when the kick went wide right and the Saints capitalized by getting the ball at midfield and scored a touchdown on the drive.

“I can’t tell you how many times Saquon and Jordan Mailata and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson came up to me and said: ‘We got your back. We got your back, Coach,’” Sirianni said.

Yes, Barkley and the Eagles bailed out their coach down the stretch. But it’s hard to necessarily read that quote as the flex perhaps Sirianni thought it was after the game.

Already missing Brown (hamstring), the Eagles lost Smith early in the fourth quarter on a hit by defensive tackle Khristian Boyd that knocked the receiver’s helmet off as he tried to prevent two other Saints defenders from bringing him to the turf.

Wide receiver Britain Covey left with a shoulder injury, and offensive tackle Lane Johnson left with a concussion.

10 — Hurts was ineffective early but still led the Eagles to his 10th career game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime. The last time the Eagles won with a score in the last two minutes of regulation was Nov. 20, 2022, at Indianapolis, 17-16 (winning TD at 1:20).

Visit Tampa Bay on Sunday in a third straight game against an NFC South opponent and second straight on the road.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni leaves the field after a win over the New Orleans Saints in an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) celebrates after scoring a two-point conversion against the New Orleans Saints in the second half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) celebrates after scoring a two-point conversion against the New Orleans Saints in the second half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) leaps into the stands after a touchdown carry in the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. The Eagles won 15-12. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) passes against the New Orleans Saints in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) scrambles past New Orleans Saints defensive end Carl Granderson (96) in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) passes over the reach of New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) in the second half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) is congratulated after a win over the New Orleans Saints in an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) leaves the field after a win over the New Orleans Saints in an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) scores the winning touchdown against the New Orleans Saints in the second half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) leaves the field after a win over the New Orleans Saints in an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian drones blasted apartment buildings and the power grid in the southern Ukraine city of Odesa in an overnight attack that injured six people, including a toddler and two other children, officials said Wednesday.

Four apartment buildings were damaged in the bombardment, according to regional military administration head Oleh Kiper. Power company DTEK said two of its energy facilities suffered significant damage. The company said that 10 substations that distribute electricity in the Odesa region were damaged in December alone.

Russia has this year escalated its long-range attacks on urban areas of Ukraine. In recent months, as Russia’s invasion of its neighbor approaches its four-year milestone in February, it has also intensified its targeting of energy infrastructure, seeking to deny Ukrainians heat and running water in the bitter winter months.

From January to November this year, more than 2,300 Ukrainian civilians were killed and more than 11,000 were injured, the United Nations said earlier this month. That was 26% higher than in the same period in 2024 and 70% higher than in 2023, it said.

Russia’s sustained drone and missile attacks have taken place against backdrop of renewed diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting.

U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Florida resort on Sunday and announced that a settlement is “closer than ever before." The Ukrainian leader is due to hold talks next week with the heads of European governments supporting his efforts to secure acceptable terms.

The ongoing attacks, meantime, are inflaming tensions.

The overnight Odesa strikes “are further evidence of the enemy’s terror tactics, which deliberately target civilian infrastructure,” Kiper, the regional head, said.

Moscow has alleged that Ukraine attempted to attack Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence in northwestern Russia with 91 long-range drones late Sunday and early Monday. Ukrainian officials deny the claim and say it’s a ruse to derail progress in the peace negotiations.

Maj. Gen. Alexander Romanenkov of the Russian air force claimed Wednesday that the drones took off from Ukraine’s Sumy and Chernihiv regions.

At a briefing where no questions were allowed, he presented a map showing the drone flight routes before they were downed by Russian air defenses over the Bryansk, Tver, Smolensk and Novgorod regions.

It was not possible to independently verify the reports.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, on Wednesday called the Russian allegations “a deliberate distraction” from the peace talks.

“No one should accept unfounded claims from the aggressor who has indiscriminately targeted Ukraine’s infrastructure and civilians since the start of the war,” Kallas posted on X.

Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Romania and Croatia are the latest countries to join a fund that buys weapons for Ukraine from the United States. The financial arrangement, known as the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, or PURL, pools contributions from NATO members, except the United States, to purchase American weapons, munitions and equipment.

Since it was established in August, 24 countries are now contributing to the fund, according to Zelenskyy. The fund has so far received $4.3 billion, with almost $1.5 billion coming in December alone, he said on social media.

Ukraine’s air force said Wednesday that Russia fired 127 drones at the country during the night, with 101 of them intercepted by air defenses.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said that 86 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight over Russian regions, the Black Sea and the illegally annexed Crimea peninsula.

The Ukrainian attack started a fire at an oil refinery in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, but it was quickly put out, local authorities said.

This story has corrected the day of the alleged Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian president’s residence to late Sunday and early Monday.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, emergency services personnel work to extinguish a fire following a Russian attack in Odesa, Ukraine, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this image made from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, a Russian Army soldier fires from D-30 howitzer towards Ukrainian positions in an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)