Eagles are one win away from a second straight NFC East title and a home playoff game

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts and the Eagles silenced some criticism, ended a losing streak and are now on the brink of a repeat championship.

A Super Bowl?

Not quite — though a second straight appearance in the Super Bowl at least remains a possibility, unlike last season's opponent, the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Eagles' resounding 31-0 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders put them one win away from winning their second straight NFC East title. The Eagles (9-5) need one win or one Dallas Cowboys loss to become the first team to win consecutive NFC East titles since, well, the Eagles won the last of their four straight crowns from 2001-2004.

Not bad for a team that suffered a three-game losing streak this season and had to listen at times for calls to bench Hurts and fire offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo.

Playing in the woeful NFC East sure helps the Eagles navigate rough patches in the season. So does the chance to get an offense right against the lowly Raiders — the start of a soft December stretch that includes Saturday's game at the four-win Washington Commanders.

The Eagles are the No. 3 overall seed in the NFC and remain on track to host a playoff game during wild-card weekend. They could still earn a No. 1 seed but that remains a statistical long shot. They would need to win their final three games while the teams ahead of them — along with some other oddities — must each lose twice for the road to the Super Bowl to go through Philly as it did last season.

More performances like they had against the Raiders could help down the stretch. Hurts threw three touchdown passes and the Eagles defense not only had its first shutout since 2018, but it held the Raiders to just 75 total yards.

“You couldn’t ask for anything more,” Hurts said.

Not just against the Raiders — but what's still left on the table for the Eagles to accomplish.

The defense. The Eagles had their first shutout since Dec. 30, 2018, against Washington and it was their largest margin of victory in a shutout since a 31-0 win over Green Bay on Dec. 16, 1990. Las Vegas' 75 total yards were the fewest surrendered by an Eagles defense since Dec. 4, 1955, against the Chicago Cardinals (49 yards).

Brandon Graham had his first two sacks with the Eagles since he ended his short-lived retirement after the Super Bowl and returned to the team in late October.

At 37 years, 255 days old, Graham became the oldest player in Eagles history with a sack. Richard Dent was 37 years, 1 day when he had a sack in 1997.

It's hard to find any holes when a team pitches a shutout.

Hurts bounced back from a five-turnover game against the Chargers to throw three touchdowns and complete 12 of 15 attempts for 175 yards. He also rushed for 39 yards and had no turnovers.

Hurts is tied with Buffalo's Josh Allen and New England's Drake Maye for the most 25-plus yard passing TDs (9) in the league this season. It's the second-highest total in his career after he had 12 of them in 2022.

Hurts was eventually benched for backup Tanner McKee — just like some Eagles fans and media personalities wanted headed into the game. Only in this instance, it was because the Eagles were ahead 31-0, not because of Hurts' ineffectiveness. Hurts said he was born to brush off criticism about his performance.

“I think everybody needs to remember where I come from and how I’m built,” Hurts said. "I just want to lead in the right way, set the right example. I’ve done the same thing since I went to University of Alabama and everything that has been in front of me, so it’s no different now.”

A.J. Brown complained about his role in the offense and the Eagles responded by giving him the ball. Brown had three straight 100-yard receiving games — all losses. He had only two catches for 41 yards — including a 27-yard TD reception — against the Raiders and the Eagles won.

Hurts and the Eagles need to figure out how to incorporate a successful Brown into a consistent winning streak if they want to win another Super Bowl.

The Eagles could have two-time All-Pro offensive lineman Lane Johnson back in the lineup against Washington for the first time since he suffered a foot injury on Nov. 16 against Detroit.

9 — Dallas Goedert's two TD receptions against Las Vegas gave him nine this season, the second most by a tight end in franchise history. Pete Retzlaff had 10 in 1965. Goedert has three games this season with at least two touchdown receptions, putting him behind Mike Quick (4, 1987) and Harold Carmichael (4, 1979) for most in team history.

The Eagles play the Commanders twice in the final three weeks — with a Dec. 28 game at Buffalo sandwiched in — and could increase their odds for a No. 1 seed with a series sweep of their NFC East rival.

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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata (68) celebrate the touchdown of Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni reacts during the first half of an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) talks to Eagles' Kevin Patullo during the first half of an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrates scoring a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) hands off the ball to Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, left, during the first half of an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Federal authorities said Monday that they foiled a plot to bomb multiple U.S. companies on New Year’s Eve in Southern California, announcing the arrests of members of an extremist anti-capitalist and anti-government group.

The four suspects were arrested Friday as they were testing explosives in the desert east of Los Angeles, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said during a news conference.

Officials showed reporters surveillance aerial footage of the four suspects moving a large black object in the desert to a table shortly before their arrests.

In the criminal complaint, the four suspects named are Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30; Zachary Aaron Page, 32; Dante Gaffield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41. They are all from the Los Angeles area, Essayli said.

Officials did not describe a motive but said they are members of an offshoot of a pro-Palestinian group dubbed the Turtle Island Liberation Front. Each faces charges including conspiracy and possession of a destructive device, Essayli said, adding that additional charges were expected in coming weeks.

It wasn’t immediately clear if they had attorneys and The Associated Press was unable to reach family members.

Essayli said Carroll last month created a detailed plan to bomb five or more locations across Southern California on New Year’s Eve and were trying to hit multiple companies. He declined to name the companies but described them as “Amazon-type” logistical centers.

“Carroll’s bomb plot was explicit,” Essayli said. “It included step-by-step instructions to build IEDs... and listed multiple targets across Orange County and Los Angeles."

The plan included planting backpacks filled with explosive devices at multiple businesses that were set to blow up simultaneously at midnight on New Year's Eve, according to officials and the criminal complaint.

Two of the group’s members also had discussed plans for future attacks including targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and vehicles with pipe bombs in 2026, according to the criminal complaint.

“Carroll stated that some of those plans would quote ‘take some of them out and scare the rest,’” Essayli said.

The plans were discussed both at an in-person meeting with members in Los Angeles and through an encrypted messaging app, Essayli said.

Evidence photos included in the court documents show a desert campsite with what investigators said were bomb-making materials strewn across plastic folding tables.

The suspects “all brought bomb-making components to the campsite, including various sizes of PVC pipes, suspected potassium nitrate, charcoal, charcoal powder, sulfur powder, and material to be used as fuses, among others,” the complaint states.

The plan stated that the backpacks would contain complex pipe bombs and included instructions on how to manufacture them and also how to avoid leaving evidence behind tracing anything back to the group, officials said. The suspects recently had acquired precursor chemicals and other items, they added.

Last week they were rehearsing their attack and testing devices in the desert near Twentynine Palms, California, before federal authorities moved in, officials said.

“They had everything they needed to make an operational bomb at that location,” he said.

Authorities issued search warrants and found posters for the Turtle Island Liberation Front at Carroll's home that called for “Death to America,” and “Death to ICE,” Essayli said. In Page's residence, police found a copy of the detailed bomb plan, he added.

Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said while federal and local officials disagree on the Trump administration's immigration raids, they come together still to protect residents. The LAPD does not stop people or take action for any reason related to immigration status, and it doesn’t enforce immigration laws, a practice that has been in place for 45 years.

“The successful disruption of this plot is a powerful testament to the strength of our unified response,” McDonnell said.

The suspects, who were taken into custody without incident, were scheduled to appear in court in Los Angeles Monday afternoon.

Watson reported from San Diego.

First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli, right, speaks in front of LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell during a press conference announcing developments on a terrorism investigation Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis announces developments on a terrorism investigation during a press conference Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli, right, speaks during a press conference announcing developments on a terrorism investigation Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis, right, speaks in front of LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell while announcing developments on a terrorism investigation during a press conference Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Photos of suspects of a terror plot are shown on a screen during a press conference Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)