The Philadelphia Eagles appeared to be cruising to another win in Week 5 against the Denver Broncos. Quarterback Jalen Hurts found Saquon Barkley for a 47-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter to give the Eagles a 14-point lead.
But things quickly changed in the fourth quarter. The Eagles were unable to deliver the knock out punch with another score, and the Broncos found their rhythm on offense.
In the final 15 minutes, the Broncos outgained the Eagles 159-42. Denver held on to win 21-17, handing the defending Super Bowl champions their first loss of the 2025 season.
When faced with a question from the media after the game about what happened to the Philadelphia offense in the second half, Hurts kept his answer brief.
“Lack of execution. Lack of execution,” said Hurts.
The quarterback reused the phrase to the next follow-up question about what went wrong with the Eagles overall in Week 5.
“Lack of execution.”
Eagles, Jalen Hurts Blow 14-Point Lead vs. Broncos
Philadelphia’s offensive game plan against the Broncos was clearly centered around the team’s passing game. Hurts attempted 38 passes while the Eagles had just 11 runs.
Two of those 11 runs were Hurts scrambles. The quarterback also had six other drop backs that resulted in sacks.
The formula worked in the first half and even early in the third quarter. Hurts targeted A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith a combined 18 times. Smith posted a game-high eight catches for 114 yards.
In addition to the 47-yard touchdown to Barkley, Hurts connected with Smith for a 52-yard gain in the second quarter. Two plays later, the Eagles scored their first touchdown of the afternoon.
But the passing formula didn’t work in the fourth quarter. The Eagles posted minus-4 yards on their first two drives of the quarter.
After the Broncos scored their first touchdown, the Eagles began their next drive with a holding penalty. Hurts then attempted three straight passes for seven combined yards. On third down, the Broncos sacked Hurts for a 3-yard loss.
Denver took the lead for good on their next drive. The Broncos pulled within a point with their second touchdown and then moved in front of the Eagles with a 2-point conversion.
After the touchdown pass to Barkley on the first possession of the second half, Hurts finished the afternoon going 7 of 15 for 68 passing yards.
Eagles’ Missed Opportunities Against Broncos
Hurts’ “lack of execution” answer could apply to a lot of areas for the Eagles after Sunday’s defeat. But one main area where Philadelphia struggles was penalties.
The Eagles finished Week 5 with nine fouls for 55 yards. The timing of a couple of those penalties was brutal.
Philadelphia kept its offense on the field on fourth-and-4 while trailing by a point with 5:23 left in the fourth quarter. Hurts connected with Smith for a 30-yard gain.
However, the conversion came back because of an illegal shift penalty. The Eagles then punted on fourth-and-9.
“From what I remember, the clock was low,” Hurts said of the penalty. “You’re kind of at the mercy of the clock. If we operate a little faster, get to the ball, we may avoid some of that.
“Nonetheless, when you’ve got a motion tagged to a play, I put that toward operation as a unit. And it starts with me. I own that. I can play smarter in that and make it work, given what we’re doing.”
The Eagles won’t have a lot of time to correct their mistakes. The team will visit the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football in four days.
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