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The most memorable moment of Gardner Minshew’s noteworthy Sunday may not have taken place on the field.
After Minshew’s first start in nearly a year ended with the Eagles’ 33-18 victory over the Jets, the 25-year-old quarterback met up with his dad outside MetLife Stadium, where they shared a sweet father-son moment.
In a video captured by NBC Sports Philadelphia, Minshew and his dad shared a pair of hugs, slamming into each other’s chests, and bumped fists. Then, Minshew slapped hands with two other people before pumping his own arms and cracking a smile.
The Eagles entered MetLife Stadium on the verge of falling further out of playoff contention — and finishing, at best, 8-9 if they lost — but are just outside the top seven playoff spots. Not to mention the possibility of a brewing quarterback controversy.
Minshew, who got the nod Sunday with starter Jalen Hurts sidelined with an ankle injury, completed 20 of 25 attempts for 242 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He’s only accumulated 12 incomplete passes in his past two starts across the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Minshew called the game “the best time [he’s] had since Week 1 of last year.”
The Eagles scored on their first seven possessions, resulting in their fourth win of the past six games.
“It felt so good, man,” Minshew said postgame. “… There’s nothing like that feeling.”
Hurts has thrown for over 200 yards in four of his 12 starts this season, completing 60.1 percent of his passes in his second season. Hurts took over the quarterback job from Carson Wentz last season and as a result, the team traded Wentz to the Colts for draft picks. But even though the rushing offense has excelled under Hurts, with the Eagles leading the NFL in total yards and finishing second in yards per carry entering Sunday, the passing game has sputtered at times.
Minshew, a former Jaguar who landed with the Eagles in August, flipped that trend by completing his first 11 passes. He hit tight end Dallas Goedert for a pair of touchdowns and spoiled perhaps the best game of Zach Wilson’s young career — or at least the best opening half, when he led the Jets to touchdowns on their first three possessions.
Despite Minshew’s dominant performance, and the possibility of a quarterback controversy emerging, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni responded, “Yeah, of course,” when asked if Hurts would remain the starter going forward after he returned from injury.
“I think there’s been times where he’s been one of the best in the league with the way he’s moved around, made plays,” Sirianni said of Hurts, according to ESPN. “He’s played really good football when he’s in so when he’s healthy and he’s back, he’ll be our starter.”
That said, however, Minshew’s performance on Sunday likely gave Sirianni and the Eagles brass plenty to think about.
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