Philadelphia’s pattern of contrasting halves persisted against the Denver Broncos, looking like title contenders before collapsing in the fourth quarter. Eagles blew a fourth-quarter lead in losing their first game of the season, 21-17, to the Broncos. The loss featured a miscommunication between quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver AJ Brown on a missed deep shot, with Brown declining to accept blame.

“From my point of view, we just missed. I didn’t think the ball was coming. When I looked up, I didn’t see the ball. When I looked back, I didn’t see the ball,” Brown said after the game. But when you look back at the play, it seems like a lot more than simple ‘miscommunication.’ The blame was all on Hurts for throwing the ball away from Brown.

It happened late in the third quarter when AJ Brown went past his only man, Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga. Hurts saw it and launched the ball downfield. But instead of sprinting through it, Brown seemed to throttle down right before the ball arrived. And by the time he picked his head up, it was sailing just out of reach.

From the broadcast angle, it looked like Hurts overshot the ball. But if you watch the repeat play, there is a good chance that Brown might’ve caught up to it.

AJ Brown didn’t think it was his fault. The miscue proved costly as the drive ended with Hurts being sacked, forcing an Eagles punt with 2:38 remaining in the third quarter. The missed opportunity to Brown represented a momentum-shifting play that could have extended Philadelphia’s lead or changed field position dramatically.

And when the quarterback was asked about the miscue, he answered in a typical fashion. “I’ll have to really watch the film to be able to assess that,” Hurts said. “Obviously, that’s one that you want to hit in a big moment of the game.”

The Eagles’ franchise-tying 10-game winning streak and 12-game home winning streak both came to a screeching halt, marking their first home loss in over a year. The last time Philadelphia fell at Lincoln Financial Field was a 22-21 defeat to the Atlanta Falcons on September 16, 2024.

The Eagles ultimately hurt themselves more than Denver did, undone by costly penalties at critical moments. Zack Baun’s 15-yard unnecessary roughness after Andrew Mukuba’s open-field tackle with 2:27 left handed Denver a fresh set of downs, draining valuable time off the clock.

Earlier, running back Saquon Barkley’s illegal shift on a fourth-and-four erased wide receiver DeVonta Smith’s 20-yard catch that would have put Philadelphia at Denver’s 31-yard line, well within striking distance for a go-ahead score. Instead, trailing 18-17, the Eagles were forced to punt, squandering a prime opportunity to take control.

The Eagles currently face issues that extend beyond their single loss. Their offense remains tepid, sputtering, and unbalanced, while costly lapses in discipline continue to derail them in key moments. That combination doesn’t set up well for a deep postseason run.

On the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio may need to reassess his conservative, top-down “no explosive plays” approach. Tightening up in certain situations and placing more trust in his playmakers could be the adjustment the Eagles need to turn things around.

Sure, the Eagles are still 4-1. Almost guaranteed a place in the playoffs. But momentum goes a long way in this league. And tonight, thanks in large part to the deep shot, it might’ve turned all the momentum against the Eagles. And Jalen Hurts knew the reason behind it.

Jalen Hurts on what led to the collapse

When asked whether they’re the ‘good half’ team or the ‘bad half’ team, Jordan Mailata said they’re the former last week. But we saw the same old Eagles tonight. And according to Jalen Hurts, the fourth-quarter collapse happened because the Eagles failed to execute. “Lack of execution. Lack of execution,” Hurts said.

Well, they were executing everything just fine until the fourth quarter. At that point, the Eagles were leading the Broncos by a score of 17-3. Got everything right pretty much the entire night. And then complacency kicked in. Bo Nix and the Broncos capitalized on that complacency and turned the game around.

The Broncos erased a 17-3 deficit with a stunning 15-point surge over just two drives, flipping the game into an 18-17 lead in a span of 5 minutes and 30 seconds. The pivotal moment came on a third-and-15 at the Eagles’ 11, when Bo Nix threaded a 34-yard strike to Courtland Sutton between Mitchell, Zack Baun, and Reed Blankenship.

It was the classic flaw of the Eagles’ top-down defense, surrendering too much underneath, exposed by Denver’s crisp execution. Nix released the ball before Sutton even broke into his route, and despite three defenders in the area, the receiver found acres of space to make the play that broke Philadelphia’s grip on the game.

In the fourth quarter, the Broncos erupted for 18 unanswered points, with Bo Nix torching the secondary for 242 yards and a touchdown, while J.K. Dobbins gashed the defense for 79 yards and another score. Such a collapse mid-game might seem unusual, just not for the Eagles.

Maybe this isn’t just about “execution.” Maybe it’s about mental sharpness. Staying locked in when the game’s in cruise control mode. For stretches, the Eagles look like the best team in football. But the second they ease up, they turn into their own worst enemy.

As for Hurts, he still finished with decent numbers: 23-of-38, 280 yards, and two touchdowns. But again, he failed to show up in the final stretches of the game. If the Eagles don’t fix this split-personality act soon, that record could turn a lot uglier.