By ESPN | Created at 2025-01-12 22:23:12 | Updated at 2025-01-13 02:05:22
3 hours ago
Tim McManus, ESPN Staff WriterJan 12, 2025, 04:55 PM ET
- Tim McManus covers the Philadelphia Eagles for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2016 after covering the Eagles for Philadelphia Magazine's Birds 24/7, a site he helped create, since 2010. You can follow him on Twitter @Tim_McManus.
PHILADELPHIA -- The Eagles could not have dreamed up a better start.
On the opening kick of Sunday's wild-card playoff game against the Green Bay Packers, linebacker Oren Burks drilled All-Pro returner Keisean Nixon, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Jeremiah Trotter Jr. Burks was a third-round draft pick by the Packers in 2018 and played four seasons for Green Bay.
That's actually our ball to start 🙂↕️@BangTimeBurks | @TrotterJr54 pic.twitter.com/eYhdSUO2Jd
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 12, 2025Three plays later, quarterback Jalen Hurts -- back from a concussion that sidelined him the past two games -- found a wide open Jahan Dotson in the back of the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown that put the home team up 7-0. It was Dotson's first touchdown of the season or postseason.
Whatchu know 'bout 8️⃣3️⃣?!@JahanDotson's 1st Eagles TD is a BIG ONE! pic.twitter.com/8aYr3GYhM0
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 12, 2025Hurts' time to throw on the touchdown pass was 6.75 seconds. That's the second-longest time on any passing TD of his career (regular season or postseason), according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
