Eagles can take a step toward the NFC East title by beating ex-assistant Gannon and the Cardinals

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts understood the optics that come with the Eagles looking defeated and on edge after a win that pushed them to the cusp of an NFC East title.

Coach Nick Sirianni bickered with players. Hurts had the kind of private conversations with teammates at their lockers usually not seen in public unless Philadelphia loses.

Heck, the Eagles even admonished their own fans to hush because the offense couldn't hear calls at the line of scrimmage. A.J. Brown caught six passes for 80 yards, but appeared visibly frustrated throughout the game and then refused to speak to reporters afterward.

Winning is supposed to cure all ails — except, it seems, in Philly.

Yet here are the Eagles, through all the anonymous sniping and poor body language — and at times even worse play over a three-game losing streak — in position to clinch the division for a second consecutive season as early as Sunday with a win over Arizona (3-12), if Dallas loses to or ties Detroit on Saturday. If not, the Eagles can still win the division by beating the Cardinals and then the New York Giants, whom they defeated Monday to end their skid.

And that's all matters, Hurts insisted.

"Winning is fun," Hurts said. "Everybody likes that."

The Eagles are even still in the hunt for a No. 1 seed in the NFC, though the No. 2 and at least one home playoff game is more in the cards for the defending conference champions.

Hurts, last season's runner-up for MVP, has accepted the brunt of criticism for Philadelphia's second-half malaise that included the losing streak, an admirable-yet-exhausting stretch of winning games from behind, and it needed to hang on until the last play to beat the Giants. Philadelphia led the Giants 20-3 at halftime but needed cornerback Kelee Ringo's end zone interception in the final seconds to secure the victory.

"Every competitor handles and channels different emotions in different ways," Hurts said. "How we channel that as a team, as long as we're doing it together, as long as we're on the same page, that's all that matters."

Hurts is among the NFL leaders in turnovers with 18 (13 interceptions, including a pick-6 against the Giants, and five lost fumbles), yet his 15 rushing touchdowns are a record for a QB.

"We just want to continue to grow through these experiences," Hurts said, "the lessons we've had over the last month, and channel it in the right way for us as a team, so we can be as successful and be what we're called to be on the field."