The Eagles are atop the NFC East standings even with turnover-prone QB Hurts

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts can thank Saquon Barkley, Dallas Goedert, Reed Blankenship, Zack Baun and a few other clutch Philadelphia teammates for a win in New Orleans.

Hurts did make some late throws under pressure that helped rally the Eagles to a 15-12 win and improved them to 2-1. He also finished 29 of 38 for 311 yards passing and scrambled for 25 yards.

Yet, the big-time playmaking again was absent — he failed to throw a touchdown — while turnovers remained a sore spot for the Eagles QB.

Hurts and the Eagles continue to lose the turnover battle, one aspect that has kept the team under coach Nick Sirianni from reaching greatness. Hurts turned the ball over twice in the first half Sunday, intercepted by Tyrann Mathieu in the end zone and losing a fumble on a sack by Carl Granderson.

He has a whopping 26 giveaways in his last 20 games.

“You have to understand that there is a lot those goes into an interception,” Sirianni said in defense of his QB. “It’s more than meets the eyes.”

Perhaps, but Hurts has a knack of forcing throws into coverage. Mathieu picked off Hurts’ pass on a throw to a covered DeVonta Smith. There was no excuse for the fumble. Even Sirianni conceded, “we have to get two hands on the football.”

Hurts’ failure to consistently protect the ball has been a fatal flaw for the Eagles over the last two seasons. But few quarterbacks are as collected and self-assured in the face of so many mistakes as Hurts, one reason he’s able to push aside adversity and lead late-game rallies, like the one fueled in large part by Barkley against the Saints.

“It’s just something that, when your quarterback has that much confidence, when the game’s on the line, he’s going to make the play,” Goedert said. “He’s calm, and that brings everybody else back down, you know, just level-headed. We can go out there and move on to the next play. And he’s a big part of that.”

The running game. Barkley rebounded from a game-changing drop against Atlanta to rush for fourth-quarter touchdowns of 65 and 4 yards against the Saints. He finished with 147 yards rushing, the fifth most in a game for his career.

It was his sixth career game with two rushing scores and his 19th career 100-yard rushing game.

Usually the steadiest part of any Eagles game, special teams was a rare miss in New Orleans. Jake Elliott missed a 60-yard field goal attempt (his career best is 61 yards) and Braden Mann had a punt blocked.

Goedert. The Eagles tight end — forgotten in the first two games of the season — set up the winning score when he got free across the middle on third-and-16 for a 61-yard catch-and-run that gave him a career-high 170 yards on 10 receptions. He set single-game career highs in receptions and receiving yards. It was the most receiving yards by an Eagles tight end since Pete Retzlaff on Nov. 14, 1965, vs. Washington (204 receiving yards) and the most by an Eagles receiver since A.J. Brown on Oct. 1, 2023, vs. Washington (175 receiving yards).

Sirianni. Not even a win can keep Sirianni off the hot seat in Philly these days, especially when his decisions are more head-scratching than point-producing for the Eagles. Some weird calls against Atlanta cost the Eagles a win in their home opener. Just days later, Sirianni and his staff did it again, notably going for it on two (failed) fourth-down plays well within Elliott’s range. Sirianni left points on the board when the Eagles went for it on fourth-and-1 from the New Orleans 15. Barkley was stopped for no gain and the Eagles trailed 3-0 at halftime.

Sirianni credited offensive coordinator Kellen Moore for calling the play that led to Goedert’s 61-yard reception. Sirianni, though, fell on the sword and said he was to blame for the botched fourth-down attempt.

“I thought that was what was best for our football team in that particular case. It was my decision. I did it. It didn’t work,” Sirianni said. “I’ll get better from it. It was the play I thought was going to work in that particular case. It didn’t work. It’s not on Kellen. It’s not on the players. I put them in a bad spot and I made that call.”

His decision to let Elliott try a 60-yarder backfired when the kick went wide right and the Saints capitalized by getting the ball at midfield and scored a touchdown on the drive.

“I can’t tell you how many times Saquon and Jordan Mailata and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson came up to me and said: ‘We got your back. We got your back, Coach,’” Sirianni said.

Yes, Barkley and the Eagles bailed out their coach down the stretch. But it’s hard to necessarily read that quote as the flex perhaps Sirianni thought it was after the game.

Already missing Brown (hamstring), the Eagles lost Smith early in the fourth quarter on a hit by defensive tackle Khristian Boyd that knocked the receiver’s helmet off as he tried to prevent two other Saints defenders from bringing him to the turf.

Wide receiver Britain Covey left with a shoulder injury, and offensive tackle Lane Johnson left with a concussion.

10 — Hurts was ineffective early but still led the Eagles to his 10th career game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime. The last time the Eagles won with a score in the last two minutes of regulation was Nov. 20, 2022, at Indianapolis, 17-16 (winning TD at 1:20).

Visit Tampa Bay on Sunday in a third straight game against an NFC South opponent and second straight on the road.

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Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni leaves the field after a win over the New Orleans Saints in an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) celebrates after scoring a two-point conversion against the New Orleans Saints in the second half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) celebrates after scoring a two-point conversion against the New Orleans Saints in the second half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) leaps into the stands after a touchdown carry in the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. The Eagles won 15-12. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) passes against the New Orleans Saints in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) scrambles past New Orleans Saints defensive end Carl Granderson (96) in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) passes over the reach of New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) in the second half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) is congratulated after a win over the New Orleans Saints in an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) leaves the field after a win over the New Orleans Saints in an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) scores the winning touchdown against the New Orleans Saints in the second half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) leaves the field after a win over the New Orleans Saints in an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump kicked off a four-day Middle East trip on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, putting the focus on sealing economic agreements with a key Mideast ally while shared concerns about Iran's nuclear program and the war in Gaza bubble in the background.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi de facto ruler, warmly greeted Trump as he stepped off Air Force One at King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital. The two leaders then retreated to a grand hall at the Riyadh airport, where Trump and his aides were served traditional Arabic coffee by waiting attendants wearing ceremonial gun belts.

“I really believe we like each other a lot,” Trump said later during a brief appearance with the crown prince at the start of a bilateral meeting.

Prince Mohammed has already committed to some $600 billion in new Saudi investment in the U.S., but Trump teased $1 trillion would be even better.

The pomp began before Trump even landed. Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s provided an honorary escort for Air Force One as it approached the kingdom’s capital.

Trump and Prince Mohammed also took part in a lunch at the Royal Court, gathering with guests and aides in an ornate room with blue accents and massive crystal chandeliers.

As he greeted business titans with Trump by his side, Prince Mohammed was animated and smiling.

It was a stark contrast to his awkward fist bump with then-President Joe Biden, who looked to avoid being seen on camera shaking hands with the prince during a 2022 visit to the kingdom.

Biden had decided to pay a visit to Saudi Arabia as he looked to alleviate soaring prices at the pump for motorists at home and around the globe. At the time, Prince Mohammed's reputation had been badly damaged by a U.S. intelligence determination that found he had ordered the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

But that dark moment appeared to be distant memory for the prince as he rubbed elbows with high-profile business executives — including Blackstone Group CEO Stephen Schwarzman, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk — in front of the cameras and with Trump by his side.

Later, the crown prince will fete Trump with a formal dinner. Trump is also slated to take part Tuesday in a U.S.-Saudi investment conference.

Saudi Arabia and fellow OPEC+ nations have already helped their cause with Trump early in his second term by stepping up oil production. Trump sees cheap energy as a key component to lowering costs and stemming inflation for Americans. The Republican president has also made the case that lower oil prices will hasten an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.

But Saudi Arabia's economy remains heavily dependent on oil, and the kingdom needs a fiscal break-even oil price of $96 to $98 a barrel to balance its budget. It's questionable how long OPEC+, of which Saudi Arabia is the leading member, is willing to keep production elevated. The price of a barrel of Brent crude closed Monday at $64.77.

“One of the challenges for the Gulf states of lower oil prices is it doesn’t necessarily imperil economic diversification programs, but it certainly makes them harder,” said Jon Alterman, a senior Middle East analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

Trump picked the kingdom for his first stop, because it has pledged to make big investments in the U.S., but Trump ended up traveling to Italy last month for Pope Francis’ funeral. Riyadh was the first overseas stop of his first term.

The three countries on the president's itinerary — Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — are all places where the Trump Organization, run by Trump's two elder sons, is developing major real estate projects. They include a high-rise tower in Jeddah, a luxury hotel in Dubai and a golf course and villa complex in Qatar.

Trump is trying to demonstrate that his transactional strategy for international politics is paying dividends as he faces criticism from Democrats who say his global tariff war and approach to Russia’s war on Ukraine are isolating the United States from allies.

He’s expected to announce deals with the three wealthy countries that will touch on artificial intelligence, expanding energy cooperation and perhaps new arms sales to Saudi Arabia. The administration earlier this month announced initial approval to sell $3.5 billion worth of air-to-air missiles for Saudi Arabia’s fighter jets.

But Trump arrived in the Middle East at a moment when his top regional allies, Israel and Saudi Arabia, are far from neatly aligned with his approach.

Before the trip, Trump announced that Washington was halting a nearly two-month U.S. airstrike campaign against Yemen’s Houthis, saying the Iran-backed rebels have pledged to stop attacking ships along a vital global trade route.

The administration didn’t notify Israel — which the Houthis continue to target — of the agreement before Trump publicly announced it. It was the latest example of Trump leaving the Israelis in the dark about his administration’s negotiations with common adversaries.

In March, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasn’t notified by the administration until after talks began with Hamas about the war in Gaza. And Netanyahu found out about the ongoing U.S. nuclear talks with Iran only when Trump announced them during an Oval Office visit by the Israeli leader last month.

“Israel will defend itself by itself,” Netanyahu said last week following Trump’s Houthi truce announcement. “If others join us — our American friends — all the better."

William Wechsler, senior director of the Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs at the Atlantic Council, said Trump’s decision to skip Israel on his first Middle East visit is remarkable.

“The main message coming out of this, at least as the itinerary stands today, is that the governments of the Gulf ... are in fact stronger friends to President Trump than the current government of Israel at this moment,” Wechsler said.

Trump, meanwhile, hopes to restart his first-term effort to normalize relations between the Middle East’s major powers, Israel and Saudi Arabia. Trump’s Abraham Accords effort led to Sudan, the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco agreeing to normalize relations with Israel.

But Riyadh has made clear that in exchange for normalization it wants U.S. security guarantees, assistance with the kingdom’s nuclear program and progress on a pathway to Palestinian statehood. There seems to be scant hope for making headway on a Palestinian state with the Israel-Hamas war raging and the Israelis threatening to flatten and occupy Gaza.

Prince Mohammed last week notably hosted Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh in Jeddah on the official’s first foreign visit since assuming office in April.

Hussain Abdul-Hussain, a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the crown prince appeared to be subtly signaling to Trump that the kingdom needs to see progress on Palestinian statehood for the Saudis to begin seriously moving on a normalization deal with the Israelis.

This story has been corrected to show the Palestinian vice president’s name is al-Sheikh, not Sheikh, and he is an official, not a sheikh.

Madhani reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

President Donald Trump speaks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during an arrival ceremony at the Royal Terminal of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump walks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during an arrival ceremony at the Royal Terminal of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump salutes as he greets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman delegations at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump gestures to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he greets Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, Saudi ambassador to the United States, at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025 (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gesture as they meet delegations at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump walks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during an arrival ceremony at the Royal Terminal of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025

President Donald Trump arrives with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for a coffee ceremony at the Royal Terminal of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025

President Donald Trump arrives with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for a coffee ceremony at the Royal Terminal of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump walks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during an arrival ceremony at the Royal Terminal of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025

President Donald Trump speaks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a coffee ceremony at the Royal Terminal of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump, left, speaks with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during family photo session at G-20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 28, 2019. (Kim Kyung-Hoon/Pool Photo via AP, File)