DENVER – The game hung in the balance and the Broncos were on the march when Darius Slay came out the sky like a lightning bolt, scooping up a forced fumble and went this way then that way before finding a lane and bursting through it for an 83-yard touchdown return.
Time ran out in the third quarter during the play, then it eventually ran out on the Denver Broncos, too, as the Eagles won their fourth road game of the season, capturing this one, 30-13, at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium on Sunday.
The win moved the Eagles to 4-6 and they will go in search of their home win of the season next week when they host the New Orleans Saints. The Eagles also snaped Denver’s two-game winning streak, with both wins coming against NFC East opponents, Washington then, last week, Dallas.
The Eagles' win total matches what they had in 16 games last year.
For Slay, it was his second scoop-and-score TD in the last three games. He got one against the Lions that was forced by Avonte Maddox that covered 33 yards.
The latest was forced by linebacker Davion Taylor and came after Jalen Hurts had just thrown an interception, his first since Oct. 14.
Slay became the fourth Eagles player in history to record two fumble recovery touchdowns in the same season, joining Juqua Parker (2011), Kevin Curtis (2007), and Seth Joyner (1991).
The Broncos had moved 30 yards after Justin Simmons’ pick of Hurts to the Eagles’ 23-yard line where they opted to go for it on fourth-and-one. That’s when Slay’s lightning bolt happened, making the score 27-13.
Along the way, Broncos QB Teddy Bridgewater wanted no part of trying to tackle Slay, even though he had a good angle on him.
The Eagles' defense didn’t let the Broncos off the mat after Slay’s big play, forcing a three-and-out on Denver’s ensuing possession.
The offense then drained minutes off the clock with a bruising running game featuring Jordan Howard with a dusting of Boston Scott.
The running attack allowed the Eagles to move 60 yards in 10 plays, but, more importantly, consume 5 minutes, 57 seconds of clock before Jake Elliott booted his third field goal of the game, this one a 22-yarder that gave Philadelphia a 30-13 lead with 7:36 to play.
Elliott was also good from 30 yards to open the scoring early in the first quarter. He then connected from 52 yards away with five seconds left in the second quarter
Offensively, DeVonta Smith celebrated his 23rd birthday in style.
The rookie caught two touchdown passes, one from 36 yards for a 10-0 Eagles lead with 3:16 to play in the first quarter, his second from five yards out on third-and-goal, as the Eagles took a 20-10 lead at halftime.
It was the second straight week Smith has caught a touchdown and he has four on the season. He is the first Eagles rookie receiver to catch multiple TDs in a road game since Freddie Barnett on Dec. 29, 1990, at Phoenix.
The 36-yard TD is the longest receiving score by an Eagles rookie since rookie Mack Hollins had a 64-yard TD on Oct. 23, 2017, vs. Washington.
Smith ended with four catches for 66 yards. He did not have a reception in the second half but Hurts only had one completion in the second half.
Meanwhile, the running game once again proved mighty, with the Eagles rushing for 215 yards.
Jordan Howard had 12 carries for 83 yards, Boston Scott had 11 for 81, and Hurts 14 for 53.
Defensively, the big news was that Bridgewater did not become the sixth QB to complete 80 percent or more of his throws. He was 22-for-36 (61 percent) for 226 yards.
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