This was a win the Eagles needed, no matter how they made it happen. It wasn't always pretty, but it was hard-fought and gritty and physical and, truly, it felt good to get to 3-2 with a 20-16 win over the Cleveland Browns on a beautiful Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.

The offense started slowly and then picked it up with some big, big plays and the defense was rock-solid throughout to gain the win, and now the post-bye-week season is in full swing.

Here are some observations from a day on which the Eagles had to scratch and claw and do everything in their power to get to 3-2.

1. A.J. Brown picked up where he left off

In the opening game against Green Bay, wide receiver A.J. Brown was, as usual, a huge weapon with 5 receptions, 117 yards, and a touchdown. And then he tweaked his hamstring and missed three games. It didn't take long in his return on Sunday to make a difference. On the Eagles' first touchdown drive, Brown had a 16-yard gain to erase a second-and-11 situation and then he hauled in a Hurts pass on the left side to convert a third-and-7 play from the Cleveland 22, going up, up, up, and over cornerback Martin Emerson, Jr. and catching a touchdown pass with his left hand in spectacular fashion. Brown finished with 6 receptions for 116 yards, including the touchdown and a 40-yard catch just after the two-minute warning on a second-and-8 play that clinched, finally and without reservation, the win for the Eagles.

"It felt really good just to be back out there with my team and competing most importantly," Brown said.

2. Cooper DeJean's next step

He missed most of Training Camp and played in only one preseason game, so second-round draft pick Cooper DeJean had some catching up to do. He's caught up to the point where Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio started DeJean on Sunday at the nickel position and DeJean played well. He was strong in coverage, had 6 total tackles and half a quarterback sack and a quarterback hit. Oh, and he averaged 12.8 yards per punt return on five attempts. A very nice day for the rookie.

3. Brandon Graham's big play … if you didn't notice

Third down, 1 yard to go at the Philadelphia 29-yard line early in the third quarter. The crowd at Lincoln Financial Field, still stunned from a blocked field goal that Browns safety Rodney McLeod returned for a touchdown at the end of the first half to tie the game, 10-10, was uneasy for good reason. Cleveland was driving with the football. Quarterback Jameis Winston, in for starter Deshaun Watson, handed off to wide receiver Cedric Tillman on a jet sweep right to left in the Browns' formation. Defensive end Brandon Graham read the play and tackled Tillman for a 5-yard loss. Dustin Hopkins then pushed his 52-yard field goal wide right. Huge. Graham played another outstanding outing, 5 total tackles, including 4 solos, in the 200th regular-season game of his Eagles career. His achievement was recognized in the stadium, and the fans responded with thunderous applause in the first quarter.

"All love, baby," Graham said. "I appreciate the fans so much. On that play, we saw that Jameis was in the game and usually in that situation he keeps it on the sneak. My job is to play the edge and so when the ball came my way, I was right there to make the play. It felt great to help our defense and help to get this win today."

4. The crossing route works again

As in the win over New Orleans, when wide receiver Jahan Dotson helped free up tight end Dallas Goedert on a crossing route by creating a "pick" block on the cover man, the Eagles ran a similar play in the fourth quarter to take a lead against Cleveland. DeVonta Smith lined up in the left slot against cornerback Greg Newsome II and ran an in-cut route. Tight end Jack Stoll, coming toward Newsome, feigned a block on Newsome, slowing him down and creating some space for Smith. Quarterback Jalen Hurts hit Smith in stride and Smith streaked down the right sideline to complete the 45-yard touchdown play. Same play concept, slightly different alignment and a different target, and a huge play for the Eagles' offense.

5. Eagles hold in the red zone

After that Smith touchdown catch and run gave the Eagles a seven-point lead, the Browns moved the ball into scoring position and had a first-and-goal at the Philadelphia 8-yard line with 4:33 remaining in the game. The defense needed a hold. And it got one.

Watson completed a 3-yard to Elijah Moore on first down. Then Watson ran on a keeper to the right side on second down and gained 2 yards to the 3-yard line. On third-and-goal, Cleveland was called for a false start – credit to the fans at Lincoln Financial Field for that one – and on third-and-goal from the 8-yard line, C.J. Gardner-Johnson broke up a pass intended for tight end David Njoku, setting up a fourth-and-goal situation from the 8. But, again, the crowd was loud – really loud – and the Browns were penalized for another false start and moved back to the 13-yard line. Cleveland settled for a field goal there, accounting for the final score. That red zone hold, part of a strong defensive effort that limited Cleveland to 244 total net yards, six points (Cleveland blocked a Jake Elliott field goal attempt late in the first half and returned the football for a touchdown), and sacked Watson five times, was huge in helping the Eagles start the post-bye season the right way.

6. Jalen Hurts: Solid, efficient, effective, and no turnovers

Quarterback Jalen Hurts began by missing on his first five pass attempts, but after that he was on his game as Hurts then completed 16 of 20 passes for 264 yards and the two touchdowns. Hurts also ran for 33 big yards on 14 carries – that includes three kneeldowns for -3 yards at the end of the game – and was successful on four Brotherly Shoves. It wasn't always pretty for the Eagles' offense, but it got the job done and it is something to build on for this football team. Most importantly: Zero turnovers for Hurts and the offense and that was critical.

7. Salute to unsung Eagles

Injuries took tight end Dallas Goedert (hamstring), cornerback Darius Slay (knee), and left tackle Jordan Mailata (hamstring) off the field, but again the depth showed. Grant Calcaterra stepped in and contributed career bests 4 catches for 67 yards, Isaiah Rodgers stepped in for Slay and had a couple of tackles, and Johnson helped minimize Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett in the fourth quarter. You need everyone in this marathon of a season and the Eagles' roster depth came through again. Also, a shoutout to Dotson, who made the most of his two touches: A 13-yard run on a lateral from Hurts early in the game and then came through with a toe-drag catch on the sideline on the final drive of the game to gain 10 yards on a second-and-9 play. Defensively, defensive tackle Moro Ojomo didn't show up in the stat sheet, but his presence was felt from a pass-rush standpoint helping contribute to the Browns' inability to score an offensive touchdown.