Ralph Vacchiano
NFL Reporter
Jalen Hurts has by no means had an issue with the Philadelphia Eagles being constructed round Saquon Barkley. Profitable is all that has ever mattered to him. If all he does is play sport supervisor, as he is carried out by way of the primary two weeks of the playoffs, they usually maintain profitable, that is effective. No matter it takes.
But when the Eagles are going to succeed in their second Tremendous Bowl in three seasons, it’s certainly going to take much more from their quarterback than simply that.
There are not any outward indicators of concern in Philadelphia because the Eagles get set to play host to the Washington Commanders within the NFC Championship Recreation on Sunday, however perhaps there must be after Hurts’ mediocre and at instances alarming efficiency of their first two postseason video games. He is thrown for a complete of simply 259 yards. He is taken 9 sacks, together with seven within the divisional spherical towards the Rams. And he hasn’t checked out all like himself.
Hurts swears he is not feeling the impacts of the concussion he suffered in Washington on Dec. 22, or any rust from sitting out the final two video games of the common season. And he hasn’t blamed something on the injured finger on his left (non-throwing) hand both, nor did he admit that his lack of mobility late within the sport towards the Los Angeles Rams was due to his injured left knee.
However it’s fairly clear that one thing is off. And after a sport by which the Eagles netted simply 65 passing yards, even Hurts acknowledged he and the passing sport had been able to a lot extra.
“Our efficiency at present was sufficient to win, however sufficient isn’t sufficient when it comes to the requirements we now have for ourselves and what we need to do,” he stated. “There’s all the time a drive for extra and this urge to proceed to enhance, and that is the way it will proceed to be. At this level within the season, No. 1 factor is about enhancing.”
In the meanwhile, although, Hurts is clearly trending the improper means. He accomplished 13 of 21 passes for simply 131 yards (and two touchdowns) two weeks in the past in a 22-10 win over the Inexperienced Bay Packers within the wild-card spherical. He additionally ran simply twice in that sport for 10 yards. Then towards the Rams, in generally windy and wintry situations, he ran extra — seven carries for 63 yards, together with a 44-yard landing — however his passing was means off. He was 15 of 20 for 128 yards.
That was nonetheless sufficient, thanks principally to Barkley’s 205 speeding yards. And there was no expressions of fear within the postgame locker room, not even from No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown who caught simply two passes for 14 yards regardless of being focused seven instances.
Brown, who dropped one very catchable go, insisted “You have to give this sport a go,” no pun meant, due to the tough climate situations, although that did not actually turn out to be an element till the second half. Additionally, Matthew Stafford, the Rams quarterback, threw for 324 yards and practically led a dramatic, fourth-quarter comeback in those self same situations. And the situations do not essentially account for Hurts standing within the pocket like a statue taking extra sacks than he had within the final three video games mixed — together with a late third-quarter security.
Even offensive coordinator Kellen Moore acknowledged the efficiency was “not superb.”
“I feel you have to consider it from a big-picture perspective,” he stated. “Then we glance by way of each element of it. Too many sacks on our finish. I give attention to how I might help this course of and put ourselves in higher conditions with a number of the play-calling. A few of these conditions I’ll dig actually deep into.”
The play calling towards the Rams wasn’t nice, to make certain. However that does not account for Hurts overthrowing a wide-open Brown close to the sideline, or lacking him later by throwing to the improper aspect. It does not account for Hurts barely transferring as Rams defensive sort out Neville Gallimore shot up the center and tackled him ultimately zone with 26 seconds left within the third, or doing the identical on a sack by defensive sort out Kobie Turner with 2:36 left within the fourth that would have ended up costing them the sport.
Hurts, on the high of his sport, is difficult for defenses to catch. He is correct together with his throws. He is decisive. He creates performs exterior the pocket. He has a powerful arm and may join on deep passes. That is how he powered their run to Tremendous Bowl LVII two years in the past.
None of that’s taking place proper now.
To be honest, Moore did say Hurts has carried out “a superb job” together with his reads and choices. He stated he is proven his worth as an choice within the working sport, which has paved the way in which for Barkley’s huge video games. And he insisted that Hurts “performed a extremely clear” sport towards the Rams, avoiding any expensive errors.
That is true. However that additionally describes the position of a sport supervisor. And the Eagles aren’t paying Hurts $51 million per yr to solely be that.
Two years in the past, by the way in which, Hurts was equally low powered by way of the primary two rounds of the playoffs. However he definitely regarded higher doing it. And the Eagles might see from his near-MVP common season that he had a better gear in reserve, which he confirmed when he threw for 304 yards and a landing and ran for 70 yards and three touchdowns of their Tremendous Bowl loss to the Chiefs.
It is exhausting to observe Hurts throw and see him limp over the past two weeks and imagine {that a} related reserve continues to be there. He does not appear like a quarterback succesful proper now of carrying his group in the event that they want it, regardless that his coaches and teammates proceed to insist that he’s.
“I count on him to come back out and do what he does,” Brown stated. “He is a warrior.”
That is what they want Hurts to be, particularly towards a red-hot Commanders group with an electrical younger quarterback in Jayden Daniels, who has placed on fairly a present within the playoffs to this point. The rookie has thrown for 567 yards and 4 touchdowns in two video games, whereas speeding for 87 extra. He’s carrying their group proper now the way in which Hurts used to constantly do.
The Eagles do not feel they want him to do it anymore. They’ve ridden on Barkley’s shoulders for a lot of the season, they usually suppose they may be capable to do all of it the way in which to the Tremendous Bowl too. However it will be more and more exhausting to win the championship they’re chasing with out Hurts contributing extra, with out him exhibiting at the very least a sliver of his outdated MVP kind.
As a result of sport managers at quarterback do not typically win championships on this sport. And the Eagles understand it. That is why they gave Hurts a $255 million deal. Now they want him to earn it, whether or not they admit it or not.
And Hurts must remind everybody that the Eagles are greater than only a one-man present.
Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. He spent the earlier six years overlaying the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and earlier than that, 16 years overlaying the Giants and the NFL for the New York Every day Information. Comply with him on Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.
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