Jalen Hurts has to be aching this week and carrying his Philadelphia Eagles to another win (which makes this shirt a very timely addition to anyone’s closet). Hurts has done some incredible things in Eagle green, but on a day when the Eagles needed a monster performance from their signal caller, he delivered in spades.
Jalen Hurts Steps Up
Hurts’ mental toughness and his ability to do what it takes to win are what define him as a player. He had an efficient day passing against the Indianapolis Colts – he was 18-of-25 through the air with a touchdown, no picks, and a passer rating of 107 – but it was his ability to make plays with his feet that stood out.
There are no situations where Hurts should be the Eagles’ leading rusher. This is a team with Miles Sanders in the backfield and an offensive line that is more than good enough to open holes for their leading back. In this game, however, it was Hurts finding the running lanes. While Hurts hadn’t completely taking rushing out of his game, it was notable that this season he has been relying less on his feet. This is important long term – we all know what happens to dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL – but Hurts’ performance here suggested a maturity in his running that puts the Eagles in a great spot.
Hurts rushed for 87 yards – 86 if you take his kneel down into account – on 16 carries. The biggest stat within that stat is that half of those carries (eight) went for a first down. This shows that Hurts is picking his spots, finding the right time to break containment and put the team on his back as a makes his way up the field to move the chains. He also rushed for almost 50 yards in the fourth quarter, runs that included a three-yard effort on 4th-and-2 and the seven-yard touchdown that won the game. He did have one key fumble, but it is unrealistic to expect Hurts to be completely perfect.
When he is running the offense, the team has a feel that is almost unique in the NFL. He is dynamic and fearless, yet also calm and reassuring. Patrick Mahomes shares these traits, and Josh Allen comes close, but Hurts is unlike anyone else in the league outside of those two players.
Sometimes it takes a leader to drag a team to a victory they might not deserve. The Eagles did more than enough to lose this one – ironically to a Colts’ squad that has already beaten Mahomes’ Chiefs this season – but Hurts, once again, made sure that his team wasn’t going to lose.
Always remember folks to bleed Eagles’ green, and Fly Hurts Fly!
