The Philadelphia Eagles are headed to the Super Bowl for the second time in three years, but with national media headlines obsessed with quarterback play on a weekly basis, you wouldn’t think it. Jalen Hurts has been left out of positive discourse for most of the 2024 season due to a passing attack that’s taken a backseat thanks to the arrival of Saquon Barkley. But the Oklahoma product reminded the world just how great he can be in Sunday’s euphoric win.
Jalen Hurts sends a clear message in big NFC Championship win
The Eagles ranked 32nd in the NFL in pass attempts this season. That’s not a stat you’d typically associate with a team playing in the Super Bowl. But alas, with one of the greatest rushing seasons in the history of the sport under their wing, the Birds have taken flight, and Hurts is just as important as he ever has been.
It takes a special kind of player to be selfless enough to facilitate the explosion of a rushing offense. Doing it over a couple of weeks is fine, but a full year? Not many NFL QB’s and wideouts are willing to sacrifice production and notoriety for championship rings, but the Eagles struck gold in Jalen Hurts.
“I don’t play the game for stats.” Hurts said following the win over Washington. “I don’t play the game for numbers, any statistical approval from anyone else. And I understand that everyone has a preconceived notion on how they want it to look, or how they expect it to look. I told you guys that winning, success, is defined by that particular individual, and it’s all relative to the person. And what I define it as is winning. So the number one goal is always to come out here and win.”
While that has rung true all year, the Eagles let their franchise QB loose against Washington. Hurts surpassed the 240-yard mark for just the fifth time all season, completing 71% of his passes and scoring 3 rushing touchdowns. The dynamic ability of the most composed man in Football was on show just as much as his decision-making.
Although many are quick to criticize Jalen Hurts in the pocket, or his tendency to take unnecessary sacks, he’s now gone 9 weeks without throwing an interception and recorded a career-high in completion percentage. Protecting the ball to sustain drives and allow Barkley to do what he does best has been just as valuable as what the QB can do through the air.
“The standard is to win. That’s my standard.”
He calmly stated, dressed in a shirt that stated he was an NFC Champion once again and representing that very sentiment.
The Eagles can win in multiple ways. Through the air, on the ground, and defensively. They’ve proven that multiple times over the last 12 weeks, and if there was ever a time to make a statement that Jalen Hurts is as dangerous as he ever has been, it was in the NFC Championship game.
“Well, I’ve told you guys, this is not a matter that we can’t. It’s just a matter of if we do. It all comes down to how we execute.” Jalen Hurts explained. “Comes down to our approach, and everyone being on the same page and playing with good rhythm, and ultimately finding a way to win.
I think the beautiful thing about this sport, about this team, and for me, from my vantage point, [is] how we’ve been able to evolve over the years since I’ve been here, finding ways to win in multiple ways. It’s a great help when you have a defense like that turning the ball over, playing hard, playing ferocious, and flying to the ball. We just need to find it in us to muscle out one more.”
Message received.
Jalen Hurts doesn’t care about the naysayers, the numbers, the negativity, or the recency bias. He cares about winning, and that’s all he’s ever done in Philadelphia. Now, he’s entering his second Super Bowl appearance with a shot at redemption against the team who ripped that chance at glory away in the dying embers.
One year after keeping a phone background of himself, walking through red and yellow confetti to remind him of the pain and the struggle, Hurts will walk into New Orleans with a new offense, a new opportunity, and the same stone-cold mentality that has pushed him the elite levels we’ve seen from him.
The last time we saw Jalen Hurts in a Super Bowl, he put together the game of his life. After Sunday’s victory, there is absolutely no reason to believe he can’t or won’t replicate that once again.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
