Dink and Dunk: Will the Eagles Really Take the Deep Ball Away From Jalen Hurts

There is arguably no better quarterback at throwing the deep ball than Jalen Hurts.

The proof is in the pudding. On throws that travel 25+ air yards, Hurts is amongst the best at every statistical category. He tied for the league lead in touchdown passes of 25+ air yards last season (7) , throwing for the second most passing yards (753), and having the fourth best passer rating (118.1).

Since the start of the 2022 season, Hurts has the most completions of 25+ air yards (66), the highest completion percentage (39.6%), and the most pass touchdowns (28). He's also fourth in passer rating (104.3) amongst quarterbacks with 100+ attempts of 25+ air yards.

The strength of Hurts' game is the deep ball, a throw that has made Hurts one of the game's best quarterbacks. Whether Hurts is throwing to A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, or whoever is at wide recieiver -- he produces when throwing the ball deep.

The Eagles have a new look offense this year under Sean Mannion, one that is more of an unknown in terms of how the unit will be run, what plays will be called, and what they want to execute.

Since the offense is such an unknown, could the biggest strength of Hurts' game be cut back?

The personnel

The Eagles are going to move on from A.J. Brown, who has the most receiving yards (1,316) and receiving touchdowns (14) since the start of the 2022 season -- his first in an Eagles uniform. The deep ball is a huge part of Brown's game, and a massive loss for the Eagles passing game.

What if the Eagles want to limit the deep ball? Makai lemon is known more for his ability to get open in the slot while Dontayvion Wicks has a reputation for getting open and being reliable underneath.

They aren't deep ball wideouts, but Smith has a kneck for soem deep ball prowess. Smith is seventh in the NFL in passes thrown of 25+ air yards since 2022 (944) and sixth in touchdowns (9) since 2022. Prehaps he gets more targets downfield in taking over the Brown role.

Hollywood Brown is another receiver that can go deep, but his damage is also mostly done in the slot and after the catch. This offense has more players that create space and generate yards after the catch than relying on deep ball production.

Will the Eagles go with their receivers' strengths? Or their quarterback's biggest strength?

Is Hurts still effective not going deep?

Amongst qualified players throwing for 10+ air yards, the numbers tell a different story for Hurts. His 47.7% completion rate is 22nd in the NFL, but his 100.7 passer rating is ninth. Hurts has 45 pass touchdowns throwing for 10+ air yards, tied for fifth in the league.

Outside of the completion rate, Hurts is productive when throwing for 10+ air yards. Those numbers are what Hurts can improve going foward, as more completions lead to a more consistent offense.

Hurts will also have to improve his attempts over the middle of the field, even though the numbers are good when he does throw between the hashmarks. This is what the Eagles want to accomplish with their offense going forward, a year for Hurts to make it work.

The improvement doesn't need to be gradual, but effective.

As for the deep ball? That still has to be incorporated into Hurts' game so the Eagles can see the most production out of their quarterback. This is what is going to help the Eagles win games and keep opposing defenses on their heels.

Complete the intermediate passes to make the deep throws more efficient.

The Eagles can't take the deep ball away from Hurts' repertoire. They have to enhance it.

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