Jalen Hurts Keeps Eagles from Getting Buried in the Desert

After falling into a 16-0 hole, it looked like a blowout was coming, bt the rookie QB kept his poised and rallied the team to tie the score at 26, but it wasn't enough to win

It looked as if the Eagles were about to be dragged into the nearby desert and buried deep into the sandy soil with nothing but cacti and skittering scorpions the only thing to be seen for miles.

The Arizona Cardinals raced to a 16-0 lead before the first quarter was over.

It was 9-0 before the Eagles even had a first down, with Arizona getting a safety when Jalen Hurts intentionally grounded a pass while in the end zone and a touchdown that required the Cardinals to travel only six yards after blocking a Cameron Johnston punt.

Even the defense got into the act, with Jalen Mills missing a tackle near the sideline on Maxx Williams that turned a five-yard gain into a 42-yard romp down the sideline. On the next play, Marcus Epps whiffed on a tackle against Kyler Murray, who sidestepped the safety and ran in untouched from eight yards.

“We self-destructed, man, in the first quarter,” said head coach Doug Pederson. “Gosh, blocked punt, we had the safety, just mistakes, penalties, we lined up wrong a couple times offensively. It’s just self-inflected things in the first quarter that just set us back. This has kind of been what’s kind of plagued us all season, these types of mistakes.”

Pederson hit the nail right on the head. More like, the coach hit his finger with the hammer while trying to hit the nail. The Eagles slow starts have been ruinous all season long.

They snapped out of that funk in last week’s win over the New Orleans Saints, holding a 17-0 lead at halftime for the first time since Oct. 4. On Sunday, they were right back in that funk, trailing 26-20 at the break.

But it could have been much worse, if not for Hurts.

In just his second start, the rookie quarterback put up some gaudy numbers, throwing for 338 yards with three passing touchdowns and one rushing TD.

He played turnover-free ball, but the same issues with the offensive line that led to Carson Wentz getting benched also hampered Hurts – sacks. Hurts absorbed six of them, including on back-to-back plays after the QB had led the Eagles to Arizona’s 11-yard line at the two-minute warning.

Matt Pryor isn’t the answer at right tackle, but he is the best they have at the moment, after losing Lane Johnson and Jack Driscoll. That was sort of already known Pryor, who is best as a reserve. 

A lot, though, was learned about Hurts after the Eagles rallied to tie the game at 26 in the final minute of the third quarter.

“He’s encouraging,” said WR Greg Ward, who had two touchdown catches and now has a team-high six of those this season, when asked what Hurts was like when the team fell into a 16-0 hole.

“He’s poised. He’s being a leader. He’s just encouraging everybody that we need to go out there and pick it up. And that’s exactly what we needed to do at the time.”

Hurts prevented the desert burial.

“I thought he had great poise out there, great leadership,” said head coach Doug Pederson. “Played obviously physically tough, mentally tough. Made some really good throws down the stretch, especially in the second half when we had to put a couple of drives together. Played well. Played really well, taking care of the football. Those are all things that we talk about, and he’s able to do that, plus lead the team into the end zone.”

Hurts kept his team in the game with his arm. Last week, much was made of his 106 rushing yards. He had 63 in this one, but it was his arm that kept Philadelphia from being buried.

In just his second start, Hurts had seven pass plays that went for at least 23 yards.

Here they are:

42 yards to Zach Ertz.

39 yards to Alshon Jeffery.

32 yards for a touchdown to Quez Watkins, with most of the work on that one being done by Watkins.

27 yards to Ertz.

26 yards to Miles Sanders on a screen pass.

24 yards to Jeffery.

23 yards to Jalen Reagor.

Last week, Hurts had just two throws that went for more than 23 yards.

Hurts hates talking about himself, and that is something else learned.

“Those things you’re applauding me for wasn’t enough,” he said. “I think I hate losing more than I love to win. It’s not a great feeling. But it’s a learning lesson. Everything can be better moving forward. I get to reflect on it. Have a nice little plane ride back to think about some of things and back to work.”

Pederson like he did the past couple of weeks did not commit to starting Hurts next week in Dallas but is expected to have an answer on Monday, either on his weekly radio spot in the morning or in the early afternoon when he talks to the media.

If his postgame comments are any indication, he will go back to Hurts against the Cowboys.

“You never really know much about guys until they play,” said Pederson. “I think what he’s done, what he’s capable of doing … obviously, he’s a motivated athlete, motivated quarterback. He’s driven. And that’s a good thing.

“He’s a self-starter, great leadership ability, obviously. He plays tough mentally and physically. You saw (Sunday) how well he can throw from the pocket and from outside the pocket. He’s doing a good job. There’s still room to grow, obviously … but gave us an opportunity to win.”

An opportunity that didn't look possible with the Cardinals plotting to bury them in the desert early in the game.

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