5 reasons why Jalen Hurts and Eagles will fall flat in 2024 NFL playoffs
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles lost yet another game to the end of the NFL season and now go to the 2024 NFL playoffs as a WIldcard entrant. Given that they were the top seed in the NFC and their division for most of the 2023 season, it should be seen as a failure of sorts. This also means that they have to go on the road to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In normal circumstances, they should be the favorite to win this game given they finished with a 11-6 compared to a 9-8 record for their opponents. But their recent form has been horrendous, as was typified by their meek 27-10 loss to a 5-11 New York Giants. Here are some reasons why the Eagles will struggle to repeat last year's performance and reach the Super Bowl.
#5 - Fitness and injuries
The Eagles are falling into the playoffs on the back of a torrid run. Emblematic of it are injuries to key players. Just in their last game, A.J. Brown suffered a knee injury that ruled him out for the rest of the game. Safety Reed Blankenship and guard Cam Jurgens suffered the same fate with a groin and an eye injury.
Crucially, quarterback Jalen Hurts looked as if he had dislocated a finger on his right hand. If that is serious, he will be unable to throw the ball and going into your playoff games without your starting quarterback is never a good situation to be in. Of course, it is possible that none of them are serious and everyone could feature in the coming week but such niggles and bruises are coming at the wrong time.
However, if the Eagles have one good reference in this whole affair, it's their own history. They won the Super Bowl with backup quarterback Nick Foles after Carson Wentz was ruled out and maybe they can do it again.
#4 - Defense wins championships and Eagles have none
For all the talk about Jalen Hurts' struggles, the issue is that the defense is letting up too many plays and points. From previous play-caller Sean Desai to incumbent Matt Patricia, nobody seems to have any answers towards fixing it.
The Eagles' defense gave up 356.1 yards per game this season. It was the seventh-worst in the league and the worst among all teams that have made the playoffs. Their 252.7 passing yards per game allowed was the second-worst in the league just ahead of the woeful Washington Commanders. The 25.2 points they allowed per game was the third-worst in the league with only the Cardinals and Commanders lower than them.
No offense can dig themselves out of a hole like this in a knockout game, which are generally tight affairs.
#3 - Poor coordinators
Last season, Philadelphia saw spectcaular success as they reached the Super Bowl. But it also led to both their offensive and defensive coordinators leaving. Offensive coordinator Shane Steichen became the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. His defensive counterpart, Jonathan Gannon, took over at the Arizona Cardinals.
Brian Johnson, who took over offensive coordinator duties this season, has not done as well as his predecessor. Last season, they had 389.1 offensive yards per game, which dropped to 354.4 this year. And we have already discussed the defensive coordinator situation that has seen Matt Patricia replace Sean Desai with no noticeable upturn.
#2 - Extremely passionate fanbase
The Eagles fans are known as a passionate fanbase. When they won the Super Bowl, people climbed traffic lights and poles and brought the city to a standstill. Their previous stadium used to have a jail cell and a courtroom, to discipline rowdy fans. While it is great to have them on your side when you are playing well, they can become a liability when results do not go the way they want.
Just last week, for example, when the Cardinals scored a touchdown to make the score 21-19, the Philadelphia fans started booing their team even though they were still ahead. Such behavior is hardly good for a group of players who are clearly struggling for confidence. It ratchets up the pressure and that might be the one silver lining for them that they have to go on the road in their first game against Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
#1 - Jalen Hurts' signature move figured out
A team goes as the quarterback. Jalen Hurts was in the MVP conversation last year as he took his team all the way to the Super Bowl. But he has not been the same in the last few weeks. One theory is that he has not been able to get out of the pocket and use his legs as much. The San Francisco 49ers, who defeated them 42-19, might have given the template to their opponents.
As Nick Bosa pointed out, all they did to stop Jalen Hurts was remove the rushing lanes in the middles that forced him to go out wide. Since then, his production has dropped and Philadelphia's form has cratered.
The league might not have figured out how to stop the brotherly shove yet, but if they can stop the Eagles from getting to short yardage on downs, the play is automatically taken off the table. Such myriad complications are now roadblocks on Philadelphia's path as they look to navigate the 2024 NFL playoffs.