EXCLUSIVE: "He's a winner" - Ex-Falcons HC Mike Smith believes in Jalen Hurts' ability to lead the Eagles
Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles offense had a terrific outing in their win over Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football. The Eagles star finished the game with only 16 completions for 153 passing yards, but rushed for 157 yards, setting a new career-high. Hurts' 310 total yards and two touchdown passes were critical in helping the Eagles beat the Packers 40-33.
Jalen Hurts dominated the Packers:
🦅 153 Pass Yds
🦅 157 Rush Yds
🦅 2 Pass TD
🦅 29.8 Fantasy Points https://t.co/1iM42EIUmX
Jalen Hurts' stellar performance helped him re-enter the NFL MVP race after a lackluster performance in the Eagles' 32-21 loss to the Washington Commanders. He finished the game with just 175 passing yards and 28 rushing yards. The defeat ended the Eagles' perfect start to the season.
Last Sunday, the Eagles were on the brink of losing their second game on the trot when they faced the Indianapolis Colts. However, 14 points in the fourth quarter helped them secure a narrow 17-16 win.
Jalen Hurts now has a combined 23 touchdowns and 5 turnovers this season.
Put the team on his back in the 4Q, totaling 79 passing yards, 51 rushing yards and two total touchdowns, erasing a 10-point deficit vs. Colts.
MVP-level stuff
#FlyEaglesFly https://t.co/lRSRZWFlWY
Hurts completed 18 of his 25 pass attempts for 190 yards and rushed for 86 yards. He was directly responsible for both touchdowns in the fourth quarter, passing for one and rushing for another.
Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith appeared on the BallFather podcast last week. He explained to host Reggie Roberts how Jalen Hurts showcased the traits of an elite NFL quarterback in the Philadelphia Eagles' narrow win over the Colts. Here's what he said:
"The great quarterbacks in this league are going to be able to find a way to win when things aren't always going the way that you want them to go. That to me is a sign of a guy that's got his team and he's a winner."
Mike Smith is a fan of Jalen Hurts
Smith went on to pay further compliments to Hurts, clearly impressed with his leadership of the Eagles:
"When things aren't going well, whether it's him not playing well or the guys around him aren't playing well, he finds a way at the end of the game and [makes sure] by the 60th minute, or if it's overtime, that they've got one more point than the other guy."
Smith also said that it was one of the finest wins of Hurts' young NFL career:
"That was a signature win. Even though it was against the lowly Indianapolis Colts that some people say they are. By the way, they're still in the playoff hunt. Right? They've revived their season here in the last two weeks. But he found a way to get it done."
He also complimented Jalen Hurts' performance as a passer against the Colts:
"He had to throw the football. He's been running it all season long. But he was able to will that team to victory at the end of the game. And that says he's a great leader. We know he's a great runner. And even though he only had six or seven incompletions and they might have ugly incompletions, but still he was fairly accurate throwing the football."
Smith praised Hurts for leading the Eagles to the best record in the NFL. He predicted that they will finish the regular season strong and potentially clinch the top seed in the NFC.
Watch the entire podcast episode below:
Jalen Hurts' gritty performance against the Colts and his explosive outing against the Packers proved he can deliver whenever the team requires him to. It's been a terrific campaign for Hurts and the Eagles will be hoping that he can continue on his current trajectory.
If he does, who knows what he can achieve?
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