Why was Jalen Hurts' hail mary pass woefully short? Video shows real reason behind Eagles QB's weak attempt
Jalen Hurts turned in a spectacular performance during Super Bowl LVII. Despite his Philadelphia Eagles being defeated by the Kansas City Chiefs, a case can be made that he was the best player on the field during the game.
He recorded four total touchdowns in an incredible losing effort. Hurts statistically outplayed even Patrick Mahomes, who was named the Super Bowl MVP.
Philadelphia let a 10-point halftime lead slip away during the second half, allowing the Chiefs to complete an epic comeback victory. Following the Chiefs' final drive of the game, the Eagles took over with just seconds remaining on the clock and trailing by three. Philadelphia didn't have enough time to try to get into field goal range, so they opted for a Hail Mary instead.
On the final play of Super Bowl LVII, Jalen Hurts sent all of his wide receivers far down the field. He loaded up to unleash a Hail Mary, hoping for a miraculous jumpball to fall in the Eagles' favor.
The issue was that the football only traveled about 50 yards in the air, while the receivers were set up further downfield. Hurts' pass never had a chance as it fell uncontested.
Jalen Hurts received criticism following the game for his poor attempt at a Hail Mary. His arm strength was called into question and claims were made that he may be incapable of launching such passes downfield. A video surfaced the following morning that attempted to explain why the throw fell as short as it did.
Jalen Hurts #SuperBowl Hail Mary throw was awful but why…clearly he stepped on #Eagles C Jason Kelce’s foot when he stepped up…bad play all around for the Eagles…2 man rush should’ve never pushed o-line 6 yards off line of scrimmage…rough end vs #Chiefs #ChiefsKingdom https://t.co/JBbXJCoDXf
As seen in the video, Jalen Hurts appears to step on center Jason Kelce's foot while loading up on his pass attempt. This likely affected the power and trajectory of the throw, causing it to fall woefully short of the endzone.
Did Jalen Hurts cost the Eagles a Super Bowl LVII victory?
Jalen Hurts made two crucial mistakes during Super Bowl LVII that contributed to the Eagles' loss to the Chiefs. In addition to the failed Hail Mary attempt, he also committed a costly turnover.
During the second quarter of the game, Hurts fumbled the football while being tackled, which resulted in a Nick Bolton touchdown recovery. The score tied the game at 14 for the Chiefs.
Despite two major errors, Hurts is far from the reason why the Eagles lost the game. He was excellent for most of it, totaling more than 300 yards and four touchdowns. A more legitimate case could be made that Hurts is the reason why the Eagles weren't blown out despite giving up 38 points.