NFL: Has Eagles QB Jalen Hurts replaced Carson Wentz for good?
In Week 15, Jalen Hurts did something his predecessor, Carson Wentz, never did. Hurts topped 400 total yards in the Philadelphia Eagles' 33-26 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
It doesn't seem like a massive accomplishment (though Hurts added four touchdowns and 0 turnovers as well), but for an Eagles team starved for competent quarterback play, it may have sealed Hurts as the future at quarterback.
Hurts quickly won over Eagles fans with quotes such as: "I think I hate losing more than I love to win," after his first Eagles loss. He also, clearly, earned the trust of his head coach, Doug Pederson, who handed the keys to his team to the rookie after just a few reps under center.
“I thought he had great poise, great leadership, played physically tough, mentally tough, made some really good throws down the stretch,” Pederson said after the Eagles' loss to Arizona last weekend.
Hurts was not the reason for Philly's loss to the Cardinals in week 15. He passed for 338 yards and three touchdowns and added 63 yards on the ground. In a limited sample, he has shown to be one of the most effective dual-threat QBs in the league. That evasiveness and ability to think on his feet has been a necessary talent for the Eagles QB this year.
Philly's offensive line has been injured and struggle in recent weeks. On Sunday, despite throwing for three scores, Hurts was sacked six times and called for a safety due to intentional grounding in the end zone.
While Wentz was, at one point, a threat to scramble and run, Hurts seems like the QB built for this itteration of teh Eagles, at least for now. On the year, Hurts has a 55.1 completion-percentage, 647 passing yards, five touchdowns, and just one interception.
Can Hurts lead Philly to the playoffs?
Despite being last in the NL East at 4-9-1 the Eagles are still in a good spot to potentially win the worst division in football. The Washington Football Team currently leads the East at 6-8, but with matchups against the Dallas Cowboys and Washington remaining on Philly's schedule, winning out would position them to take home the division.