Last Updated on 01/23/2023 by てんしょく飯
Last week there was a lot of talk about whether Philadelphia Eagles quarterback (QB) Jalen Hurts, who recently suffered a shoulder injury, would be able to play in the playoffs, so Hurts was asked after the game there on Saturday, January 21, how he was feeling.
I’m fine,” Hurts replied.
Considering that he had two touchdown passes and scored a rushing touchdown himself in the divisional round win, Hurts’ “okay” is more than satisfactory for the Eagles, who won a convincing 38-7 victory over the New York Giants.
Hurts sprained his shoulder in Week 15 of the season, causing him to miss two games late in the regular season. He returned in week 18 to help the team earn the No. 1 seed, but he was clearly still not at 100 percent for the game, and there were concerns about Hurts’s condition heading into the postseason. Fortunately for him, the Eagles’ first-place finish in the National Football Conference (NFC) allowed him to get some extra rest before the playoffs officially began, and Hurts said at the time that he was glad he had a bye week.
And the extra rest period seemed to pay off, as Hurts dominated their division rivals early in Saturday’s game. The star QB started off with a bang, completing all seven of his pass attempts in the first quarter for 89 yards and two touchdown passes to give the Eagles an early lead. The Eagles offense never let up, piling up a total of 416 yards and 38 scores, the most since the Giants in Week 14 of the season. Hurts contributed to three of those touchdowns, completing 16 of 24 passes for 154 yards and a 112.2 passer rating. Hurts was back to his old MVP-candidate form.
To me, he looked like the old Jalen,” running back (RB) Miles Sanders said after the game. I’m not going to lie. I’m proud of him. He demands the best from everybody. He wants the best for us, and we’re going to give it to him.
During the post-game press conference, head coach (HC) Nick Siriani explained that in addition to the impact of Hurts’ physical talent, he also provides emotional stimulation to the team during play. Citing basketball players, Ciliani compared Hurts to Allen Iverson and Maurice Cheeks of the Philadelphia 76ers, and then went on to equate Hurts’ impact to one of the greatest players in sports when answering questions.
Having him on the field…I know that’s a pretty high assessment, and I hesitate to say it, but it’s like having Michael Jordan,” HC Ciliani said. He’s the leader of the team. He’s a player you can count on. I think the greatest respect for him would be to compare his on-field ability to a player like Michael Jordan. He can lead the team. He brings a calmness to the whole team. He plays great football and couldn’t be a tougher player.”
In other words, for me, no one has been better than him this year.”
When healthy, the 24-year-old Hurts was one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the league. That’s the result of a great arm combined with the constant threat of being able to carry the ball on his own. Ranking in the top 10 in many passing categories, Hurts ranked fourth among QBs in regular season rushing yards (760).
HC Ciliani said, “Jaylen always helps our running game by what he can do and the threat he poses to the backside. Even when he’s not carrying, when he’s not running, he impacts the game. That is what he has done. He has influenced the game by forcing the backside to pay attention to him.
The outcome of Sunday’s game will determine who the Eagles will play next. But whether it is the Dallas Cowboys or the San Francisco 49ers, they will come to Philadelphia knowing that they will be in shape and playing against a dangerous Hurts team.
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