With one more interception than touchdown pass plus two lost fumbles in Philadelphia’s three games this season, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has caught some flak that was unimaginable when the former Alabama standout was leading the team to the Super Bowl for the 2022 season.
But last season ended with six losses in the final seven games, including a playoff defeat, and this season’s 2-1 start has included six turnovers by Hurts.
Philadelphia coach Nick Sirianni said the criticism of Hurts was misplaced, citing the Eagles’ 27-8 record in regular-season games started by Hurts since the start of the 2022 campaign.
“We understand that’s this business,” Sirianni said on Friday. “The quarterback, the head coach, they’re going to be criticized, right? And that’s what we signed up for. But we do this for the people in the building, and we do this for the team that we are on. And I just see him just consistently come to work, be the same guy every single day. He works so hard to be better, to continue to get better through everything that he does. I told you what I felt about him. I mean, he’s a winner. With the record that he has, I laugh a little bit at criticism. I mean, look at his record. Look what his record is in the past, since the beginning of 2022. Take ’21 out of it. Look at the three times he’s led his team to the playoffs, so I laugh a little bit at the criticism.
“But I also understand that there’s criticism. It’s not just Jalen getting criticized. Every quarterback, with any mistake they make, are going to get criticized. And criticism kind of appears more than the praise sometimes. And, you know, our job is to win football games and not concern ourselves with anything else. And I just think that he’s just done such a good job of being able to block out anything — praise, criticism — to be able to, I guess, not eat the poison of that and just continue to go about it.”
The Eagles defeated the New Orleans Saints 15-12 on Sunday with a touchdown with 61 seconds to play. The touchdown came on the snap after Hurts audibled Philadelphia into a play that resulted in a 61-yard completion to tight end Dallas Goedert.
The Eagles won despite playing without three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver AJ Brown, who missed his second game in a row because of a hamstring injury, and losing five-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Lane Johnson and two-time 1,000-yard receiver DeVonta Smith during the game. Johnson and Smith left to be evaluated for concussions.
The Eagles might have to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday without those players. Smith already has been ruled out after failing to practice this week. Brown and Johnson practiced on a limited basis on Friday, and their participation in Sunday’s game is deemed as questionable.
“I think about the identity of this football team we have,” Hurts said on Wednesday. “And I can’t tell you what that is. I can’t tell you what that is because we haven’t had our nucleus together to really go out there and create that. And so the beautiful thing is that everyone has opportunities in these moments. And as you see last week with the opportunity guys had and stepped up, regardless of what it looks like, just want to play team football and play together and find ways to win. That’s what it’s about. …
“We’ve got guys coming in. Do we know what their roles are? It can look a different way each week, so I think everybody just has to be willing to learn, willing to do their part in that moment and being selfless and doing what’s best for the team.”
The Philadelphia offensive also lost right guard Mekhi Becton during the win against the Saints.
“I just think guys have done a great job of stepping up, and I have a ton of trust in all of those guys,” Hurts said about the reserves working with the first unit. “I think it was a funny moment to me, and I wouldn’t have acknowledged it in the huddle. But in the huddle, I looked in the huddle one time, and I saw so many different faces. But the game goes on. It’s truly a next-man-up mentality.”
The Eagles will play the Bucs for the third time in their past 20 games. Philadelphia defeated Tampa Bay 25-11 on Sept. 25, 2023, but Tampa Bay won the playoff rematch 32-13.
“It’s been different every time we’ve played them — different time of the year, different moment, different offense, different approach, philosophy, if you will,” Hurts said. “And so I’ve got a ton of respect for him – (Tampa Bay) coach Todd Bowles — and what he does. He creates a lot of great opportunities for his defense and his team. They’re a really good offense as well, so we’ve just got to come and execute and play clean football. Got to come and execute and play clean football.”
The Eagles and Buccaneers square off at noon CDT Sunday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. After playing the Bucs, Philadelphia will have its open date before returning to the field against the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 13.
“I think there’s been a ton of different opportunities to learn throughout the season so far,” Hurts said. “It feels like it’s been longer than what it’s been, but we spend a lot of time up here grinding, trying to get on the same page with different things from player to coach and coach to player and player to player. It’s just been so many great things to learn from in these first three games. I think there’s been different situations that have came up, different nuances of the game that we have to be mindful of that have come up, and we’ve had to learn from them.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to continue to press the point of taking steps, not being repeat offenders in certain instances, and continue to grow, grow situationally with our fundamentals, our process in certain moments, everybody being on the same page. I’m just growing. It’s obviously a ton of opportunity there, but we just have to, ultimately, do it together. We have to do it together, and I’m not afraid to lead in that.”
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.