After watching his Philadelphia Eagles suffer injury after injury over the first six weeks of the season, Jalen Hurts was tasked with throw the ball to 12 different players through five games in 2024.
Asked how he handled a rotating cast of supporting players, not to mention how the Eagles’ reserves performed in 2024, after the game, Hurt revealed the advice he gave to Jahan Dotsonwhich has struggled greatly since its acquisition from Washington’s commanders.
“I’m very proud of how they were prepared to step in and be ready. And then, honestly, some of these things stand out, you know, [Eagles TE Grant Calcaterra] is Grant. He had two in quick succession. Yeah, the second one is never supposed to fit him, to be honest. It’s not his ball. But he showed up. We managed to get it to him and he ran with the ball in his hands. »
“And I came out at halftime, I said [Eagles WR Jahan Dotson] just to stay ready. Be prepared. I don’t know when it’s going to happen, I don’t know what it’s going to look like, I don’t know where it’s going to happen, but it’s going to happen at some point, we’re going to need you, you know. And he showed up, took the toe, dragged himself. It’s good to see it, you know, just the little details. It’s about small details. And those things showed up, whether it was the way you throw it, your footwork, the way you catch the ball, your drag on the sideline, the technique at before, you know, some checks at the end of the match, or whatever. It’s about the details of being on the same page. And it was a good performance on that today.
After combining for just 81 over the first five games of the season, Dotson and especially Calcaterra showed out in Week 6, accounting for 77 of Hurts’ 264 yards on the game. If the duo is able to stay ready, as Hurts suggested, who knows, maybe they’ll become more important parts of the offense instead of sometimes being targeted as an afterthought.
Nick Sirianni was also impressed with the Eagles TE2
Using some of his own postgame media to discuss how his offense looked in Week 6, Nick Sirianni also shouted out Calcaterra, because he played a big role in the victory.
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“I think we did some really good things. We need to find a way to support attacks and get explosives here and there. I think we have explosives. I don’t know the exact number, but I had the impression that some trips left very early. I thought Jalen was operating at a very high level. He played a really solid match,” Sirianni told reporters.
“I thought a lot of guys (had solid games). [TE] Grant Calcaterra; what can I say about him? Steps up and makes incredible plays – they’re a team. It takes everyone. Everyone on this team has to win an NFL football game. I think we showed that today.
After making a name for themselves as one of the NFL’s top 12 personnel teams in the past, the Eagles haven’t really gotten much out of their TE2 since Zach Ertz was traded to Arizona. If Calcaterra can continue to step up, perhaps it will alleviate Dotson’s lack of production at WR3 and really energize the passing attack from a unique, powerful look that could further unlock Hurts and Saquon Barkley as runners.
